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  For seven more books, we followed Kris as she learned the ropes and came to be a qualified Officer of the Deck. There is only so long a writer can keep a good character like Kris in coming-of-age mode, so in Kris Longknife: Daring we changed the thrust of her story.

  No longer was she trying to figure out where she fit in or who she was. Kris was ready to use all she’d learned and see what she could do. Certainly, the bug-eyed monsters were a worthy opponent for Kris.

  Now Kris has fought her monsters, both the alien and the human ones. Kris is an admiral, a married woman, and a mother. It is time to write “The End” on the last page of this book.

  I do this with intent. A fan wrote me that he was struggling with cancer and hoped that I’d reach the end of Kris’s story before he reached the end of his. For him, if he’s still reading, here is a very satisfactory ending for Kris, Jack, and Nelly.

  For those of you who want to know how the lottery goes and what happens next, don’t worry. As you’re reading this, I’m turning in the next Kris book and very likely starting the one after that. Kris may have achieved flag rank, a ring on her finger, and a lovely baby girl on her hip, but you don’t really think she’s going to last long behind that desk, do you?

  Which month did you pick in the lottery for how long she’ll stay put behind a desk?

  About the Author

  Mike Shepherd grew up Navy. It taught him early about change and the chain of command. He’s worked as a bartender and cabdriver, personnel advisor and labor negotiator. Now retired from building databases about the endangered critters of the Pacific Northwest, he’s enjoying some fun reading and writing.

  Mike lives in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife, Ellen, and close to his daughter and grandchildren. He enjoys reading, writing, dreaming, watching grandchildren for story ideas, and upgrading his computer—all are never-ending.

  Despite what you may think, Mike is already hard at work on Kris’s next story, Kris Longknife: Emissary, coming from Ace in October 2017, as well as other exciting tales in Kris’s universe.

  You may learn more about Mike, his projects, and his books at his website mikeshepherd.org; you can e-mail him at [email protected] or follow Kris Longknife on Facebook.

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