Academy Author Index
Last Updated: 4/26/2008
Nano Series
Nano #1: Equilibirum — Newton's First Law
I think I may have had perhaps an HOUR of sleep last night and Jules Mills is SOLELY responsible. What can I say about this story? This is the type of story EVERY fanfic reader LIVES for. When the Xenaverse becomes a frustrating place and the TV series becomes even more so the continued possibility of gems like this story are what tend to keep me solidly a part of the fandom. This is ALSO a story that will make converts out of all you HEATHENS still uninitiated into the wonderful world of uber fanfic. I dare you to read this and not come out at the end a fan of the uber genre. Jules spins a yarn here that is utterly STUNNING in its emotional impact - in the depth of her characterizations - in the power of this exquisitely crafted story to draw you in and make you a part of this world, making you feel for these characters, making you root for them and cry for them and laugh with them. Set in the not-so-distant future of 2016, the story begins at a bar where ex-con Dana Papadopolis (better known as DOC) and doctor Grace Wilson first meet. Attempting to help after the dark stranger is inadvertently injured in a brawl, Grace finds herself immediately intrigued by the fidgety ex-con who at first refuses but eventually accepts her aid. Thus begins a slow dance between these two souls - one full of gentleness and determination, another hiding in a very dark place after years of barbaric abuse, desolation and disappointments. For Grace it will be an uphill battle all the way as she finds herself having to deal both with a very jealous and very dangerous ex and with a new partner whose physical strength is a stunning contradiction to the fragility lying beneath. Dana meanwhile finds herself trusting someone for the first time in her life, wanting desperately to bring the beautiful doctor and herself some measure of happiness...if only for a little while. Grace and ESPECIALLY Dana are two of the best drawn, most endearing modern uber-archetypes I have ever seen in XWP fanfic - recalling the qualities of Xena and Gabrielle while coming across as very real individuals in their own right. Jules sensitive portrayal of these two women is supplemented by a fantastically original story that integrates some great futuristic elements into a tale that is part hurt/comfort, part murder-mystery, and large part romance. I could go on and on but frankly all I want to know is what you're still doing wasting time with this review? ;-) GO READ! MOVE IT! MOVE IT! MOVE IT! This gift to the Xenaverse gets my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!! — Lunacy
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Nano #2: Equilibrium — Moment of Force
This one picks up immediately after where NANO #1: EQUILIBRIUM — NEWTON'S FIRST LAW left off - with Grace having to return home after news of her father's illness. It's an opportunity for Dana to meet the folks and for the two women to continue healing the ex-con's fragile psyche, but the pressures of family can get overwhelming - particular for someone whose past never seems far behind and whose fears are always lurking just beneath the surface.
Set a couple of months after NANO #2: EQUILIBRIUM — MOMENT OF FORCE, this third story in the NANO SERIES finds a furious doctor Wilson refusing to accept any excuses from her now ex-partner Dana Papadopolis for her recent abandonment. Soon enough, however, her anger gives way to an acute despair when it becomes clear that the ex-con is not well - in fact, Dana is slowly becoming the victim of a killer she knows only too well but before surrendering to that darkness she needs to see the woman who gave her, if only for a little while, a glimpse into a life she's never deserved. This latest entry in the series is perhaps the most poignant as we see the extent of Dana's guilt for a past that once consumed a young girl and has never allowed her peace since.
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Nano #4: Newton's Second Law — Gravitation
Set a few months after NANO #3: THE CARNOT CYCLE, the story has Grace and Dana taking it easy at the young doctor's beach house while her partner recovers from her recent bout with the beta virus. It's a wonderful time for the two of them as they revel in a new intimacy made possible by Dana's emotional as well as physical healing...but it is also a happiness fated not to last for there are forces at work determined to take it from them - individuals that know just how deadly and valuable Dana Papadopolis is and will never be willing to give her the peace she craves.
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As their friend Rachel does a little quick house cleaning, Dana and Grace spend some quality time together, allowing the fierce connection between them to start healing the nanotech's body and soul. They know now, however, that neither will be safe again until they tie some loose ends from the past - loose ends that have Dana thinking about a dark part of her soul that although dormant most of the time these days remains very much a part of her.
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Nano #6: The First Law of Thermodynamics
The sixth installment in Jules already classic NANO SERIES finds Grace and her nano tech back home and busy at work while they continue building a life together. It's a life already full of both domestic and professional challenges as Doc seeks the help of a professional in trying to understand the darkness within her and both struggle to fulfill the promise of the technology they're working on. Jules has achieved an easiness in her depiction of these characters and the relationship they share that continues to make her stories a rare treat. Exceedingly well-written, this new story offers the same mixture of humor, passionate romance and heartwarming emotions that have put Jules Mills among the creme-della-creme of XWP fanfic talents writing today. NANO #6 gets my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION — Lunacy
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Grace and Doc are enjoying some quality time after their recent ordeal with the FBI. Doc knows just the way to release some of that pent-up stress too but ends up creating, much to her delight, one very determined and sexy little monster in the process. It's a playful, peaceful, loving time for the both of them but one unlikely to last in light of a pending family visit and the resurfacing of some unpleasant figures from the past.
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Love Bots [Academy Valentine 2008]