I’ve got a bad feeling about this… Sci-Fi Fantasy Saturday for 1-25

Greetings from the frozen Northland! I used to live in Montana, where THE ELF MAGE is set, and I decided to leave there because it just got too cold in the winter. So today I woke up to -3 (-16 with the wind chill) here in Pennsylvania, and in Missoula, it’s 22 degrees. What’s up with that?

Anyway, as I sit here bundled up in my chair and just my fingers sticking out so I can type, I wanted to share a snippet of THE ELF MAGE, part of the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot series. This piece is near the beginning of the third book, just after the elf prince has been abducted by persons or elves unknown and the clan nearly destroyed. Daven Talvi, whose pride helped bring things to this point, has come to after being knocked out in a fight, in the queen’s enchanted home, finding himself alone and everything in shambles:

Astan had many times expressed his concern since the queen came to live in the forest with the clan, worried that Grigor had not perished alone in the forests, and that he would return to avenge his dead master Bartolomey. But Daven had counseled his son not to take action, to wait and watch. Astan disagreed, but obeyed his father, as duty required.

            And look where that has brought you.

            Truly Daven had underestimated the evil Grigor held within him, the sense of blackness that still pervaded the atmosphere inside the queen’s home. As a fullblood elf, well-trained in the ways of divination, Daven perceived several mental voices, several personas who had left the barest impression of themselves behind, an impression of menace and ill-will.

            Something about one in particular felt familiar to Daven. Something he had not felt for many years. Something so vague he couldn’t put a name to it yet. But he would.

***

And thus begins a transformation that will lead to the biggest battle this clan has ever endured…that may be the end of them all.

For more on the series, visit the Clan Elves page or my tab above, or check it out at Amazon.com .

For other amazing snippets from sci-fi fantasy authors around the world, check out this week’s edition of SFFS here!

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No sense in working without an angle…SFFS for April 13!

This week’s snippet goes back to one of the elf queen’s human friends, Lane Donatelli. For those who’ve read the YA Clan Elves series, you’ll remember Lane is a former foster-care child who compensates for his anxiety with food, especially cupcakes, and he’s a master computer whiz.

But he also needs to pay his bills:

Lane retreated to the Cave, his carefully-constructed getaway inside the apartment, four computers ensconced in a space enclosed by walls built from an assortment of cardboard boxes, crates and storage bins.  Once upon a time, his whole life had been centered within these artificial walls, very much like Crispy had constructed his own “safe” place, his agoraphobia keeping him inside the apartment until his therapist—and a generous helping of elven magic—had invited him back into the world.

            Lane’s egress into the greater world had taken a different form. Plopping down in his well-padded manager’s chair, he noted the blinking icon that indicated he had email waiting for him. Clicking on it, he revealed seven notes from fans new to his recently-published digital book, The Elf Princess.

            He’d taken the adventure he’d shared with Jelani, Astan and the others, and written a thinly-disguised version of the story, careful to set it near Butte instead of Missoula, to protect the clan’s existence in the Montana woods.  The manuscript had been rejected by a dozen agents as “too outlandish,” proving to Lane that truth was indeed stranger than fiction. Finally, he’d tapped one of his gamer buddies online, they’d whipped the manuscript into shape for e-publishing, and he’d published it himself.

            His gamer friends spread the word, and as they were a widely-diverse group, Lane had sold a good number of copies already, a fan base developing almost without his effort.

“Now if I can only figure out how to leverage this into a fully-paid appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con…”

***

THE ELF GUARDIAN is the fourth book in the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot series, available at Dragonfly Publishing and at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, at Apple ITunes and most other online outlets. Find out more about the series at the tab above or at the home of the Clan Elves online.

Find more delicious low-calorie snippets at Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday today!

Too many stories, so little time–Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday for March 2

Four books releasing in March? What the heck was I thinking???

Oh yeah, I remember. I’m going to That Book Place for  an Author’s Fair in Madison, Indiana, and I wanted to be able to take new books with me. *headdesk*

So I have the fourth book in the Clan Elves series, THE ELF GUARDIAN:

And a story, “A Recipe For Success,” in SIDEKICKS, the new speculative fiction anthology from Alliteration Ink (writing as Alana Lorens):

And a new contemporary romance called BY ANY OTHER NAME coming from Desert Breeze Publishing   March 23…(also writing as Alana Lorens)

Holy Mother of bacon and blueberry muffins, Batman!

I feel like I’m tied to one of the fans on a windmill, spinning around trying to see which book I’m talking about THIS time.

Oh, wait. I know. I’m talking about the first book in the Horizon Crossover series, HORIZON SHIFT.

Here’s the blurb: When Captain Temms Rogers of the Confederation spaceship Doubtful disobeys orders to attack innocent civilians, he and his crew become hunted rebels. In the midst of a desperate space battle, they risk using an experimental alien device that opens a wormhole which hurls them into a new universe.

(Yes, the name of his ship is the Doubtful, and yes, there’s a good reason for it. It’s in the book. 🙂  )

Captain Rogers has a lot on his mind, what with trying to save what’s left of his ship and his crew in the new universe. Even his sleep is troubled with worries:

When he finished saying grace, the children passed bowls of food and chattered about school as Connie corrected their grammar and manners. He could only watch–he couldn’t move.

Connie said something about the Confederation school and Tommy bragged about how he couldn’t wait to become a Confederation officer like his dad.

Temms wanted to tell Tommy he was forbidden to go. Tommy passed the tray of broiled meat, and small marks appeared on his shirt, red marks that got bigger and more liquid. Blood.

Tommy babbled about joining the Confederation corps as he slowly bled out and Connie looked at Temms, accusing him.

“How could you let this happen? How could you?”

He couldn’t move.

****

Here’s another snippet from December 2012 from HORIZON SHIFT, and here’s where you can catch a whole bunch of assorted free snippets from authors around the world at Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday– come by and read them all!

SFFS for 1-19: On TV people and why they just aren’t like the rest of us…

Another clip this week from THE ELF GUARDIAN–

Once this paranormal investigator gets hold of the idea of studying the Montana Vortex, she’s determined to come to the Bitterroot forests, which strikes fear–or at least serious concern–into the hearts of those humans fortunate enough to know the elf clan.

Crispy in particular is worried that the new prince could be a target, since the royal family had almost lost him to kidnappers once. But Lane, in his usual laid-back way, sets Crispy straight about it here:

***

“Have you ever seen this woman?” Lane dropped the letter onto the desk and turned to the second of his four slaved computers, and ordered it to search for the lame investigator’s show.

Avoiding the lens of the web cam, Crispy edged closer to peer around the corner at the monitor’s wide screen, which displayed a woman who could have walked a Hollywood red carpet, tall, platinum blonde, wearing heels four inches tall and a skirt that didn’t seem much longer, if the expanse of leg in between was any indication.

Lane found his eye distracted by those legs, especially because the photo was shot at an angle as if the cameraman was kneeling down low—not an “up-the-skirt” angle, something a little more “queen of the world.” He didn’t know much about fashion, but the jacket and skirt Chiara wore had that bland, useless look in an off-green color that had to mean it cost twice as much as any normal person would pay for it.

Besides, I shop at the Salvation Army—what do I know from looking beautiful?

He rolled his eyes.

“She’ll fall down in the woods,” Crispy commented.

“In those shoes? You betcha.”

***

Find out more about THE ELF QUEEN, THE ELF CHILD and THE ELF MAGE at the tabs above, or at http://clanelvesofthebitterroot.com. You can buy the books at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com and a host of other sources–find them at Dragonfly Publishing, Inc.   The Elf Guardian is expected out this spring. Can’t wait!

Find more great science fiction and fantasy snippets at Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday’s main page. I love this group of authors–what great imaginations!

 

New site to buy Lyndi’s books!

The ebookmall is now hosting Dragonfly Publishing books, including my elf series and Triad! You can buy the ebook for many different formats at the click of a button. Check it out here! http://www.ebookmall.com/ebook-search?searchterms=Lyndi+Alexander

Final edits for HORIZON SHIFT have gone in to the publisher, so soon this will be available, too–as well as THE ELF GUARDIAN.  So much reading, so little time….

SFFS– this week an excerpt from THE ELF QUEEN

As we enjoy a sunset on the top of Margie Lawson’s mountain, I share with you a snippet from the first book in the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot series, THE ELF QUEEN.  Seems so long since I worked on this one, but it’s only been three years. In a couple of weeks, I’ll have the galleys for book four, THE ELF GUARDIAN– y’all best catch up!

Check out this week’s snippet here; http://clanelvesofthebitterroot.com/updates/on-the-mountain-trail/969/whos-that-girl-always-a-good-question-to-ask-sffs-for-saturday-11-17.html

(And pay no attention to the NaNoWriMo indicator that I’ve fallen behind on my word count. I KNOW. I’m catching up, though.  🙂  )

SFFS for September 8– how do you get to be a super-elf?

Today’s entry at Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday hearkens back to the most recent book in the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot series, THE ELF MAGE.  Elf Vez and his mother have been reunited after a long separation, and he hopes to learn magic and win power from her. But first he must come to understand the power structure of the clan–and he knows that most of what he’s heard so far has been lies:

Vez had been taught mages had greater power than any individual elf of the clan, but they were not taught by the Circle, those old dried up witches who believed they controlled their little elven world. They controlled nothing. This, his mother Veraena had told him, saying that several powerful mages existed in and about the mountains, elves who had evolved past ordinary magic and elven skills, and they were the reason the elves still lived.

            “Long ago, Vez, very special nians and neris studied the traditions of the clan, and learned the deepest secrets the Lady of the Forest had to share.” In the reflected firelight, her face lit with excitement as she shared the tales. “When they’d learned all the Elders could teach them, they went to the earth itself, which taught new lessons. Clearing the mind, clearing the heart, becoming one with the essence of natural things opened the door for them, the santwarja.”

            “A true door, Mother, a gateway to a higher existence?” Vez remembered his heart racing with elation. What marvelous creatures these Intalus must be, how powerful, how able to help others, to improve the status of all elves.

 

Of course, with great power comes great responsibility–or so they say. And power can be used for good or for evil. Which might Vez choose, if he has the opportunity to study this great magic? Find out in THE ELF MAGE.

Find out more about THE ELF MAGE at the Clan Elves  tab above, or at http://clanelvesofthebitterroot.com –buy links at Dragonfly Publishing, Inc.

Find more great science fiction and fantasy snippets at Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday’s main page–enough to keep you inside from the rain all morning!

Ah, sweet revenge…SFFS for July 21

Greetings, science fiction and fantasy fans!

Today I’ve got a selection/snippet from the opening of THE ELF CHILD, book two in the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot series:

He wanted her dead.

            All the years he’d been alive, Grigor Biren had wanted…something. An ever-changing, vast ‘something’ that seemed to be just out of reach. He had never been able to define exactly what would leave him satisfied.

Until now.

            He wanted her dead. Jelani. The elf queen. The child of elven Linnea and human Vincent Marsh, who’d grown up to return to Montana, to the Bitterroot Mountains, to ruin everything.

And from there evolves a bitter plot that drives that story through the end of book two and into the beginning of book three. But I guess it’s good to figure out your motivation, right?

More snippets from the series are available at the Clan Elves tab above and also at the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot webpage. The books are available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Smashwords and many other outlets, or order it from your local indie bookseller! (We support local bookstores!!)

More snippets from other talented sci-fi/fantasy writers are available at the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday page, so don’t miss a one!

Montana’s a gorgeous place…even in SFF snippets!

This week’s snippet is from book four of the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot series, which I’m writing as we speak. It’s titled THE ELF GUARDIAN and is due out early next year.

Scenic drive along Idaho-12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The quandary in the beginning of the story is that a defrocked but flashy paranormal investigator named Chiara DeLuna comes to the forest to investigate the Montana Vortex, hoping to make her name again. She arrives just as the elves are about to conduct their solstice ritual–  collision course ahead!

Having just returned from Glacier National Park (above, right) myself, I have to confess I’m as twitterpated about the place as Chiara.

The mountain before her rose with the majesty of poetry to a snow-capped peak far above her head. Another sat to the right, and another to its right, a perfectly sculptured range of mountains that looked like something out of a nature documentary. The breeze was ripe with the scent of pine and the wild flowers that seemed to carpet the ground below. Some sort of raptor flew far overhead, a pair of them, she noted a moment later. They cried out to each other, then executed a graceful drive to the ground somewhere on the far side of the hotel where she couldn’t see them any more.

Okay, so it wasn’t Manhattan. The mountains were of rock instead of steel. And the city never smelled like this–never.

            Re-energized, she went inside and called the desk to hire a driver to take her out to the vortex. If the hotel was this inspiring, the psychic energy might just be amazing after all.

Little friend at the Montana vortex…

For more information on the Clan Elves series, click the tab above or visit their website, Http://clanelvesofthebitterroot.com . For more snippets to make your Saturday wonderful, visit the SFFS site and read all the fantastic bits and pieces filling the creative airwaves today!

A teaser! Snippet for SFFS from book four, still in progress…

This week’s snippet is from book four of the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot series, which I’m writing as we speak. 🙂 It’s titled THE ELF GUARDIAN and is due out early next year.

The quandary in the beginning of the story is that a defrocked  but flashy paranormal investigator named Chiara DeLuna comes to the forest to investigate the Montana Vortex, hoping to make her name again. She arrives just as the elves are about to conduct their solstice ritual–collision course ahead! But first she finds Lane Donatelli, who’s written a “novel” about his friend Jelani and the elves, considering him an expert. When she goes to pick his brain, he realizes she’s much too close to discovering the truth.

Snippet:

“You’re effing delusional, that’s what’s wrong with you.” Lane leaned as close to the table as he could get, his generous paunch in the way. “You see things that aren’t there. That’s why that amusement park haunting was a bust. Why you couldn’t find a speck of alien dust in that mountain community nearAsheville. And have you already forgotten that ghostly schoolgirl roaming the halls of that tornado-destroyed town? Oh, wait. We never saw her on your show. Because she didn’t exist.”

            Each example he gave ripped some support out of that smarmy grin, and her eyes grew wider, and when he’d finished, the pen slipped from her fingers. She looked like a different person. Maybe even someone real.

 

Find out more about THE ELF QUEEN, THE ELF CHILD and THE ELF MAGE at the tab above, or at http://clanelvesofthebitterroot.com –buy links at Dragonfly Publishing, Inc.

Find more great science fiction and fantasy snippets at Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday’s main page. I love this group of authors–what great imaginations!