Today’s snippet is from my science fiction/space opera TRIAD. Here’s the basic story:

After five years of silence, the Arkosian space pirates are back to terrorize the sector where Trezanna Len fights to save her Solarii colony, a small group of Terran descendants settled on the planet Induna. To survive, the Solarii need assistance soon.

Trezanna could ask for help from the neighboring group called Dragonfleet, but its cruel leader Estrella Drake has been on a rampage to annex Solarii space. Estrella would never agree to an alliance with the Solarii. Or would she?

***

So for awhile, she agrees to an alliance. Things seem good. People relax and drink tea. But then….

SNIPPET:

The attack came without warning, without even a hint of danger. Estrella’s DragonFleet warriors appeared fully Veiled already over the base, strafing the compound with brutal rounds of laser fire.

“Battle stations!” Caught in his seat in the command center, Julian McKinley was the first stunned officer to react. “In case anyone hadn’t noticed,” he muttered. He sent the call basewide, then his feet hit the floor for the hangar bay.

Catava Rolon, hair wrapped tight, all business now, met Trezanna Len at the entry to C Wing as Trezanna exited the Commons, yanking on a leather flight jacket over her soft blue blouse.  “Is it Estrella?” she asked as the two of them ran the long way around.

 “Of course. She’s probably had this up her sleeve for some time, just waiting for an opportunity to use it as the Khimeyr’s welcome mat.”

***

Don’t they say women in the military work better together?

Or maybe Miss Estrella Drake just has some serious mental health issues. (I’d vote for this one!)

For more information on TRIAD, see my other blog or Amazon.com.  For more great snippets from sci-fi and fantasy authors from around the world, visit Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday this Saturday and every Saturday!!

Today’s snippet from me goes back a couple of years to one of my favorite books, THE ELF MAGE. The book is the third in the series, and begins in tragedy. The newborn son of the Elf Queen, Jelani Marsh and her consort, Astan Hawk, has been abducted, and the clan is in chaos. Jelani and Astan have left the clan lands, hiding in a cabin that belonged to Jelani’s human father until they can decide what best to do. But one thing they agree on in perfect clarity:

***

What to do? How would they find him?

            Holding her cold hands near the edge of the cookstove’s blue flame, she stared at the water, watched the bubbles come to the surface in the small pan, the steam rising above it. Her arms ached to hold Elliun. She sensed Astan behind her just before his arms encircled her waist, pulling her close to him.

            “We’ll find him, denami.”

            The emotions swirling in her gut lay far from his comforting reassurances; her instincts cried out for violence.  “We’ll find Grigor, too, and we’ll destroy him for real this time.”

            His voice in her ear held an edge of cold ice. “He will not live.”

***

The tale continues through the winter lands in the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana, as they track their missing son and others seek to either build the clan back together or tear it down once and for all.

Is it enough to say that the solution to the whole mess comes at the hands of one Kevin-Smith like computer geek and his World of Warcraft avatar? Perhaps.

For more information on this series, click the tab above.

Still working on the Horizon Crossover series–but I expect to turn book two in to my editor this weekend (Yay!), and I’m so grateful she has been understanding of how my life has changed this year. Book three, HORIZON DYNASTY, is underway.

Let’s hope everything is back on track. Relationship and health issues and legal issues just…suck.  :)

For more fascinating snippets, do stop by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday site. Each week there’s a whole new buffet of bites and bytes all for your reading pleasure.

Tale Twisters

Guest post by JESSICA ASPEN

I first met Lyndi Alexander in 2010, when she was working on the manuscript that would become WINDMILLS and I was re-writing THE DARK HUNTSMAN for the third time. That was when I realized how much we had in common, number one being our great love of fantasy and number two our great love of books and writing. Or maybe those things are out of order. Maybe it’s writing, then books, then fantasy. I’m not sure it matters, what’s important is that we hit it off.

Oh, and we both wrote about elves.

Yes, elves.

Lyndi caught my attention with her glass slipper that spilled out a cache of elves at the feet of her heroine and onto a city street. What a terrific twist on a classic fairy tale. I was hooked. I bought her book out of the back of her car that weekend and I’ve been very glad that I did. You wouldn’t think there could be so many interpretations of elves, but the truth is that there are as many different ways one can write about elves as there are writers. And that’s saying a lot.

And that brings me to something else we have in common, a love of twisting the classic fairy tale elements. THE DARK HUNTSMAN is a modern fantasy twist of Snow White, but there are only hints and glimpses of the traditional story that lies beneath. I like to layer in tiny elements like apples, witches, and evil queens. And then twist the tale by making the huntsman the hero instead of the prince. Lyndi strays even farther from the standard fairy tale path, but if you look deep you can find those elements in the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot. A hidden princess, an unlikely prince, the glass slipper.

Twisted fairy tales are hot right now, we see them on the big screen and on the TV screen. I’ve loved them since I first discovered a book of short fairy tale twists including one dark tale by CJ Cherryh that I wish I still owned. Darn those constant moves of my youth. I fell in love with the idea of taking a classic story that has all the right elements: romance, magic, girl in trouble, handsome guy, and something ugly, and making it my own. I got to change the things I didn’t like about the story and keep the things I loved.

Snow White has always seemed a little passive to me. I get to re-write the whole story and make her kick-ass. The prince was this dude who came in at the ending, insisted on disturbing the dwarves’ mourning, and kissed the dead girl. How weird is that? Let’s just get rid of him, because the real hero is the working man who takes the risk of his own beheading and doesn’t kill Snow White in the first place. The huntsman. That’s a man I want to kiss.

What fairy tale elements to you love to see in stores? What pieces are intrinsic to the tales? Does Cinderella have to have two step-sisters, or can they be step-brothers, or uncles, or maybe several step-mothers? Does Rapunzel have to have long hair? What if the big bad wolf wasn’t the bad guy?

Do authors have to stay on the beaten path or can they lure you deeper into the tale and encourage you to get lost in the brambles on the side paths?

Are you willing to be lost in the woods?

The Dark Huntsman, A Fantasy Romance of the Black Court

An evil queen, a dangerous man, and a witch, tangled together in a tale of Snow White…

Desperate to save the last of her family from the murderous Faery Queen, Trina Mac Elvy weaves a spell of entrapment. But instead of a common soldier, the queen has released the Dark Huntsman, a full blooded fae with lethal powers.

Caged for treason, Logan Ni Brennan, is ready to do anything to win free of the manipulative queen, even if it includes running a last errand for her…murdering a witch. The sight of Trina, ready to fight despite the odds, gives him another option: use the witch as a chess piece, put the queen’s son on the throne, and bring down the queen forever.

As the queen slides into insanity and her closest advisor makes plans to succeed to the throne, Logan secrets Trina away in the enchanted forest and makes a decisive move in his dangerous game of manipulation. But the gaming tables of fate turn on him, and when Trina’s life is threatened he discovers he risks more than his freedom…he risks his heart.

Dare to enter Jessica Aspen’s world of steamy, fantasy romance in her new twisted fairy tale trilogy: Tales of the Black Court…

Buy now on Amazon:http://amzn.com/B00FN2P7A8

Add to Goodreads Shelf: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18481503-the-dark-huntsman

Author Bio:

Jessica Aspen always wanted to be spirited away to a world inhabited by elves, were-wolves and sexy men who walk on the dark side of the knife. Luckily, she’s able to explore her fantasy side and delve into new worlds by writing paranormal romance. She loves indulging in dark chocolate, reading eclectic novels, and dreaming of ocean vacations, but instead spends most of her time, writing, walking the dog, and hiking in the Colorado Rockies.  To sign up for Jessica Aspen’s new release email please go to: http://eepurl.com/zs4Sj

Author web links: (web, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads, etc)

Website: http://jessicaaspen.com

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5759763.Jessica_Aspen

https://twitter.com/JessicaAspen

https://www.facebook.com/JessicaAspenAuthor

http://pinterest.com/jessicaaspen/

Jessica Aspen’s non-spammy, new release email please go to: http://eepurl.com/zs4Sj

http://www.erindanzer.com/the-elf-guardian-by-lyndi-alexander/

The Bitterroot Mountains (pictured, right) hold many secrets. Including the existence of elves. :)

  Book Four of the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot series picks up several years after the other three, and involves a climate/earth shift crisis in the Montana mountains:

The strong Earth energies that support the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot have gone awry for unknown reasons, and the powerful forces at work have not gone unnoticed by the outside world.

When a paranormal investigator looking for a story to save her career is told a fantastic tale by the juvenile and disobedient elf prince Elliun, his young albino elf bodyguard Max must try to fix the mistake.

Can Max get  humans, mages, and elves working together in time to save the land before the energies spin out of control? Or is this the end of the elven world in the Bitterroot Mountains?

I’ve posted previous snippets from this book introducing readers to the paranormal investigator, Chiara diLuna, and I think people are still prepared to like her.

Today’s snippet, though, goes back to the close relationship between humans Lane and Crispy, who are friends of the elf queen, as they’re on their way to warn the clan about the investigator’s arrival. Both of them grew up in foster care, and they have some…issues. But this bit tends to define how they feel about each other:

***

“You can do anything—you have the protection of the elves and the magic laptop. You can even kill evil elf usurpers! And you’re just….” Crispy struggled for the right words. “You’ve always taken care of me, Lane. Even when I was at my most lost, you could always find me. Whatever life gives you, you always throw it back in its face. Nothing ever gets to you.” A small smile came to him. “I want to be you when I grow up.”

***

This pair are some of my favorite creations ever, and they’re in every book of the Clan Elves series. I confess Lane actually took over THE ELF MAGE. But how else can you deal with a Kevin-Smith-like computer geek with a passion for Creamy Cupcakes and a tolerance for all flavors of crazy?

Find out more about THE ELF GUARDIAN here or at my other blog, Lyndi Alexander and her Worlds of Fancy . It’s available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Smashwords, Apple iTunes and more!

For more delicious snippets from authors around the world, stop back at Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday and enjoy!

The first three books brought to life the story of Jelani Marsh, a young barista who believed she was mostly a failure in life, having grown up an orphan, losing her parents, dropping out of college, not having much to show for her years. But her encounter with a glass slipper revealed a whole different side to her life she’d never known. After that, she and her friends became involved in a secret world deep in the forests of the Bitterroot Mountains and had many adventures, even fighting in a civil war unseen by the outside world.

THE ELF GUARDIAN tells the story of what happens when that outside world becomes aware of some of the effects of the elven community on the human terrain they share, particularly the Montana Vortex, a fascinating site in Columbia Falls, Montana.

Here’s the book blurb:

Clan Elves of the Bitterroot – Book 4:
The strong Earth energies that support the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot have gone awry for unknown reasons, and the powerful forces at work have not gone unnoticed by the outside world.  When a paranormal investigator looking for a story to save her career is told a fantastic tale by the juvenile and disobedient elf prince Elliun, his young albino elf bodyguard Max must try to fix the mistake.  Can Max get  humans, mages, and elves working together in time to save the land before the energies spin out of control?  Or is this the end of the elven world in the Bitterroot Mountains?

And here’s today’s snippet, which delves a little into the histories of Jelani’s human friends Lane Donatelli and Ron “Crispy” Mendell,  and their interaction with elf mage Daven Talvi:

Lane tried to ignore the worm of nausea that slid, wet, through his stomach, at the memory of their thin, bruised foster brother. Crispy had been particularly close with Sammy during those times he’d lived with them, when the court hadn’t sent him back to his abusive mom and her boyfriend for ‘trial’ visits. During the last of those visits, Sammy hadn’t come back; the boyfriend killed him.

And Crispy had gotten revenge for poor Sammy, in his own way.

“Yes,” Daven said, “that hurt from the past is tied to his remorse for what happened that day.”

“He must have been able to sublimate it for awhile, in all this excitement of being free to go outside and all that.”

“Sublimate it? As in hide it away?”

Something in Daven’s tone flagged Lane’s Crazy-o-meter. “Daven, what did you do?”

Coming soon from Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. in ebook and paperback!

For more great science fiction and fantasy snippets, check out the rest of this week’s authors here at Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday and come back every week for more!

Whatever was about to happen, Astan was sure she was at the center of it. He’d discovered over the years that Djana and the women didn’t gather without good cause.

            Why does Nana push me toward this girl?

            One of his grandmother’s favorite sayings came to mind: The best weapon against ignorance is the search for knowledge.

            Astan set his mind and his heart on that search, and went back downstairs. He pulled a chair away from the table, turned it so he could straddle it, and studied his grandmother intently.

            She was smiling before she even looked in his direction. “So, you finally want to know who she is. It’s about time.”

What he discovers changes his future forever, and indeed, the future of the whole elf clan.

Read another excerpt here, and see the book trailer here.

Here’s the blurb:  Clan Elves of the Bitterroot – Book I:
At her friend’s coaxing, Jelani tries on a real glass slipper left lying on the sidewalk. When she steps into the shoe it shatters, cutting her foot. As blood trickles to the pavement and mingles with the broken glass, dozens of two-inch high creatures emerge and then scurry away into the shadows. As if that was not bizarre enough, soon sheis approached by two mysterious and very handsome men claiming (of all things) to be elves who need Jelani’s help to rescue their queen. More revelations come, threatening to unravel the life of this sassy barista from Missoula, Montana. Jelani must come to grips with the idea that elves are not just creatures from a fairy tale. They are alive and living in the forests of the Bitterroot Mountains….

  THE ELF QUEEN is followed by THE ELF CHILD, THE ELF MAGE, and coming in 2013, THE ELF GUARDIAN, all from Dragonfly Publishing. You can order them at any online book distributor or a print copy at your favorite indie bookseller!

 Learn more at Lyndi’s other webpage: http://lyndialexander.wordpress.com

For more great science fiction and fantasy snippets, visit the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday page–always someone new to read. You might discover your favorite new author!

Lane moved toward the door faster than he could remember moving anywhere for a long time, stopping short when he caught sight of Astan, holding an unconscious Jelani in his arms, both of them wet and dirt-streaked. “Come in, come in.”

            He and Kevin took the woman from Astan, the two of them half-tripping over each other as they carried her into the living room. It was Iris’ turn to vacate the couch so they had somewhere to put Jelani.

            “Iris?” Astan asked in bewilderment.

            “Oh, honey, here’s your baby—he’s safe.” Iris handed the baby to his father, who stumbled, mouth gaping in shock.

            “Germs!” groaned Crispy, still hiding in the kitchen. A roll of paper towels flew in from the kitchen. “Wet wipes.”

Have you read the Clan Elves’ series yet? Three books are in print/in ebook form now, and the fourth volume THE ELF GUARDIAN will be released in the next several months.

The series is geared for both YA and adult readers, with plenty of action, an unexpected love story, mystery, suspense and whimsy as well. The varied cast of characters, flawed, broken, yet also heroic, rising above their limitations to overcome magical odds they never imagined they’d encounter, are inspiring, and some of my personal favorites.

Have you heard of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday? It’s a wonderful place to become acquainted with a number of new writers brave enough to put snippets of their work out there for people to read. The description on-site is ” a close-knit group of friends and colleagues working together to support and encourage one another and promote the science fiction and fantasy genres.” I’ve made new writer friends through the site for sure, and I invite you to come check it out every Saturday! This week’s posts will be found here, and will take you into the farthest reaches of space and the wildest places of fantastical imagination. Bring your hot beverage choice and settle in for a delightful buffet of snippets. :)

EXCERPT:

Concentrate, damn it. If you don’t get this right, those old witches will eat your liver or something. Turn you into a newt for real this time.
He bent down with a grunt and set the running computer on the bare dirt. Connected to the magic of the clan lands, it immediately whirred into a higher gear, and he could sense it was doing something. Now he had to see if it was doing what was needed.
“Hear, o elf clan of the Bitterroot, hear your technomage at work holding up his end of the bargain. Ah…Presto chango, Shazzam, Abracadabra, A la peanut butter sandwiches, hickory, dickory dock, shazbot, um, make it so!”
Having exhausted his repertoire of magic incantations, he stepped back, held his breath and waited.

Find out more about THE ELF QUEEN, THE ELF CHILD and THE ELF MAGE at the tabs above, or at http://lyndialexander.wordpress.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.

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!