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.

My name is Patrick Stutzman, and I am a science fiction author. I live in the greater Kansas City area with my wife, two daughters, and a host of animals (a dog, three cats, a gerbil, and a couple of hermit crabs). I drink coffee but only at my day job. I hold a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology, which I feel helps me with creating new and believable technologies for my stories.

Tell us about your new book.

At the time I write this, I am preparing to release the third book of the Chronicles of Anna Foster series titled Alone in the Crowd. While the first two books take place one after the other, several years have passed when the third book opens. Several new characters are introduced in this one, but we still follow Anna’s exploits. This one promises more action and adventure.

What inspired you to write this story? What interesting thing did you learn or research to write it that you didn’t know before?

 Honestly, it was a desire to keep my writing skills sharp that got me started on the book series. I had just finished my job as a game designer for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, and I could not think of a better way to do so. As for Crowd, it was just a natural progression of the storyline that began with the first two books. The most interesting thing I researched for this book was how a human body decays after death. I know it’s a gruesome topic, but it had to be done.

How would you best describe your books?

 My books are about a woman trying to survive while alone and isolated from the rest of Human civilization. In some ways, you might say it’s like having Robinson Crusoe set in the future.

 What is your favorite genre to write? To read?

 My favorite genre is science fiction to both read and write, although I also read fantasy and a little horror.

 What would you write if you could do write anything you wanted to write?

 Beside my own books, I would choose to return to Star Wars. I absolutely loved writing for the Star Wars universe and would gladly do it again.

What do you most like about writing? Least like? When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

 Writing allows me to release the creative side of myself and let it run rampant; that’s what I like most. What I like least is chasing it around and cleaning up its mess. I suppose the first sign of me wanting to write came to me in 5^th grade, when I was given free rein in creative writing. I created story after story and happily shared them with the class throughout the year. I even wrote a play and performed it for the class.

Do you belong to any writing groups? Are there any writing websites you find particularly useful?

 The only group to which I belong is Science Fiction & Fantasy Saturday, which is found at http://scififansat.blogspot.com. I don’t have any one particular writing website I favor. But, one particular blog I find useful and entertaining belongs to Chuck Wendig and is located at http://www.terribleminds.com. He presents tips for writers with a humorous and somewhat vulgar spin.

 Is there any special music you like to listen to while writing? How does it inspire you?

 I prefer to listen to orchestral soundtracks to some of my favorite movies and TV shows. Some of the soundtracks in my writing repertoire are Babylon 5, Dragonheart, Princess Mononoke, Star Wars (both trilogies), and the video game Command & Conquer: Generals. The music evokes certain moods and ignites my creativeness that help me create certain scenes for what I am writing.

Do you belong to a critique group? What do you find most valuable about the experience?

At this time, I do not belong to a critique group. I probably should find one.

 Tell us a little about your path to publication. How many books have you published? How many books did you write before selling one?

 After I finished writing Paradise, I went on the prowl for an agent or a publisher. Nobody wanted me. I decided to not give up home and went with the self-publishing route. Thus far, I have self-published two books. To date, I have not sold any of my books to a publisher.

What’s your favorite thing about the book featured here today? Any special memories you have in the creation of it?

The one thing I enjoyed the most was the background for the extraterrestrial race that made a brief appearance in the second book, Alone in Paradise. I had already created the basic biology for the race a number of years ago as an experimental concept, but I had to add so much more detail to them for the third and the upcoming fourth book. For example, I have several references to tracking time between Humans and the other race, so I had to figure out how long a local day was on their planet, how they tracked the passing of time (and had it make sense), and how it all translated to Human terms.

What are you writing now? What’s next for you—will you be making personal appearances anywhere our readers can find you?

Right now, I am part way through the fourth book of the series. I have the basic outline already plotted and have the first draft partially done. I am scheduled to appear at ConQuest taking place in Kansas City from 24-26 May.

What would you like to tell readers?

 If you have read any of the previous books of the series, Alone in the Crowd promises more action and suspense than the first two books. I hope to have it released before Memorial Day weekend.

 Feel free to contact me via Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus with your questions, comments, compliments, hate mail, etc. (Okay, maybe not so much on the hate mail.) I should be pretty easy to find. I do read all of them and am very likely to respond.

Thanks again, Patrick! Very interesting points and best wishes with your book sales!

  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!

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 tops in the business again. She arrives just as the elves are about to conduct their solstice ritual–collision course ahead!

Lane Donatelli, now a “technomage” of the elf clan, has to do his part in the upcoming ritual, at the same time the clan is trying to fend off this investigator. If he was playing this out in his online game, he’d have no worries, but in real life? What’s a technomage to do?

Snippet:

Lane’s mind wandered, considering the possibility of the wind ‘speaking’ to anyone, a ridiculous thought. Despite the fact he’d been exposed to magic among the elves, and the fact he spent half his waking hours (and some of his sleeping ones, too) engaged in an ephemeral zone of bits and bytes in the online game that was so much less than real, he found it hard to believe that someone could commune with nature to such an extent. He’d seen it; Jelani had the power to heal broken trees and damaged stands of wood and grass. But he still didn’t believe it.
Fighting Yoda-scolding from his head, he tried to concentrate on what he was supposed to be doing. Good thing, too, because just about then, Jelly Bean turned to him and asked, “And what can we expect from the amazing technomage department?”
The sparkle in her eyes showed that she teased him, and for just a moment she looked like his dear friend the barista, before the cares and worries of being a queen settled on her shoulders. He owed her more than just a light moment between good old buddies. As her colleague and advisor, she was counting on him for something magnificent.
And he had nothing.

Boy, is he in trouble now.

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!

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.

Lane, meanwhile, isn’t too sure what his role as technomage of the clan will have to do with the magical nature of the forces. So The elf mage Daven Talvi tries to explain it in words he’ll understand:

“The energy source is one with the earth, Lane. While it flows everywhere, even here, the strength fluxes, as scientists say, with time and place. The forces of the solstice concentrate the flow around the vortex, allowing us to access it. You’ve felt that power, we all have. You’re right, it’s not something you make happen, it’s something that happens as part of our natural world.”
“So what do you need a computer nerd for?”
Daven grinned. “It is not your technical skills we need, young Jedi.” He winked and Lane bit his tongue before ordering the mage out of his head. “Your heart holds a place for humankind in the balance of the solstice.”

Find out more about THE ELF QUEEN, THE ELF CHILD and THE ELF MAGE at the tabs above, or at http://lyndialexander.wordpress.com .Buy links can be found at at Dragonfly Publishing, Inc.–http://www.dragonflypubs.com/dfp/dfpbooks.html

“
Like our magical device? :) It’s from the vortex site.

Find more great science fiction and fantasy snippets at Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday’s main page(http://scififansat.blogspot.com/2012/06/sffs-23062012.html ). I love this group of authors–what great imaginations!

(I do not love my internet connection on the road that won’t allow me to post links. Sorry for the inconvenience! %#$#$%)