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!

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. :)

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!

Thanks for being with us today. First, would you tell us a bit about yourself?

It goes without saying that I love to create. Art, writing and anything crafty. I have 4 rowdy kids, one with Asperger’s Syndrome, which creates a unique challenge for our family. Working from home is vital for a mother with a special needs child, so being an author and artist facilitates that need very well. I have a great hubby, who supports my need to write and create, and also a very supportive network of siblings etc.

What area of the country do you live in, do you have a family, pets, etc. Are you a coffee fiend, or do you have another “addiction” you must have on your desk at all times?

No pets, unfortunately (especially bummed, since I LOVE animals so much). We live in a very tiny little house, in town, NW Arkansas. With the economy being so rough, we are unable to sell our home and upgrade to more space at this time. So all 6 of us are crammed in about 1200 sq ft. One learns to be very willing to sacrifice privacy under such living conditions LOL. So, no room for pets.

I don’t drink coffee, tea or anything addictive like soda or alcohol. We tend to stick to a very organic diet in our home. But the things I crave most are fresh veggies (especially home-grown garden tomatoes, sprinkled with salt and garlic) and French or Italian cuisine. Something I have at my desk regularly, are petite baby dill pickles, Spanish olives or unsweetened 85% dark chocolate (particular the Newtree brand with flaxseed).

What’s your education, if it’s relevant to your writing, and how does that education help you/or do you find that you can write well even without the diploma others might think they must have?

Education is an author’s best friend… especially regarding history, literary arts and marketing. I have a degree in commercial art with an emphasis in business and marketing, which has been valuable for promoting my book. I spend a lot of time continuing my education daily; reading articles, watching educational documentaries or picking someone’s brain.

A diploma isn’t necessarily important (though I have a BA and over 140 credit hours), but most people can’t afford tuition… education can be free if you know where to find good information. I’ve known many folks who were more knowledgeable than people with degrees, who simply read and read and read, thus self-educating. So even if you don’t have the opportunity to go to college, you can still stuff your head full of knowledge. Education is vital to success no matter who you are.

Tell us about your most recent publication?

Ethos is the series I am focusing on most right now. Morning Star, book #1, was released March 28 2012. It’s an urban fantasy/paranormal romance/adventure story that crosses over adult to YA markets. I try to keep my writing clean enough for adults and teens to enjoy without being easily offended.

There is some mild passion in the book as well as some mild violence, but I’m sure you’ve seen and heard much worse on Nickelodeon LOL! The main point of the book is to provoke thoughts of spirituality and moral reflection, to look within ourselves and ask how far we’d go to stand up for what we believe in. I think the issues presented are general enough, that people from all walks of life can find some tidbit of universal truth that speaks to them on a personal level.

I’m a sucker for action, so of course, there are a few good fights and chases… and what would a good fantasy be without a little romance? However, I didn’t want the book to be saturated with it. I tried to find balance between the romantic elements and the rest of the story, so readers from multiple genres could enjoy it.

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

Multiple sources inspired the story, but in short, I knew I just needed to write. So I tried to think of a way that I could appeal to a wide market, while choosing genres and topics of popular interest, but did my best to put my own spin on it so it was unique in its own way. I tried to avoid clichés so my own voice would shine through the work.

How would you best describe your books?

Evenly paced, fairly balanced and character-rich. I hope to create characters and worlds that people can relate to, so the reading experience is more realistic. Being a very spiritual person myself, I can’t help but let that influence bleed into the work.

What is your favorite genre to write? To read?

To write, I prefer fantasy and all of its sub genres. To read, I prefer nonfiction, especially spiritual, political or historical topics. But when I do read fiction, I prefer fantasy.

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

I most enjoy the escape it provides, and least like the sore wrists and fingers. I’ve been writing since I was a child, and taking creative writing classes have always been a priority for me all throughout school. But the writing but really bit me when I was twelve, though I didn’t seek publication until I was an adult.

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

I was a member of a local writer’s critique group locally a few years ago, but just became too busy with my family to keep going. There are lots of great places online to share work with other writers and get honest (and sometimes brutal feedback) Authonomy, for one example, and many others. But I don’t really visit them any more since I finally feel like I’ve developed my own style and I’m too busy writing to meet deadlines or marketing my work. I also freelance for several blogs and write content for products in addition to my design and art projects.

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

I normally prefer silence, so most of my writing is done late into the night when the rest of the household sleeps.

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

I wrote a lengthy political thriller/urban fantasy called, The Establishment (155,000 words), in 2010. But after 15 rejections and some honest feedback from beta readers, I realized that it just wasn’t what I wanted to be associated with for a debut series. So I tossed it aside to work on character development and plotting for a new series, which ultimately became Ethos. Within about two weeks of sending Ethos out to publishers, I had three offers.

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

I’m finishing up book #2 in the Ethos series, for a fall 2012 release and also working on a YA steampunk fantasy called, The Elevator.

What would you like to tell readers?

Please feel free to follow me on Facebook to stay updated on new work and giveaways etc. I appreciate feedback and suggestions too.

Author Name: Desiree Finkbeiner

Book being spotlighted: Ethos: Morning Star (Book #1 in the Ethos series)

Amazon purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/Morning-Star-Ethos-ebook/dp/B007PSUV2W/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Desiree-Finkbeiner/e/B007PVI2MU/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

ASIN # B007PSUV2W

Publisher: Hydra Publications (March 28, 2012) www.hydrapublications.com

Author website: www.finkartstudio.com

Author facebook fanpage: www.facebook.com/finkartstudio

Author G+: https://plus.google.com/116389190274070035894

Author twitter: https://twitter.com/finkart

Action Adventure Fantasy Book Trailer #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlrpPaNqWBo&feature=relmfu

Paranormal Romance Fantasy Book Trailer #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wRBiwi7MDA&feature=relmfu

Ethos on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13568249-morning-star

Ethos on Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/books/28173037/Morning-Star-(Ethos)

Ethos on Library Thing: http://www.librarything.com/work/12535862/85293762