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THE ELF QUEEN
Clan Elves of the Bitterroot (Book I)
At her friend's coaxing, Jelani tries on a 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. Soon she is approached by two mysterious and handsome men claiming to be elves who need her help to rescue their queen. More revelations come, threatening to unravel the life of this sassy barista from Missoula, Montana. Jelani must learn to accept that elves are real and living in the forests of the Bitterroot Mountains.
THE ELF QUEEN [©2010] Clan Elves of the Bitterroot (Book I) by Lyndi Alexander | Urban Fantasy (PG) 256 pages / 80,000 words | Available in ebook and print from the DFP Books label of Dragonfly Publishing
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PAPERBACK [EAN 978-1-936381-03-6 | ISBN 1-936381-03-6] 5.5 x 8.5 trade or 6x9 library trim (256 pages) | Average Price: $12.99
HARDBACK [EAN 978-1-936381-00-5 | ISBN 1-936381-00-1] 6x9 casebound (256 pages) | Average Price: $21.99
EBOOK [EAN 978-1-936381-02-9 | ISBN 1-936381-02-8] Available in EPUB and Kindle MOBI (80,000 words) | Average Price: $3.99
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READ AN EXCERPT
CHAPTER 1:
"YOU'VE got to be kidding me!"
Jelani Marsh bit her tongue as she nearly tripped, running for the uniformed Missoula police officer beckoning a tow truck toward her seven-year-old sedan.
"No, wait!" She lunged for the car door, the taste of blood in her mouth. "I've got to get to work! Hey!"
The tall officer grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.
"Miss Marsh, I'm sorry. Laws are meant to be enforced."
She peered up through long dark bangs. "Richard?"
He at least had the decency to look sheepish. "You've got half a dozen unpaid tickets. I'm within my rights."
"This doesn't have anything to do with tickets, you jerk! This is because I quit going out with you. Bite me!" Embarrassed as her neighbors slowed to stare at the patrol car and flashing lights, she leveled a kick at him which he barely avoided.
He waved the tow truck on its way. Her silver sedan with its faded multi-colored bumper sticker reading "Mother Earth: the original uppity woman" disappeared down Rattlesnake Drive.
She could not give him the satisfaction of hearing what she really thought.
Swallowing the rest of the bad language that came to her tongue, she started walking, feeling his disappointed gaze burn into the back of her head. Fabulous. It would take her twenty-five minutes to get to the coffee shop now. She'd be late. And late for the fundraiser for the Wildlife House after that.
As she reached Broadway, a worn blue bicycle pulled up next to her, horn screeching over its rider's distinctive squeal. "Where is your car, woman?"
Jelani eyed her best friend, Iris Pallaton, whose blonde hair swirled above the bright cloud of a magenta blouse. "Richard had it towed."
"Rat bastard!"
"Tell me about it. I'm late." Jelani headed off again.
Iris pedaled along the curb beside her. "You should call his supervisor and complain."
"And what? Humiliate myself because he's a jerk? Screw him!"
"Maybe you should." Iris laughed. "Then he'd be too awed to bother you again."
Jelani glared as they crossed the street. "Funny."
On the far side, she caught the glint of glass in the middle of the sidewalk. "What idiot would drop a bottle when there's a trash can right there?" she grumbled. "I'll get it. First karma points of the day."
Iris climbed off the bike and put down the kickstand. "What is that?" She bent down near the object. "Oh, sweet Gaia! It's a glass slipper!"
No kidding. It really appeared to be a shoe made out of glass. A large one.
"Who would have left this here?" Jelani picked it up, looking around for a prankster camera team. Something kept her from tossing the shoe.
"Try it on," Iris whispered. "It would get Richard Snyder off your mind."
"Richard is not on my mind. He's on my crap list."
"Oooh. Sorry." Iris ran her finger over the shoe. "You're chicken anyway."
"Don't even go there."
"Chicken. Bawk-bawk." Iris giggled.
"Fine! If it means I can get to work." Reaching down with her right hand, she unzipped her boot and kicked it off. "Ready? You want a picture?"
Iris dug for her cellphone and raised it, ready to take a shot. "Just in case your prince shows up right then."
"I don't need a prince," Jelani complained. "I don't need a man. I need a new life."
Setting the shoe on the ground, Jelani slipped her foot in it and gently stepped down, not sure to what expect.
The slipper shattered, slicing into the sole of her foot.
Nauseous, Jelani screamed and could only watch in disbelief as tiny men sprang from the blood trickling under the broken shoe. She lost track of how many.
With the biggest maybe two inches high, the men scattered into the shadows around the nearest building and disappeared.
She lifted her foot, shaking off the blood, and examined her sole to see if glass remained buried in her skin.
"Did you see that?" Iris gasped, nearly breathless. She grabbed at the wall, eyes closed for a moment.
Jelani felt faint, too, suddenly washed out. "I don't know."
There were no glass fragments in her foot or anywhere. The shoe had vanished. The only trace of the whole incident was dark blood, slowly drying in the sun on the sidewalk. As she watched, the cuts in her foot healed.
Iris knelt down to peer at Jelani's foot. "There were little people. Naked little people. They ran away. I swear they did."
"Did you get pictures?"
"I almost forgot!" Iris got up and activated the screen on her cell phone, pressed the arrow. Jelani leaned close to watch the whole thing replay in living color. "Oh. Bless. My. God," Iris said, in her shock reverting to the male deity.
Jelani nodded. "And the horse He rode in on."
[Copyright ©2023 Lyndi Alexander | No unauthorized reproduction or distribution]
READ REVIEWS
I love a good mystery and this author crafted a solid one! She kept me and the characters learning about clues throughout, while still maintaining suspense and momentum in the storyline. And this story has a little of everything! Mystery, fantasy, socio-political commentary, romance. Great little read. Ordering book two in the series today! ~ reviewed by Dianna A. for Amazon Reviews [FIVE STARS]
"THE ELF QUEEN is a sophisticated updating of the Cinderella fairy tale. But instead of the familiar parameters, it all gets torn apart and rebuilt. Jelani finds out she's something special when she tries on a glass slipper that appears out of nowhere, on the street, and she cuts her foot. A group of tiny men spring into existence and go running into the grass alongside the road. Iris, her best friend manages to get it all on her camera! They take the video to her two other friends -- reclusive males who never leave their apartment -- Crispy is agoraphobic, in fact that's how she met him -- her bestie is a social worker treating him. The other guy is a stereotypical computer nerd who lives for wi-fi and never leaves his computer keyboard. Together they try to figure out what's going on. When people start stalking Jelani in the coffee shop she works in, the plot thickens quickly. By the end, she's learned who she really is, and her friends have proven themselves, since all three of them accompany her on a dangerous quest to finally solve the mystery that landed in her lap. Dangerous situations with evil fairies are faced, with good fairies on their side -- and Jelani chooses her Prince Charming. And yes, there is a happy-for-now ending. I get the feeling that there's more to come in this story." ~ reviewed by Fiona McGier at Smashwords [FOUR STARS]
"To start off, even without reading THE ELF QUEEN, the cover and beginning of the synopsis gives me a 'Cinderella' vibe and I really like that. Once I started reading, my suspicions were confirmed. Even though it isn't addressed, there is quite the hint towards the whole Cinderella idea. I enjoyed that when needed, the past was explained early on in the story. We weren't left in the dark, and pretty much knew as much as the main characters did. There were still a ton of surprises and twists and turns that I loved, and that kept me interested. I like that Lyndi kept a lot of the good stuff for the end, creating a bit of suspense throughout the book.The characters were original and not typical, especially the main character. As we went on in the book, there were things that were uncovered about the characters that you would have never thought about them. Also, Jelani, the main character was not a typical female lead, and I loved that. This book was well written as well as put together in a way that made it easy to comprehend. I loved that the story fit in perfectly with the characters, that the personalities were diverse. I think that Lyndi did a great job with this novel, and I can't wait to read the sequel! I have to give this book 5 out of 5 stars." ~ reviewed by Haley Guertin for Haley's Reviews [FIVE STARS]
"I totally enjoyed the fantasy novel THE ELF QUEEN, particularly it's mix of modern day human adventure combined with elves and fantasy. It's a unique and creative juxtaposition of computer hacker meets eco-terrorist meets North American deep woods meets real life elves. Jelani is a young American woman who discovers there is more to her family history than she realizes when she is unwittingly pulled into an adventure involving strangers in a small town. Readers see her humanity as we explore Jelani's family history and her relationships with a group of odd-ball friends during her adventure into the elven nation. In future novels in this series I hope to see more about where and how the elves actually live and am excited to learn Jelani's next adventure into the woods. Good read and good job, Ms. Alexander!" ~ reviewed by Shawna Coronado [FIVE STARS]
"I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was well written and interesting. If you enjoy fantasy, and letting your mind wander and wonder about other worlds or beings, then this is up your alley. A quick and easy read, as the cadence of the writing flows nicely from chapter to chapter. Enjoy!" ~ reviewed by M. J. Shoop [FIVE STARS]
"I enjoyed THE ELF QUEEN, the first book in the Bitterroot Series, and am looking forward to seeing where this series leads. Present day Missoula, Montana is a terrific setting, made even more so because it isn't the first place I would have thought to go searching for elves. I also liked the hippy vibe of the human characters in the book. The band of latte-drinking, slacker/hacker, eco-warriors already live in a kind of fantasy world of their own construction and the events in the book cause them to rethink their lives in different ways. This was a nice piece of escapist fantasy with interesting characters and told with a fresh voice, and I'm looking forward to returning to the Bitterroot Mountains when the next installment comes out." ~ reviewed by William P. Henley [FIVE STARS]
"Jelani Marsh has made a kind of peace with life, until she tries on a Cinderella slipper and a bunch of little naked men jump out to disrupt everything. She isn't who she always thought she was, and nothing is as it seems. Besides her precious friends, she has two new ones, Daven and Asten, to help her find the way in her new life. When the bad guy, responsible for splitting her real people into three factions, comes after her, Daven and Asten prove their devotion by putting themselves between Jelani and certain death. If you want a fast-paced read with a touch of mystery and suspense, and a lighter side to Romance, THE ELF QUEEN is for you. The descriptions give an intimate feeling of connection with the forests, and the Points Of View are deep enough to allow the reader to get close with the characters, without being bogged down in their heads. If the next books of this series are as well-written, and I believe they will be, this is a series to watch. Although THE ELF QUEEN is a Fantasy with Romantic elements rather than a Paranormal Romance, I believe it will appeal to readers who prefer less sexual tension in books, and it is entirely appropriate for Young Adult readers." ~ reviewed by Gravetells.com
"Well-written and intriguing! The humor and witticism and command of language kept me following this quirky, but strongly crafted, cast of characters. I rooted for Jelani to have a happy ending, but I won't give that away. I think Alexander may be a writer to watch!" ~ reviewed by Kathryn Magendie, Editor/Writer
"THE ELF QUEEN is a good light fantasy tale with interesting characters and an fascinating plot. I did enjoy the read and believe that this book is intended more for women than men. Still, as a man, I did enjoy the book an look forward to seeing how this trilogy continues in THE ELF CHILD." ~ reviewed by Conan Tigard for Reading Review.com
"This is a crackerjack of a story. Set in the scenic Bitterroot Mountains of Montana and the nearby city of Missoula, the book gets a jump start when the protagonist, Jelani Marsh, a sassy, young college dropout and coffee shop waitress, finds a glass slipper lying on the sidewalk. Taunted by her friend, Jelani tries the shoe on only to have it shatter and cut her foot. Suddenly, a group of small men, the tallest two inches high, un from her bleeding foot and disappear around the corner of nearby buildings. Had the friend not been filming the incident with her cell phone it would have been easy for Jelani to mark it up to her vivid imagination. From the time the glass shatters, Jelani is drawn into a web of eco-terrorism, long-standing tribal feuds and strange clues about her father's murder. She is tossed into dark and clandestine meetings with elves in the old growth forest of the Bitterroots and finds that her mother, who died mysteriously at Jelani's birth, was not at all what she had pictured her to be. Alexander's novel grasps the reader and takes him on a wild and sometimes perilous ride through deep forests and rushing streams, and into places that we can travel only when we allow our thoughts to merge with her story." ~ reviewed by Ed Post for GoErie.com
"The moment I started reading THE ELF QUEEN (Book 1 of The Clan Elves of the Bitterroot Series) I was engrossed in the story. It is filled with mystery, suspense, questions, laughs, and loads of friends. I wanted to be right there to help Jelani find all the answers she is looking for. Not mention to hurry up the romance that was blooming between the lines. I wanted to know the whole story, but was sadly left hungry for more. The good news is the rest of the trilogy is already set to be published." ~ reviewed by Rita’s Reviewers
"From the moment you start reading THE ELF QUEEN you are engrossed in the story. You want to climb in the book and help Jelani find all the answers she is looking for. It is filled from page one with mystery, suspense, questions, laughs, and loads of friends. The story starts out when Jelani Marsh spies a glass slipper in the middle of the sidewalk and decides to try it on (after some egging on by her friend). The shoe breaks and Jelani is shocked to see little men running out and around her foot. Hmmmm. Talk about taking the Cinderella story to a new level. The wonderful story takes place in Missoula, Montana in the Bitterroot Mountains. Finally something exciting for Montana! Be sure to check out this fun new read from Lyndi Alexander. And watch for the rest of the trilogy to be published soon. I know I am!" ~ reviewed by Fivemonkies.com
"What a fascinating and quirky world Lyndi Alexander has drawn in THE ELF QUEEN. The fantasy of the elven world combines with the exotic (at least for an easterner) Montana locale to take us to a different world. Yet it is all so familiar in so many ways. Relationships are key, and finely detailed. These are people I know, at least in part. And there's plot and action and suspense. What more could you ask? I'm looking forward to the next installment." ~ reviewed by Avid Kindle User [FIVE STARS]
SERIES
THE ELF QUEEN (I) • THE ELF CHILD (II) • THE ELF MAGE (III) • THE ELF GUARDIAN (IV) • Watch Series Video