Jellia, Maid of Oz

This as-yet unpublished novel stars Jellia Jamb, the Emerald City’s sprightly maid who is long overdue (about 2/3 of a century!) for a starring role in an Oz Book of her own.

Jellia’s ordered life is turned upside down, when she discovers she has magical powers (precipitated from bathing in magical liquid candy), which would be wonderful, except that the laws of Oz decreed by Queen Ozma forbid anyone to practice magic except the sovereign herself, Glinda, and a few others. Even more distressing to Jellia, Ozma has set out to enforce the law by preventing her cousin Gyma from opening a school of sorcery in the neighboring Land of Op. Accompanying Ozma on her quest is King Evardo of Ev, with whom she is contemplating a political and loveless union.

Jellia resolves to stop Ozma from comitting a nuptual blunder, as well as defending the rights to magical knowledge of all worthy citizens (including herself). But in her pursuit of the Queen in foreign magical lands, Jellia encounters many obstacles, including a domineering hag named Deb Horrid, armies of slimy rubber-cement monsters, the mortal-hating Faerie Queen Zurline, and the malevolent Lord Reggie the Rascal, Evil Overlord-in-training, and CEO of Runesoft, Inc., monopoly-holder of all magical spells, incantations, potions, and devices on Oz’s home Continent of Nonestica.

Will Jellia earn the right to legally practice her new powers? Will she persuade Ozma to keep Gyma’s school of sorcery open? Will Dan finally win Ozma’s heart? Will the Fellowship of Hated Animals get the respect they deserve? Will the Cosmic Mermaids from another universe sort out the multiple planes of Ozzy Reality? Will Lord Reggie denounce evil and embrace democracy, justice, and good table manners? Find out in Jellia, Maid of Oz!

This “spin-off” of the beloved Oz universe takes L. Frank Baum’s world in new directions, and, the author hopes, will “revitalize” it for a 21st century audience come of age with Piers Anthony, Douglas Adams, and Terry Pratchett.