Shea Berkley Guest Post and Giveaway!

The land of Teag 

I’d like to thank Melissa and her crew for letting me hang out at Books and Things for the day and share a bit about the world I created for my book, THE MARKED SON.

Have you ever visited a place that was so beautiful it made you cry? Or at the very least, made you never want to leave? In THE MARKED SON, the land of Teag is such a place. It’s been perfected by its people who can control nature.

On the outside, Teag looks beautiful, peaceful and perfect, but the deeper you delve into its people, the firsts, you find the rot that’s destroying the land. The firsts are elitists, believing only those whose first blood runs pure should live in Teag. The taint of human blood must be exterminated at all costs because unlike the firsts, the humans are liars and manipulators—a dishonorable, faithless breed.

Long ago, the barrier between the first and the human realms was easily traversed. The firsts loved science and magic and melded the two, and harnessed the power of the earth. Their need to develop beyond the element of steam lost its appeal, and they settled into an age of refinement and strict decorum, using their skills to enhance the earth’s beauty. It’s their calling and they take it seriously.

The firsts view humans as barbaric and destructive, and not surprisingly, they decide to use the humans as slaves. The humans’ ability to lie and their blatant disregard for the firsts rules becomes a problem, and the firsts build a wall between the realms, blocking any human or first from traveling back and forth. Only a few gateways exist and only a select few can use those gateways.

Can you see the problem that exists? What happens to all the humans that were taken into the firsts’ realm?

After the initial rush of accusations and killings, the humans that survive at first become trusted members of society. Decades pass and then a series of events destroys that trust and war is declared. Humans are murdered. Any first with mixed blood is hunted down and killed. The land splits, and a king is lost to madness because of his love for a woman of human descent. All too quickly, the firsts turn into the barbarians they have always accused the humans of being.

Out of the quest for perfection evil can rise. Although the theme of this book is dark, when I wrote THE MARKED SON, the one thing I wanted more than anything was to write a book that would give my readers a fun, wild ride. I hope you fall in love with Dylan as much as I did. He’s a great hero, and Kera is the perfect girl to help him achieve his goals.

Connect with Shea: Facebook/ SheaBerkley.com / Goodreads / 

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Woah! That has to make you curious about this book! Curious about this world? Well...

Giveaway!

I am able to give away one hard copy of this book to a US/Can entrant! All you have to do is comment to enter! Leave an e-mail if it isn't in your profile. I'll end the giveaway on the 21st. Good luck!
Giveaway is over!
I'll also have my review of this book tomorrow.

Also coming from Shea Berkley on 11/1/11:

Torrien by Shea Berkley 

What if the only hope of saving a magical world depended on an ordinary boy? 

Taelyon is a land divided; its mortals distrust those different than them; its wizards live indifferent to the suffering of others to see the danger on their doorstep. The battle for dominance is never far off, and death is a daily fear provoked by King Hcaon the Younger's inability to lead. 

Torrein’s parents are powerful wizards, and Torrein's greatest fear is that he'll be denied the gift of magic. When magic is denied him, he's chased from his own village by those he used to call friends. Alone and wandering in a world he doesn't know, Torrein doesn't understand that his destiny is far greater than any he could have achieved if magic had been granted him. What plagues him is a desire he can't have - to be with his family and live his life in peace. 

Peace is not easily found in Taelyon. The destiny Torrein fights lies in a prophecy soaked in blood. To claim his rightful power, he must calm his fears and face those who want him and his people dead. Everyone has been blinded to the real evil in their midst, and it will be a fight till the end of the age to reclaim Taelyon's freedom. Though it's hard for him to accept, it’s up to Torrein to protect those who have been deceived, and to make sure the evil in their midst doesn't destroy them all.