Contest with Maria V. Snyder

Guest Blog, Chat and Contest with Author Maria V. Snyder

Posted: 01 Sep 2009 07:59 AM PDT

Maria is giving away FIFTEEN autographed copies of Sea Glass 13 to US readers and 2 international readers.

Hello All!

Thanks to Rachel and everyone at Bitten by Books for having me back! I’m thrilled to be here again, and this time we’re celebrating my latest release, Sea Glass! This is the second book in the Glass series and the story picks up right where Storm Glass (Glass Book #1) left off. I always wrap up a main plot line in all my books regardless of where they are in the series, but Sea Glass is closely tied to Storm Glass and I suggest you read Storm Glass first.

Sea Glass further explores Opal’s glass magic and explains more about the illegal blood magic. In my world, a person’s soul is a magical energy. Everyone has a soul, therefore everyone has magic. However, only magicians can draw in threads of magic from the blanket of power that covers the world. When they pull this extra power, they can use it to light fires, move objects, read another’s mind, to heal, etc… And a few, like the Master Magicians can do all of them. Opal can’t use her magic to do any of the things listed, but she can trap it in glass. This trapped magic, can then be used by other magicians.

Blood magic is similar to Opal’s glass magic. Instead of trapping magic in glass, it traps magic in the magician’s own blood. Then the blood can be drawn and when it is injected into another, that person can become a magician. If they are already a magician, then the blood will make them more powerful. The Daviian Warpers mixed the blood with ink and tattoo it into their skin to increase their magic. Eventually, and with enough blood, a person could achieve enough power to be a Master Magician.

So why are there only three Master Magicians in Sitia? Blood magic is very addictive. Once a person starts using it, he desires more and will do anything to get it. Outlawed long ago, the various rituals needed to use blood magic were eventually forgotten. Until a Daviian Warper learned the steps from the Fire Warper, who had been banished to the fire world a long time ago.

It wasn’t until after I had created this blood magic that I realized how closely the addictive nature of it resembles today’s illegal drugs. But unlike drugs, blood magic gives a person the ability to do magic.

If blood magic wasn’t addictive – would you want to have magic? If so, what would you do with your power?

Note from Brenda - follow the link in the heading to find all of the ways you can win!