For Libby Sparks, turning sixteen means only one thing…death. Guardian rule demands she attend the ritualistic Inquest that will unveil her talents and secure her place in society. But that isn’t all that will be revealed in Libby’s case.
The more talents you have the better, at least to some degree. Four or five talents will guarantee you a life of luxury, but seven…that is the mark of the Destroyer. Libby knows her Inquest will reveal her to be the Guardians’ greatest enemy. Their law requires her death before her eighteenth birthday. If she lives, prophecy foretells that the world will fall into chaos and destruction.
Once her destiny is revealed, Libby is abandoned when her mother throws her out, her boyfriend tries to kill her, and her best friend shuts her out. Only Milo, a slightly grungy outcast, seems willing to be her friend—but Libby soon realizes he has secrets of his own. His secrets may very well have everything to do with her own destiny.
In order to make it to her eighteenth birthday, Libby must bury her talents and convince the world she is harmless. Her plan only lasts until Milo is put in danger and Libby is forced to choose. Abandon her friend to save her own life, or embrace her destiny and truly become the Destroyer.
Targeted Age Group:
Teen
How is Writing In Your Genre Different from Others?
One of the hardest things about writing YA fiction is finding the right voice for your characters. The characters have to sound like teenagers. Other teens can spot fake teen attitudes and voices right away. If they sound like adults who are too calm, too responsible, or too grown up young readers won’t connect like you want them too.
What Advice Would You Give Aspiring Writers?
Read the genre you want to write. Sometimes writers pick a genre because it’s getting a lot of attention even though it’s not something they normally read. If you’re not familiar with the details of a particular genre, dedicated readers will see it within the first few pages. Also, make some writers friends, especially ones who write in your genre. Networking with other authors lends support and ideas when you need them most.
Author Bio:
DelSheree Gladden lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. The Southwest is a big influence in her writing because of its culture, beauty, and mythology. Local folk lore is strongly rooted in her writing, particularly ideas of prophecy, destiny, and talents born from natural abilities. When she is not writing, DelSheree is usually reading, painting, sewing, or working as a Dental Hygienist. Her works include Escaping Fate, Twin Souls Saga, The Destroyer Trilogy, and Invisible. Look for, Wicked Power, the next book in the SomeOne Wicked This Way Comes Series, Intangible, book two in the Aerling Series, and Soul Stone, book two in the Escaping Fate Series, coming 2014.
I love taking real myths and legends and weaving them into a fictional story, but for Inquest I wanted to develop a new set of mythology that was the basis of a modern society. Many myths and legends talk about destiny and fate. I wondered what an innocent young girl would do if her proclaimed fate was to do something terrible. Would she give in to what was expected or her, or find her own path? I used the research I have done into many cultures mythology and created the world of Inquest, a world of rituals, talents, and Guardian rule.
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