Monday, September 9, 2013

Blog Tour Guest Post and Tour Wide Giveaway: Gold by Talia Vance



I am so excited to be a part of this tour. For those of you that don't know, this is the second book in the Bandia series and let me tell you, this series rocks. If you want something completely unique with action, romance and mythology this is a must. 

And the best part about this series is that is just keeps getting better and better. To see my full 5 Star review of Gold, click HERE.




Title: Gold
Author: Talia Vance
Series: Book Two in the Bandia Series
Published By: Flux (September 8, 2013)
Genre: YA Fantasy



Book Description:
Descended from an Irish demigod, Brianna has fled to Ireland to escape destruction at the hands of her sworn enemies, the Sons of Killian. Taking refuge at the estate of her former nemesis, Austin Montgomery, Brianna discovers a rift in time that opens to an era before the feud began.


Wrestling with her newfound feelings for the more innocent Austin, Brianna begins to wonder if she can alter the past. But when Brianna and Austin learn that the Sons are raising an army of mythical beasts, the pair will need to use their magical strength in the present to avoid a tragic end.







About the Author:




Talia Vance is a practicing litigation attorney living in Northern California with her real life love interest, two-point-five kids, and a needy Saint Bernard named Huckleberry. Talia has been writing since she could talk, making up stories for every doll, stuffed animal and action figure she could get her hands on. She grew up hoping to write the great American novel, but her life ran more along the lines of tortured romance and fast paced thrillers, so that's what she writes.

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Guest Post:
THE MYTHOLOGY BEHIND GOLD

I’ve posted before about the mythology behind SILVER and how it was influenced by Celtic myth. (http://www.fiktshun.com/fiktshun/2012/09/13/silver-blog-tour-guest-post-giveaway/) With GOLD, the story came to Ireland, and I couldn’t help but ramp up the Celtic lore by adding in even more Irish folk stories and superstition, plus the fuath, and delving deeper into the history of the gods and goddesses.

When I wrote SILVER, I spent some time researching the god Arawn (Austin). His myth was interesting to me, because he is known for his strong friendship with Pwil, who he trusted to oversee the underworld in his place and to protect his wife. Pwil was a loyal and trustworthy friend to Arawn, but I wanted to subvert that myth a bit, since my story was about shifting loyalties. So after hundreds of years of playing Arawn’s second, Pwil grows restless and his ambition drives him to betray Arawn. Poor Austin has a terrible time maintaining friendships, making his longtime relationship with Mickel and his willingness to trust Brianna all the more magical.

The fuath are notoriously dark creatures, horses with the tail of a whale, known for luring people to their deaths at the bottom of the sea. I wanted to keep that dark myth, but also to give them a surprising, lighter side. The fuath have been in hiding for centuries, avoiding those who would hunt them down by blending in and keeping out of trouble. They don’t kill people for sport anymore, but there is a boldness to them despite their tendency to sit on the sidelines. Their loyalty is up for grabs, and that makes them a bit of a wild card in the story.

The Milesians, humans who want to rid the world of magical creatures, are more prominent in GOLD, as well. They’re descendants of the group who banished the gods from Ireland initially and their sole goal is to finish the job once and for all, using charms and spells to protect themselves and others. The Milesians started the war that drove the gods from the earth, and it just made sense to me that they would still be fighting it, as long as magic still exists. The Sons are descended from Milesians, but since the Sons are not human, they are as much of a target of the Milesians as the bandia or fuath.

The giolla are a group of immortal beings who are not based on any particular myth. I wanted some historians to help pass knowledge from one generation to the next. I love that the giolla are humble servants, but also wield more power than any other being on earth. They have a sadness to them after all those years of living and loss, but also a lot of heart and perhaps the most important purpose of all.





Tour Wide Giveaway:
3 Signed Copies of Gold and 2 Signed Copies of Silver (book one in the series)!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tour Schedule:

Week 1 9/9/2013- My Guilty Obsession- Guest Post
 9/10/2013- Fiktshun- Blake Interview 
9/11/2013- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Guest Post 
9/12/2013- Ravenous Reader- Guest Post 
9/13/2013- Taters Tall Tails- Austin Interview

19 comments:

  1. I have read Silver a while ago but I have never continued with this series though. I did like the Celtic myth in the book, it was new and unique at the time. Great post :)

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  2. I totally want to join! Thanks!

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  3. Thanks Tanja!

    Frannie I hope you are able to try the series. :)

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  4. I adore Celtic Myth and Ireland settings. You have been diving into fantasy of late, and I am glad you enjoyed this1

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  5. I love books with Celtic influences, and this sounds like an amazing story rich with lore and amazing characters. Thanks for sharing, love the guest post! :-)

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  6. I LOVE anything Celtic! These ones sound fantastic!

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  7. I am a huge fan of anything set in Ireland and Celtic myths. I know you highly recommend these books, Ali and I must get them soon!

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  8. Heidi and Candace I do hope you both are able to try them soon. Talia really is a fabulous author!

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  9. Like I said in my post today, I love mythology but it always takes me awhile to get into it. My favorites are Norse and Celtic, though, so this series definitely sounds interesting. Great post

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  10. Thanks Christy, I think you would like this one.

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  11. congrats to Talia on the new release! thanks for sharing :)

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  12. I've been wanting to read one of Talia's books but haven't yet. Can't wait to!

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  13. They are both excellent and well worth it!!

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  14. What an interesting guest post. I like Mythology books, and this was really intriguing.

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  15. Love books that contain aspects of mythology! Plus those covers are Gorgeous! Thanks for the giveaway! Here's wishing you fans, followers, and success, Talia!

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