MARK OF THE THIEF began with two stupid facts I happened to know about Ancient Rome. First is that the Emperor Julius Caesar used to tell people he had come from the Gods, specifically from the Goddess Venus. He’d do that to make himself seem more powerful, as if he just had to be the emperor, because after all, he was a Demi-God.
Second is that if you were a young citizen of Ancient Rome, you’d have worn a bulla, an amulet your parents would have filled with gems to protect you against harm.
All I did was to combine these two facts to ask, What if Caesar was telling the truth? If so, then perhaps he would have held the magic of the Gods, keeping it safe within his bulla. And what if that bulla became lost after his death and remained lost for nearly three hundred years until it was discovered deep within the mines of Rome by a mining slave named Nicolas Calva?
Fun fact #1: After the cover was designed, my super amazing husband created a digital model of the bulla then had it 3D printed in metal. The replication was so exact that one of the book’s cover artists became confused about which came first, the metal bulla that I owned, or the cover that he had created!
Fun fact #2: When I travel with the bulla, it sometimes gets flagged by security officers at the airport, so they have to do a visual inspection of it. I used to try to explain what it was, but that got too complicated so now I simply say, “It’s an ancient Roman artifact.” That usually gets a big response, and it’s much more fun than the longer explanation.
If you’ve never seen the book trailer for MARK OF THE THIEF, check it out on YouTube HERE.
And if you’ve never read it, look for it at your school or city library, or you can ask for the book as a gift this holiday season.
If you want signed copies of any of my books, the best way to get them is to order from The King’s English Bookshop. If you want your copy personalized (Me to sign it with your name in the book), be sure to state that in the comments box right before checking out. Otherwise, I will only put my signature in the book. Once I sign the books, they will mail them to you so if it’s for Christmas, be sure to order early!
And for the next three days, I will be giving away a copy of either MARK OF THE THIEF, or the second or third books of the series, RISE OF THE WOLF or WRATH OF THE STORM.
To enter, simply leave a comment below telling me if you had one magic power, what would you want it to be? All entries will be collected for the next three days, with three winners chosen on Friday.
101 Comments
I would love to have super speed, because it would be super practical for life and helps to get things done really fast!
And Jennifer, that is absolutely AMAZING that you say the bully is an ancient Roman artifact! XD
Cheering for all or you guys!
Thank you so much for this fun giveaway Ms. Jen
Cheering for all of you guys!
Thank you so much for this fun giveaway Ms. Jen
I would like to be able to grant powers to anyone, including myself. (Yes, I want to benefit too.) But I’d basically be like a genie!
That’s such an interesting backstory to the mark of the thief series! I first found the series when I wrote to you as a kid and you had recommended The Mark of The Thief. I have loved historical fiction ever since!
If I could have one magic power, I’d say elemental manipulation (I have been greatly influenced by Avatar: The Last Airbender). That power would give me a lot of different things to do, but not too much power that I could do the crazy stuff that Nic gets wrapped up in.
If I had one magic power, I think I’d have to choose time travel!
I loved reading about the bulla. So cool your husband helped with it. I’d love to have a wand and be able to do spells like in Harry Potter.
I love that airport anecdote, that’s hilarious!
I would want a magic power that tells me what people need most. I always want to know how to talk to people and help them out and maybe if I had that power I’d have better Christmas gifts to give everyone!
If I had one magic power it would be to turn invisible, so when I am reading no one can find me to interrupt me! I love this trilogy and that is so cool that your husband 3D printed the bulla!
I would love to have the power of teleportation because instead of taking those long, dreadful road trips, crammed in the car with 5 other people, you could simply appear in seconds where you would want to be.
If I had a superpower, I would have teleportation.
The power to Shapeshift into anything I think of.
If I had a superpower it would be to do the things a ghost could like walk through walls and be invisible when I wanted to.
I would want to be able to read minds, or possibly turn invisible XD
If I had one magic power, it would be the ability to read minds because I’m not really good at knowing what’s going on in people’s minds, and sometimes I misunderstand when I try to figure out what they’re thinking.
I would want to be able to read minds, or possibly turn invisible XD
I would want to fly … I mean, who wouldn’t?
If I had a power, it would be to meet anyone from any written work. Isn’t that what we all want?
Ok, yeah. That’s just downright AWESOME! XD
SO TRUE
If I had one power, it would be teleportation. With it, I could teleport to Utah and see the upcoming False Prince movie with the very author!
If I had one magical power it would be time travel. With having this power I would jump forward a couple of years and fly to Utah. That way I can see the upcoming False Prince movie.
I would want the power to slow down time or to learn via osmosis, so I could have time to do things besides homework!
If I had one superpower it would be the ability to see what a person needs/want the most. I think this super power would be super cool because you would be like a living mirror of Erised, and you could hopefully help them get want they want/need.
I’d probably want to be able to shapeshift into an animal 🙂
If I were to have a magic ability I would want to control small shards of a diamond like substance, I could make different thing out of them such as armor, weapon, shield etc.
One of my characters has this power I really enjoy writing it.
Ooh, so exciting! If I had one magic power, I would want to be able to tell or write a story and the person I was telling it to or reading it, be able to see it exactly the way I see it. I think that would be so cool! Thanks Mrs. Nielsen!
Mine would be to control elements, like fire and water. 😀
If I had one magic power it would be to shrink myself to be a tiny size! Then I could hang out in an acorn or under a mushroom or float on a leaf!
I think it would be really cool to be able to control the air!
I would choose flying…… but only if i could fly into books as well as like a bird!
If I had a magic power I would want to be able to teleport!!
If I had a magic ability, it would be time travel because I’d love to travel to the past, to know what it was really like back then. And I wouldn’t mind stopping to see a couple of iconic concerts — and Woodstock.
Be able to make tacos out of anything. It’s free food! I can make tacos out of plastic, heck I can make tacos out of titanium even. Solves world hunger and plastic in the ocean. It’s a win-win situation 😀
I am not sure if I was supposed to respond on goodreads so I will respond on both. I would have a magical power of knowing everyones test scores.
Hmmmm I think the power I’d have is the power to travel anywhere I wanted to (I’m specifically thinking Shadow traveling, from Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson”). Seems like fun haha
Reading minds!
Huge fan of MOTT ❤❤❤
Yes! Mott is the BEST!!
I hadn’t seen the trailer before, it was so cool!!
If I could have any magic power…
There’s a book series called Keeper of the Lost Cities, they have special abilities. I would want to be what they call an Empath, which means they can read others’ emotions because you would be able to help more people that way, and it just sounds super cool!
I also think having water powers would be super fun!
If I had a magic power Id like to be able to teleport so I didn’t have to go on any long car drives.
I would have telekinesis!! Moving things with your mind would be so useful and convenient! Plus, party tricks, bet Sage would love having that power lol
If I could have one superpower, it would definitely be to fly!!
I would want wisdom, like Solomon!
Yes totally! I love the passage where he helps the two mothers fighting over the child!
I want to be able to learn any skill really fast.
I think it would be really cool to be able to heal anyone! But it’s too hard lol. I really don’t know for sure.
Invisibility, teleportation, or mind-reading
I think invisibility would be pretty neat! Or to be like Jaron :DD
Lol, fun fact #2 was hilarious!!😂 I was literally laughing out loud!
If I had a magic power, I would definitely want it to be ice powers. Ice powers are just so cool!!:D
That’s hilarious about the bulla story. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
If I had magic powers, I’d want the ability to read books in the dark. I feel like that would come in so much handy!!!
I often ask this of my students, as one of their writing assignments. I get some wonderful answers, but I guess I never really thought much about it myself. However, I think I would like the ability to read people’s minds or to be invisible. There are so many benefits (and hence, drawbacks as well) to both of these.
I would love to win a copy of the second or third book in the series since I already have a copy of the first book. I have enjoyed reading so many of your books and this series, I’m sure, will be no exception.
If I could have one magic power, I think I would choose illusions.
This is because if you had the power to make illusions, there are literally no limits to the things you could do with it.
You could trick/fool people, and you could easily get away with a lot of stuff.
I just think it would be pretty neat to make people be able to see, hear, touch, and smell things that aren’t even there.
Mine’s got to be telekinesis. The amount of fun you could have with that messing with friends would be amazing. I also love Star Wars, so being able to replicate the force in some way would be awesome. And being able to wrap my Christmas tree right now with my mind would make things a lot easier at the top.
I would want the power to be able to memorize what I read while I read it when I choose.
I would want it to be the ability to control time!
If I had one power, it would be Telekinesis. I love the idea of being able to clean my house with a single thought. It would make life so much easier. Also, I would love to have this signed (should I win). Thanks for the opportunity! I love your books!!
to fly
If I had one magic power I would want it to be the ability to read people’s minds.
My magic power would be to be able to teleport into any book or breathe underwater
If I could have one power, I’d want to fly. I know it’s cliche, but I feel like it’d just be so much fun
Oh, I’d love to time travel!
If I had one superpower,I would want Levitation because very few wizards have mastered that, also I would definitely want to fly. Or I would choose Aparecium to reveal secrets and written messages.
I would want the ability to forget what happened in my favorite books so I could read them and enjoy them for the first time all over again!
I think super enhanced physical abilities (great eyesight, smell, endurance, strength, etc.) would be really, really great. And usable, too!
I want the power to absorb heat. I am cold all year round, and if I could control the transfer of heat, it would be awesome.
I would have the power to teleport into a book and i would meet sage He is literally the coolest person ever
I would also Nic and i would totally ask to wear the bulla😂😂
I would also like to say THAT BULLA IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would love to be able to control water!
I would love to control water!
I would love to be able to control water!
I would love to read people emotions 🥰It would really crazy
If I had to choose one magic power it would be to fly
I would choose healing. I could help others and also never get sick/have pain myself 😀
If I had a magical power, I would want it to be shapeshifting. You could become invisible, or grow wings and fly. You could go wherever you wanted, then shapeshift into something fast and come home in a split second, you could also shapeshift into an animal, so you could communicate with them. So, basically it is a combination of a whole bunch of cool powers.
I would love to have super speed! It would be so useful!
Also that is so cool, I love learning about what inspired books!
If I had one magic power, I would want it to be the ability to heal others.
So excited for these next few days!
If I had a magical power, I’d love to have the power of healing. suppose that’s why I’d like to go into medicine when I’m older 🙂
My superpower would be teleportation!
If I could have a magical power, I would like the ability to stop time!
Any super power it would be the power of pursiasion. Life would be much more fun if things came so much easier.
If i had one power it would be to be able to give powers to others without asking in return-like callistus’s power to heal
I love to hear your backstories! My power would be invisibility, for sure! So much exploring I could do!!
If I had one super power, I would want to be able to shape shift because I could pull the best pranks!
I would like to be able to fly!
If I had a magic power, I would love to have the ability to control time! Also, this book is absolutely amazing! Definitely one of my favorite!
If I had one magic power, it would be to be able to wipe certain books from my mind and read them for the first time, all over again.
I would want a healing power! There’s to much illness and pain these days! It would be nice to help people 🙂
If I had a special power, I would like to be able to understand/speak/write every language in the world because I am fascinated by languages and learning about other cultures. That works make it easier to connect with people everywhere.
If I had one power I would love to either be able to talk to animals or use their abilities, ie can fly like an eagle or have the hearing of a bat.
Love love love this series💚💚💚💚💚
I already have these books but I wanted to share anyway. My superpower would have to be to jump inside of books or dreams and live there as the main character or any character and inherit their personality. I would do that because it is so much more exciting than normal life and I would go to their world, not ask them to come to mine. Plus, I already know a lot about the book so I’d fit right in if I would not be the very first character to die 😂
If I had a magic power I would want it to be the power to fly.
Sorry I said the same thing like three times… It wouldn’t let me send it:)
I want to be able to fly!
I loved your story! If I could have any superpower I definitely think it would be teleportation!
Oooh flight! I’ve always wanted to fly.
Or maybe invisibility…. Hmmm… I have to think about that🤔
If I had any superpower I’d probably choose shapeshifting! It would also be fun to give a scare to others😆
I wish I had one magic power, I wish I had the ability to fly! It would be great to feel free and fly!!
I’ve ready all of your books except this series, so I’m SO EXCITED!!!
If I had a magical power I think I’d be stuck between mind reading and just general everyday magic sorta like what the fairies do in Sleeping Beauty 🙂
If I had a magic power, I would love to fly! Fly like a bird!
This series is the only series/only book that I haven’t read yet by you 🙂
I’d say flight!
If I had some magical power I would want to be able to fly or teleport!! I think either would be fun. And very convenient… 😁
Ez. Teleportation.