The Lineage

Wes Aettian never wanted, nor expected, to be King of Cassia. Not once in his 19 years had he even thought about it; that duty always fell to the firstborn son. Or so he thought. Of course, he also never expected his country to be invaded, his family to be forced into hiding for a year, or his father to die before he could explain all the secrets he had kept from his son -- plans for resistance made even before the war began and finalized while in hiding behind enemy lines, the origin of his family’s bloodline, and the role it plays in the universal battle between good and evil. The only thing his father left him was a simple metal ring too large for him; a constant reminder of how big the shoes he had to fill were and how small it made him feel.

Cassia’s conquerors are the Naborn, a people who have been tempted and swayed countless times throughout history by various promises of power and victory over Cassia, always leading to their ruin. This time they are led by Kyrit Sha’ad, a man possessing powers Wes never even imagined possible. Inhuman powers. Worse, unlike any who came before him, Sha’ad knows the source of Aettian blood and he will gladly kill everyone on the planet as long as it means the end of that bloodline.

In the end, The Lineage is a story about the enlightening power of unreserved faith when faced with even the blackest of darkness. To be victorious -- to survive -- Wes must quickly grow into the man he’s not ready to be. He must overcome incredible odds, personal tragedy, torture, and a stinging betrayal that puts him face-to-face with evil personified. With every decision he makes, the fate of his people and planet hang in the balance, with consequences that could reach across galaxies. But, ready or not, like it or not, he is King and in command of a web of resistance cells and thousands of soldiers looking to him to lead the way back to freedom.

If only he knew how.

The Lineage is a unique tale in that it combines the hallmarks of a military-based science fiction thriller with elements of fantasy and religious faith, and while the setting is alien it is reflective of our own world and our own battles.

Dale Martin is a copywriter by trade and has owned his own creative advertising agency since 1989. After 30+ years of writing thousands of brochures, print ads, web articles, and radio and TV commercials, Dale has turned to his true passion -- writing and telling stories. His goal now is to approach the business of novel writing with the same enthusiasm that led him to start his own agency at the ripe old age of just 27. He wants to tell stories that entertain people, excite them along the way, make them think, and hopefully -- in the end -- inspire them, if even just a little.

Dale currently lives in a suburb of St. Louis, MO with his wife.