Shield the Heart Blog Tour.

This the second time I've had the opportunity of having TK Richardson on my blog. The first, was introducing TK's first novel - Return the Heart. You can read the interview here.  Consequently, I'm delighted to be part of TK's blog tour, albeit it is the final day, to present book number two in the series - Shield the Heart. Congratulations, TK!

Hi Wendy, thanks for hosting the final stop on the blog tour for Shield the Heart!

The theme for this blog tour is a little different and I hope all of you will enjoy it. It’s titled ‘A Russian Tour’ because each day during the blog tour we explored the Russian cities and historical sites that are the backdrop for my new YA novel Shield the Heart.

Sometimes the setting of a novel is so interesting and unique that it deserves a closer look, and that’s why I thought this blog tour would be so much fun. ‘A Russian Tour’ will give my readers a chance to get a better view of where everything in Shield the Heart takes place.

After all, these are the places that have inspired me, and I hope they inspire all of you, too.

Today on our itinerary we’re visiting St. Catherine’s Cathedral in Russia!

Although this is the last leg of the tour you can still visit some of the places found in Shield the Heart by going to the blog tour’s home page, and, of course, by reading the book :)

Okay, onto our destination!

Католическая церковь Святой Екатерины

During the blog tour we’ve visited well known cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg. We’ve also glimpsed lesser known cities like Kozelsk and Kostroma. We’ve traveled to monasteries, a train station, and the Kremlin. But today St. Catherine’s Cathedral will be our final stop and its beauty and history are amazing.

The backdrop of St. Catherine’s Cathedral is both fitting and beautifully placed in Shield the Heart. Historically, churches offer thoughts of refuge and hope, of struggles and redemption, and this cathedral has its own long history that mirrors this. Over 300 years old St. Catherine’s Cathedral has been raided, abandoned, set ablaze and almost forgotten. Today it stands tall. As part of the setting in Shield the Heart it holds a deeper meaning, too. To some degree it symbolizes the main character’s struggles, and mirrors themes throughout the book. I can’t tell you what happens here or how St. Catherine’s Cathedral fits into the story, but I can tell you I truly enjoyed learning more about its history and folding it into Shield the Heart.

A little history-

“The cupolas of the newly reconstructed St. Catherine's Cathedral dominate the skyline of Tsarskoe Selo once again. The 300th anniversary of Tsarskoe Selo ended with an event of great historical significance for Holy Russia on Sunday, 27 June, 2010 when His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia performed the consecration of St. Catherine’s Cathedral in Tsarskoe Selo.”(angelfire.com)

Character quote~

We arrived at St. Catherine’s Cathedral. Its bleached white exterior matched the snow outside, and the five domed cupolas reached high against a gray sky.

 ~Lilly Paige, Shield the Heart

I hope you’ve enjoyed this mini tour of St. Catherine’s Cathedral.  If you’d like to see all of the stops on the blog tour please visit the blog tour main page found here http://eveningfades.blogspot.com/p/shield-heart-blog-tour.html

Wendy, thanks again for hosting me on the blog tour. I hope you and your blog followers enjoy my new release!

One Gift, One Prophecy, One Choice

Shield the Heart

 (Note: This book is part of a series. Book #1 Return the Heart. Book #2 Shield the Heart.)

What if the battle was in your heart?

Lilly’s gift of reading the heart seemed like a curse, but when she discovered her gift was linked to an old, Russian prophecy it changed everything. What she never questioned, though, was her own heart.

When the prophecy pulls Lilly back to Russia and demands to be fulfilled she is torn between love and loyalty. She must make the most difficult decision of her life and choose between the two. But Lilly’s decision is farther reaching than even she is willing to acknowledge. It stretches from East to West - from the past to the future.

Lilly discovers there’s more to the old prophecy than she realized and enemy forces are bent on stopping it from unfolding.

One thing is certain - there will be casualties. And sparing those closest to her may be impossible. While Seth attempts to shield Lilly from the truth, Nikolai reveals secrets that could change everything.

As Lilly falls into the arms of Russia she must decide: will love or loyalty reign? And can she live with the consequences? Two sides compete for Lilly’s heart and she must find the answers she needs before her enemies find her.

Shield the Heart, by T.K. Richardson, is the riveting second book in the series and takes Lilly deeper into Russia’s mysterious past… and her future.

Available in paperback and ebook

*For a chance to win a Kindle Fire and a signed copy of Shield the Heart, check out my contest! http://eveningfades.blogspot.com/p/kindle-fire-contest.html

About the author~

T.K. Richardson is the author of YA books Return the Heart, Shield the Heart, Simmer: Recipes for the Teen Palate, and Love, Me: Anthology of Short Stories. She is the founder of Partners In Print.org, a program that donates books to children in the foster care system. She also hosts  Compass eBooks and runs The Writers Resource Directory, a great site for writers filled with publishing and writing links, tips and advice. Her next books are due out later this year.  Find out more at http://tkrichardson.com

[note: all images are from Google]