Art Crush Wednesday: Katie Hines
Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 11:13AM Please welcome Katie Hines, author of Guardian, as she makes her way through her 10-day blog book tour. Katie will be giving away a free copy of the book to one lucky commenter, so fire way with those questions and comments!
I’d like to thank Christina for allowing me to guest blog on her blog for my tour for Guardian these first ten days of March. Tomorrow, be sure and visit me on Donna McDine’s blog.
Here’s a short synopsis of Guardian:
Imagine you have made a secret promise that can lead you to the discovery of an incredible treasure and an ancient power. But in order to fulfill that promise, you must defeat an age-old sect that is determined to claim the treasure and power themselves.
Drew Newman is ready to tell his friends a secret, but two strangers burst on the scene, demanding an ancient, magical, book. He plummets into a world of uncertainty and fear as his home is invaded and he desperately tries to find the book.
Aided by the mysterious Jean-Paul, Drew’s search takes him and friends to Oak Island, Nova Scotia, where he continues his search. Joined with his Grandpa Ian and cousin, Zea, the tension ratchets up when Drew is kidnapped and he encounters the head of a sect that wants the book, a magical talisman and a treasure, for themselves.
Sprinkled with magic, Guardian explores the commitment of a boy determined to fulfill his promise to his mother and claim an uncertain destiny.
I did about three months' worth of research for this book, and discovered many fascinating historical tidbits that I used in this book. For example, I discovered that the Oak Island treasure story--which this book is loosely based upon--was tied to the Knights Templar.
Back in the 1200s and 1300s, the Knights Templar were a force to be reckoned with. They original began as an order to escort pilgrims to the Holy Land. They were both priests and knights. Amazingly enough, although this was their stated purpose, they actually spent the first nine years of their existence digging into the Temple Mount in Israel. It was there that they were said to find a mysterious artifact, and kept it closely in their care.
The Templar’s escort services were paid for by many countries giving them their royal treasuries, and individual wealth. The Knights are credited with creating the first banking system.
In the early 1300s, King Philip of France had had enough of the Templars. He wanted the mass of wealth they possessed for himself. So through the Pope at that time, he had the Templars declared heretics, and there was a “rounding” up period of time where Templars were hunted down and imprisoned. Several were burned at the stake. What happened, however, is that even though the King and his lackeys searched high and low, they never found the Templar’s treasure.
It is rumored that the Templars knew ahead of time of the King’s scourging and spirited the treasure away. One of the rumored resting place for that treasure was Nova Scotia’s Oak Island. This island is where Drew and his friends and family are headed. Get the book and read more about this fabulous treasure and what it has to do with Drew and his destiny.
Guardian can be purchased from booksellers everywhere.
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