Please welcome Ingrid Koivukangas author of Hunters of the Dream.
Ingrid Koivukangas will be awarding an Eco Heart Oracle Deck valued at $28 US, (the Eco Heart Oracle is an integral part of the Hunters of the Dream trilogy) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour (International Giveaway).
Hunters of the Dream
by Ingrid Koivukangas
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GENRE: YA Fantasy
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INTERVIEW:
Ingrid
Koivukangas - Interview Questions for Rogue's Angels
1. How did you come up with your idea
for your novel?
Part of my practice as an environmental
artist has included being a Visiting Artist-In-Residence at elementary and high
schools. During a residency I share with students how I work with intuition,
dreams, Spirit and the Earth, to create environmental art in response to, and
with, a site. The residencies include hands-on workshops where students create
their own environmental art pieces. I love working with students, and one of
the most gratifying things for me to see is how open they are to connecting to
the natural world, when they are guided to. I also experienced this willingness
to tune in to the natural world when I was a professor teaching fine art (new
media and sculpture) to college students. I increasingly began feeling that
working with small groups limited the scope of my work. I wanted to reach more
people and invite them to see, and experience a world of wonder. I was searching for a way to reach out
and speak to the hearts of youth, and adults, when the, Hunters of the Dream
characters began to arrive, during meditations. They each carried a part of the
story with them, and their stories blended with parts of mine to become the Hunters
of the Dream Trilogy.
2. What would you want your readers to
know about you that might not be in your bio?
I love making jewelry! I work mainly with gemstones that come from all over the
world.
3. As far as your writing goes, what
are your future plans?
I’m
currently working on Book Two: The Awakening and once finished will move on to
complete the final book in the Hunters of the Dream trilogy.
4. If you could be one of the
characters from this book, who would it be and why?
I think it would be fun to be Beaumont Seabring and time travel across galaxies
aboard the, Flora de la Mar, his 15th century sailing ship.
5. Can you give us a sneak peak into
this book?
Nana
Brin sat down, absentmindedly putting the pouch on the kitchen table beside
her, patting it softly with her hand. Oddly, the ring on her finger twinkled
brightly whenever she touched the pouch. In the daylight, the pouch looked
frayed and worn, but hardly important. Aurora thought she could hear whispers
coming from it once in awhile. She peered at Nana Brin to see if she could hear
them, too. But Nana took no notice of the pouch at all as she poured their
mochas and offered Aurora a cinnamon bun slathered in cream cheese frosting.
“I have so much to tell you, my dear.” She
hesitated for a moment. “I’m just not sure where to start. Perhaps with the
Oracle.” She didn’t sound certain, but the bag seemed to shift and move as if
in answer. “Yes, yes, all right. I’ll start with you.”
Nana Brin gazed into Aurora’s dark amber
eyes, then quickly looked away. Nervously, she said, “Now you must promise me
to listen and not interrupt.”
Aurora nodded, a sense of unease taking
shape in the pit of her stomach. The look Nana had just given her reminded her
of the look her mother had given her just before they’d left the house for the
seaplane. Why do they both look so
worried when they look at me?
“This Oracle has been passed down through
our family for countless generations,” Nana began. As she spoke, she opened the
pouch ever so slowly, as if she expected something to escape from it. She
explained, “The Oracle cannot be used by just anyone, the Oracle chooses who it
will speak to and when. The last time it spoke was many generations ago, during
the Great Darkness. Since then, the Oracle has been silent and yet each
generation has passed it down to the next, relieved by its silence.” Nana Brin
made a sign of protection against unwanted attention as she said those
words.
“But Nana, I’ve heard the Oracle whispering
since you found it in the trunk,” Aurora admitted.
Nana Brin froze and looked as if she’d seen
a ghost. “No child. Perhaps you were mistaken…” she whispered.
As if in response, the Oracle cards spilled
forth from their hiding place, breaking their years of silence.
6. What is the best and worst advice
you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)
The best advice I received was in Grade Seven from my teacher, Mr. Rothnie.
During our creative writing class he pulled me into the hallway. He had just
read the chapter I’d been working on. He told me that if I wanted to be a
writer I would have no problem having my work published. He also stressed to me
that I should not ever forget his advice. Years later I went back to visit him,
to thank him for believing in me. His faith in my writing allowed me to believe
in myself.
Never underestimate the power you have to
influence someone’s life with your honest, and kind, words of
encouragement.
The worst advice I have ever received was
from a former colleague who discouraged me from returning school to begin a
Fine Art degree. She told me that she thought I should wait until I retired
from my job (many years in the future!!) before returning to school. I’m glad I
didn’t listen to her advice. As part of my Bachelor of Fine Arts I took two
years of creative writing and reconnected with my first love–writing.
7. Do you outline your books or just
start writing?
I attempt to outline my books, but it can be a bit like herding cats! Sometimes
the story and characters just need to find their own way.
8. How do you maintain your
creativity?
Spending time in nature. Making sure I have a balance in my life between
relationships, friends, family and work.
9. Anything else you might want to
add?
I’d like to invite your readers to signup for a free
online Eco Heart Oracle reading: bit.ly/FreeEcoHeartOracleReading The Eco Heart Oracle guides the characters
through the Hunters of the Dream trilogy.
I’m also developing a membership website for readers who
would like to continue their journey into the world of Hunters of the Dream. Membership is free to Hunters of the Dream readers, and grants them
access to complimentary art and writing projects. Paid modules will also be available for a nominal
fee. The paid modules will be especially appealing to youth, parents and home
schoolers who are interested in developing a deeper understanding of our sacred
connections to the natural and Spirit world through a variety of teachings and
videos. http://bit.ly/EnterAWorldofWonder
Thank you
Angels for sharing Hunters of the Dream with your readers! Ingrid
BLURB:
When the summer holidays begin, Aurora thinks she’s just a normal teenager about to have another boring summer. Then, for her seventeenth birthday, Nana Brin gives her a long-silent Oracle that has been passed down through their family for generations. The mysterious Oracle soon awakens in response to the creeping Darkness that is escaping and destroying all worlds. Aurora must quickly find the courage to come to terms with her calling as the Huntress of the Dream.
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EXCERPT:
The cards rustled, shifting in their dusty threadbare bag. They had lain dormant, forgotten, for generations. The Oracle woke slowly, like a hound sniffing the wind, trying to catch the scent of what had disturbed it, before calling forth a warning. The Oracle bristled. Attuned to the subtle vibrations of the Worlds it sensed a shifting in the balance of energy. The Darkness was once again pulsing, sending out tendrils of elusive gloom. It too had lain waiting, patiently. Over time it had slowly gained power, recruiting those it could ensnare with its black promises. It could not yet escape from the confines of the agreement reached during the Great Darkness...but soon the winds would shift and change. Fully awake, the Oracle began to cast out its own response, filaments of white light unfurling, in a quest to find the Huntress before the Darkness did.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Ingrid Koivukangas, BFA, MFA, is an award winning environmental artist, writer, designer, Reiki Master and educator.
As an artist Ingrid works intuitively at sites creating new works in response to sites and their energies and histories both natural and human. Her work encompasses many media including site specific ephemeral, large scale public works, writing, video, photography, sound, web, sculpture, painting, drawing and printmaking.
Ingrid's artworks have been exhibited in Canada, the USA, Europe and Asia. She's been featured as an artist in residence on CBC-TV; has had numerous gallery exhibitions; has many site specific ephemeral works left in situ and large scale permanent public art projects.
Ingrid's artworks have been included in many publications and books including: Art in Action: Nature, Creativity and Our Collective Future, published by the Natural World Museum and the United Nations Environmental Programme and Art + Science Now: How scientific research and technological innovation are becoming key to 21st-century aesthetics by Stephen Wilson, Professor of Conceptual and Information Arts at San Francisco State University. One of her favourite publications to be included in is Scholastic Book's Now See This! Art That Influences.
Ingrid has a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with Distinction, from the University of British Columbia Okanagan and a Master of Fine Arts, Environmental Sculpture, from the University of Calgary. You can view her work at: www.ingridkoivukangas.com
Ingrid lives on Salt Spring Island with her husband Robin, two dogs, Lucy and Scout, and a fierce cat named Hunter.
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Links:
Chapters / Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/hunters-of-the-dream-book/9780973632767-item.html
NOTE: Hunters of the Dream will be available at Amazon from February 22 to March 20 for only $0.99
Get a free online Eco Heart Oracle reading. http://bit.ly/FreeEcoHeartOracleReading
Visit the World of Wonder membership site. This site is for Hunters of the Dream readers. Continue exploring the world of Hunters of the Dream: http://bit.ly/EnterAWorldofWonder
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Ingrid Koivukangas will be awarding an Eco Heart Oracle Deck valued at $28 US, (the Eco Heart Oracle is an integral part of the Hunters of the Dream trilogy) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour (International Giveaway).
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1547
