Today I have the pleasure of sharing a guest interview with a fellow member of O.C. Writers, Megan Haskell. Megan writes dark YA fantasy, and her books look amazing. I can't wait to read them. Welcome, Megan!

B.R.A.G Medallion Winner! A woman torn between honor and survival…

Raised in a realm where humans are no better than slaves, Rie Lhethannien has struggled for decades to earn a meager post in the High Court messenger service. Even training as an elite fighter isn’t enough to earn the respect she craves. Scorned by the high elves who rely on her loyalty, Rie’s closest allies are the fierce carnivorous pixies who travel by her side.

When she’s attacked on a routine delivery by assassins from the enemy Shadow Realm, Rie’s martial prowess keeps her alive…and frames her as a traitor. Facing execution at the hand of an unmerciful king, Rie must forsake her oaths and flee into enemy lands to prove her innocence.

With surprising help from a bastard prince and an ambitious blood sidhe, Rie searches for the truth behind the attack. The secrets she uncovers may threaten more than her honor or even her life…for war is looming in the nine faerie realms.

Sanyare: The Last Descendant is the first book in The Sanyare Chronicles, a fast-paced dark fantasy adventure. If you like kick-butt heroines and action-packed fantasy filled with mythological creatures, then you’ll love the first novel in Megan Haskell’s debut series. Start your journey across the nine faerie realms today!

How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve read fantasy. Dinotopia was one of my favorite children’s books (which I’m currently reading to my four year-old), and I read The Hobbit in elementary school. Then I discovered Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series, and later the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. If I wasn’t reading a textbook for class, I was reading a fantasy novel with a female lead, the darker the better.

It only made sense, then, that I would choose to write dark fantasy adventures featuring a tough but vulnerable female protagonist. I write what I want to read, and I love magic, mayhem, and monsters!

What inspires you?
I’m inspired by my characters and by the work of other authors. Reading is an escape for me, a way to forget about the stress of everyday life. A skilled author can make me believe I’m really in the pages of the book, allowing me to live vicariously through the actions and adventures of the characters. My goal is to provide that same experience for my own readers. If I can make them forget about the dishes, or stay up past their bedtime just to read, then I’ve done my job.

How did you get to be where you are in your life today?
I’ve had a circuitous route to becoming an author. I graduated college with a degree in finance and worked for seven and a half years at a major accounting firm. I started writing during my hour plus train commute during that time, but didn’t really take it seriously until I finished my first (terrible, unpublished) novel.

After giving birth to my first daughter, I decided to leave my job and become a stay-at- home-mom, but I still had characters rattling around in my brain begging to have their stories written. Eventually, I succumbed to the pressure and started writing what would become Sanyare: The Last Descendant.

My girls are still young, just four and one, so time is a precious commodity. My writing happens in the quiet hours when the kiddos are asleep or in school. I don’t watch tv during the week, instead using the evening for writing and the business of publishing.

As they get older, however, I want to build a real career as a science-fiction and fantasy author, turning my after hours hobby into a full-time author-preneurial business. Ideally, with normal business hours.

It’s Nuriel “Rie” Lhethannien’s twenty-fifth nameday. She should be celebrating her rise to maturity, not sweating in the training hall. But life isn’t fair, and humans aren’t equal to the elves, at least not in the High Court.

After losing a practice bout to the one man she wants to trust, Rie is thrown into the most challenging test of her life. Will the rewards outweigh the risks?

Pixie Tamer is the short story prequel to Sanyare: The Last Descendant, a dark fantasy adventure with epic themes and a new adult tone. The stories are complements, but can be read independently.

Get Your FREE copy of Pixie Tamer!

To get your FREE copy of Pixie Tamer, the short story prequel to Sanyare: The Last Descendant, PLUS three excerpts from the novel featuring Rie's tiniest allies, just sign up for Megan Haskell’s newsletter at www.meganhaskell.com/newsletter-subscription. All newsletter subscribers receive a once a month email from the author, packed with information about upcoming releases, events, and even snippets from the work in progress. What's more, one lucky random subscriber each month will win a free signed print copy of Sanyare: The Last Descendant!

Legend has it, I was born with a book in my hands. When I was a kid, my mom would ground me from reading in order to get me to do my chores. To this day, I can readily ignore the real world in favor of the imaginary one lurking between the pages of my current addiction. My dad — also an avid reader — introduced me to Tolkien in my late elementary years, and I never looked back. I love escaping to worlds where magic and monsters are real, especially stories with kick-butt heroines and dangerously attractive heroes.

Despite my voracious book appetite, I didn’t start creative writing until I was working as a number cruncher in a big accounting firm. With an hour plus commute by train every day, and a demanding left-brain occupation, I needed a mobile creative outlet. A pen and paper are about as mobile as it gets! As the pages began to fill, I quickly moved onto a tiny laptop, and a writer was born. Now I get to create my own fantasies!

In addition to writing fiction, I am also the Program Director for O.C. Writers, A Network of Published and Aspiring Authors. Visit www.OCWriters.Network for more information about the community.

I currently live in Southern California with my wonderfully supportive husband, two daughters, and a ridiculously energetic dog. Sanyare: The Last Descendant is my first published novel. The sequel, Sanyare: The Heir Apparent, will be released in September 2016.

Sanyare: The Last Descendant
Amazon (US): http://www.amazon.com/Sanyare-Last- Descendant-Universe- Book-ebook/dp/B00ROBHMFY/
Amazon (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ROBHMFY
Amazon (CA): http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00ROBHMFY
Amazon (AU): http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00ROBHMFY

Megan on Social Media
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter or @meganphaskell | Pinterest | Google+ | Goodreads

Thanks for joining me today, Megan! For more information on O.C. Writers, visit http://ocwriters.network/.

When a wall of their cave hideout crumbles, three boys discover a skeleton, clutching a treasure map. They set off to trace the story of an old murder, but stumble into a modern crime, and confront ancient Chinese dragons.

Sam inched forward and aimed the flashlight inside. “Uh oh.”

“What?” Joey gasped.

“It’s a ... well, kind of a ... skeleton.”

“Awww,” Roger screamed, ran, tripped, and sprawled on his stomach.

“It can’t hurt you, Roger,” Sam said. “Come on.

Take a look.” One thing about being in a family of paleontologists, you got used to bones.

Roger quick-shook his head. “No. No. No.”

Joey took three slow steps and stood next to Sam. “Sweet. A dead guy. Man, let’s get out of here.”

“Hold this.” Sam handed Joey the flashlight. “Keep the light on him, okay?”

The skeleton was partly covered by a tattered shirt and pants. Bony fingers clutched a wooden box with a piece of thin metal about two inches long on its top.

Reaching inside, Sam tried to pry the box from the skeleton’s grasp, but the finger bones fell through the rib cage and clattered to the bottom of the chest. The box lodged between the ribs.
The light jiggled in Joey’s hand. “Come on Sam, enough already.”

Sam picked up the thin metal piece from the top of the box, and held it under the light. One end of it was bent at a right angle. A faded red tassel looped through the other end.

“Here, take this.” Sam handed Joey the strange object, then reached inside the chest and gripped the box. He lifted it slow and easy. It could be a trap. It could be dangerous. His hands twitched and the edge of the box caught on a rod that held the chest lid open. He barely snatched the box free before the lid crashed down.

What sounded like an angry dragon exploded around the cave.

The walls trembled, and the floor heaved under foot.

C. Lee McKenzie has a background in Linguistics and Inter-Cultural Communication. Her greatest passion is writing for young readers. Sign of the Green Dragon is her third Middle Grade novel. Alligators Overhead and the sequel, The Great Time Lock Disaster were her first two. She has traditionally published four young adult novels: Sliding on the Edge, The Princess of Las Pulgas, Double Negative and Sudden Secrets.

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

I'd like to highlight the fact that I always have a free ebook (a different one every few months) available on my website for visitors. http://cleemckenziebooks.com

Website: http://cleemckenziebooks.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2809083.C_Lee_McKenzie    
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/signofgreendragon/     
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleemckenzie/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cleemckenzie/movie-cast-for-sign-of-the-green-dragon/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sign-Green-Dragon-Lee-McKenzie/dp/1532721250
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sign-of-the-green-dragon-c-lee-mckenzie/1123482000 

C. Lee McKenzie will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

These are the facts: My name is Callie Sinclair. I am seventeen years old. I live in San

Francisco. I love my boyfriend, Charlie. I work for a secret governmental agency. I am a psychic spy. This romantic, action-packed twist on the classic spy novel is perfect for fans of Ally Carter’s Embassy Row series or for any reader who enjoys cinematic writing and stories of romance and intrigue.

At seventeen, Callie is the government’s youngest psychic spy, trained to track dangerous people and weapons in her visions. When another young—and handsome and witty—psychic joins the agency, Callie’s personal and professional lives get messy all at once. If she can’t find a way to change the events she’s seen in her visions, she could lose the people she loves most . . . and her mind. Literally.

Richly painted against the backdrop of San Francisco and Berkeley, Lauren Sabel’s enthralling novel captures the thrill of exploring a unique power in a dangerous world.

She smiles. “I’ll order Chinese. What do you want? Tofu with vegetables for you and ginger shrimp for Charlie?”

“Actually—”

“That sounds good,” she continues, dialing the number to the Happy Fun Restaurant and switching to Mandarin. “Nin hao.” Mom speaks three different languages fluently, and talks about string theory like it’s an item on her grocery store list. She’s a lifelong MENSA member and always invites me to the meetings. She says that with my IQ, I can get in, but what would we talk about? Math equations? No, thank you. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone,” Mom says, getting off the phone. She presses a fifty-dollar bill into my hand, but I shake my head and hand it back.

“I’ve got it,” I say, pulling my wallet out of my back pocket. Ever since I started working for Branch 13, I’ve noticed how Mom looks at me like I’m an adult whenever I offer to pay for things.

Mom even brags that she’s never seen anyone more dedicated to a nannying job than I am, and raves to her boyfriend, Richard, about how I contribute to the household expenses. I take a couple of twenties out of my wallet, not missing the look of respect on I see on Mom’s face for paying my own way.

Of course, I’d work at Branch 13 even if I didn’t make any money.

The disappearance of my daily migraines would be reason enough on its own. Indigo says the viewing helps because the part of my mind that I view with gets tired by the end of each session, and so a headache doesn’t build in the unused tension in my brain. When it comes down to it, I’ll take mental pain over physical pain any day.

Lauren Sabel lives in the quirky dark spaces of her mind, and she tries to shed light on these spaces in her books. After publishing VIVIAN DIVINE IS DEAD in Summer 2014 with Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of Harper Collins, she confronted her lifelong fear of being psychic by writing LIES I LIVE BY. Since in this YA thriller, teenage psychic spy Callie Sinclair works undercover for the government, forced to hide her real identity from everyone she loves, Lauren is now certain she’s on the CIA watch list.

Social Networks:

Website: www.laurensabel.com
Blog: http://laurensabel.tumblr.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/laurensabel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.laurensabel/
Instagram: laurensabel

Book Purchase Links:

LIES I LIVE BY:

http://www.amazon.com/Lies-I-Live-Lauren-Sabel-ebook/dp/B0151UEAT0/
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062231987

VIVIAN DIVINE IS DEAD:
http://www.amazon.com/Vivian-Divine- Dead-Lauren- Sabel/dp/0062231952
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vivian-divine- is-dead- lauren-sabel/1117005007

Lauren will be awarding $30 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

​The McElroy brothers find trouble easily. Dylan plunges headfirst into it, while Daniel cleans up behind him. That’s the way it’s always been, ever since their mother left them to be bounced around the foster system, causing trouble wherever they went. The soon-to-be euthanized giraffe they just stole from the Northside Animal Park may be their biggest predicament yet, in more ways than one, but there's no undoing what's been done.

Lost in Nebraska without a plan, clueless how to care for the ornery old beast in the back of the trailer, the well-meaning brothers stop to rest at an abandoned-looking barn. A pretty redhead with a snappy temperament and a shotgun discovers the boys and their sixteen-foot stowaway. Her name is Josephine, she lives on this farm with her father who is spoken of, but never seen, and her root cellar has more locks than a bank vault. She’s got a way with animals and plenty of secrets, not to mention the interest of two brothers who swore they’d never let some girl come between them.

​Please help me welcome the author, Sarah Mandell!

Today I’m sharing an excerpt and recipe from my new coming-of-age novel, Two Brothers, One Redhead, and a Stolen Giraffe. 

In the story, Daniel and Dylan McElroy, along with the soon-to-be euthanized giraffe they just stole from the Northside Animal Park, trespass for the night in an abandoned-looking barn, but are soon discovered by Josephine Larsen, a redheaded farmer’s daughter with a snappy temperament and a shotgun. The brothers end up staying on to help Jo with the harvest, since they need to earn some money and she could use a few extra hands around the farm. One of the many crops the boys help her with that summer is rhubarb. 
​
Jo’s extremely book smart, she’s got a green thumb and a way with animals, but has absolutely no idea how to cook, so one night after a long day of working in the fields, Daniel bakes a rhubarb pie from memory, something his grandmother taught him when he was a kid, a few years before he and his brother ended up in the foster system. Daniel isn’t baking to impress Jo, or to show off. He’s just doing what he does best: being quietly helpful. 

“Does anyone actually eat these things?” Dylan asked, holding up a stalk of rhubarb. He inspected the thing like it was from some foreign planet, apt to explode at any minute. 

Wiping sweat from her brow, Jo said, “You’d be surprised.”

“I wish you grew good stuff, like blueberries and strawberries. Seems like all we harvest around here is healthy stuff nobody likes.”

Daniel chimed in from a few feet away, diligently plucking rhubarb at a faster rate than his brother, “I’m gonna make one of Grams’ rhubarb pies tonight. Remember those?” 

Ingredient list (filling): 

• 6 tablespoons of sifted flower
• 1 1/3 cup of sugar
• 8 large stalks of rhubarb cut up into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter

Ingredient list (crust): 

• 12 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 3 cups of all-purpose flower
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 8 tablespoons of ice water
• 1/3 cup of refrigerated vegetable shortening 

Make the crust:

1. Mix flour salt and sugar in a large bowl, then add diced butter and shortening. Mix well, until butter is broken up into small crumbles. Add ice water and continue to mix until dough forms a ball. 
2. Use rolling pin to roll the dough flat on cutting board covered in flour. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 20 minutes.

Make the filling: 

1. Cut dough into two equal parts, and roll each piece into a circle on the cutting board. Place one piece of dough in pan, and trim off edges if needed. 
2. Mix together 2 tablespoons of flower with 2 tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle over pie crust in pan, and then add rhubarb. Mix together remaining flour and sugar to sprinkle over rhubarb.
3. Place second piece of dough overtop, and pinch edges together. Pierce the top of the dough in the middle to vent, and sprinkle with sugar. 

Bake the pie:

1. Bake pie for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, then reduce heat to 250 degrees and bake for 45 minutes. If edges start to brown, you can use aluminum foil to cover the edges. 
2. Set aside to cool, then cut and serve. ​​

(A note from Angela: Yum! I love rhubarb pie, and this one looks amazing, Sarah. Thanks for sharing!)

Sarah Mandell is a professionally trained artist with a background in commercial interior design.

She's also the brains and busy hands behind a thriving indie craft business called Once Again Sam in Greenville, SC. Even with an ever-expanding collection of creative outlets, she's truly the happiest when she's writing. Two Brothers, One Redhead, and a Stolen Giraffe is Sarah’s second novel. Her debut novel was Celia on the Run (Untreed Reads, 2012).

Website: www.sarahmandell.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/theshyauthor
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sarahmandellauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com//Sarah-Mandell- Author
Newsletter Signup: http://www.sarahmandell.com/newsletter

BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Redhead- Stolen-Giraffe- coming-ebook/dp/B01F4ND9ZU

Sarah will be awarding 5 of her handmade laser etched wooden pendants that she is launching as a new collection in conjunction with the release of the book to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Koolura is no ordinary girl. Neither is her best friend Leila. While visiting Mexico, the girls discover a device which hurtles them back in time to an early Mayan civilization. The Mayans have troubles of their own—the alien Aquari people have all but enslaved them. They need a goddess to set them free. Could Koolura be the one?

I had the pleasure to meet the author of this fun book at a local book fair, and enthusiastically picked up his latest book.

Koolura and the Mayans is a fantastic read for middle-graders. Filled with sparkling characters, Koolura immerses the reader in a light-hearted adventure rich with Mayan history. Michael Thal gives us Koolura and Leila, two refreshing characters who communicate through American Sign Language (ASL). He does a wonderful job of weaving ASL into the narrative. Thal's integration of elements of science fiction, alien conspiracy, and Mayan myth infuses humor and intrigue into this action-filled adventure. His rich settings transport the reader in time, to authentic Mayan villages and cities, and fantastic alien worlds.

I highly recommend Koolura and the Mayans to middle-grade readers, as well as Thal's other books in the series, The Legend of Koolura and Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback.

Michael L. Thal, an accomplished freelancer, is the author of The Legend of Koolura and Goodbye Tchaikovsky. He has written and published over eighty articles for magazines and newspapers including Highlights for Children, The Los Angeles Times, and San Diego Family Magazine. 

Michael lives in Sherman Oaks, CA. He's the proud father of two adult daughters, Channie and Koren, and the grandfather of Arielle and Shaye. You can reach him at michaelthal@sbcglobal.net.

Find him on the web at:
http://michaelthal.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1092108.Michael_Thal
http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Thal/e/B003YSKCDK

​Find Koolura and the Mayans at:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29545044-koolura-and-the-mayans
https://www.amazon.com/Koolura-Mayans-Book-3-ebook/dp/B01D3UM8JY
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/koolura-and-the-mayans-michael-thal/1123566313?ean=9781625263513

Hi! 
I'm Angela Myron, your hostess 
for this leg of the PINK TEAM for YA Scavenger Hunt!

You are currently hunting on TEAM PINK.

Looking for my exclusive bonus content? You’ll have to keep searching.
Somewhere on this blog hop, I’ve hidden Pinterest inspiration boards for Ennara and the Book of Shadows! Before you go looking for it, check out the amazing author I’m hosting.
But, first, a few rules.

Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the pink team, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!). 
HINT: THE SECRET NUMBER IS HIGHLIGHTED IN PINK!

Entry Form: Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by Sunday, April 3rd, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

On this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

There are NINE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the PINK TEAM, but there is also a RED TEAM,  GOLD TEAM, ORANGE TEAM, BLUE TEAM, PURPLE TEAM, TEAL TEAM,  & GREEN TEAM! Check out each team for a chance to win eight different sets of signed books!

If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.

Now that all the technical stuff is out of the way, I’ll introduce the author I am hosting on this hunt.

Find out more information by checking out the author website or find more about the author's book here! http://www.amazon.com/Tick-Tock-Seven-Tales-Time-ebook/dp/B01AC1H2E8

Hello YA Scavenger Hunters! I’ve been doing the hunt for several years now, and it’s always a blast. This year, I’m excited to announce the official release of a science fiction/speculative fiction anthology featuring 7 sci-fi and fantasy authors, including yours truly. 

TICK TOCK: 7 Tales of Time is based on the premise that it only takes a second...a minute...an hour for everything to change. Our stories have twisted time into very different tales of adventure, horror, mystery, romance, and ghosts. The book officially released yesterday, 3/28, so you’re some of the first people to see it!

All it takes is a second . . . a minute . . . an hour . . . for everything to change.

A serial killer returns years later to finish what was started.
A coffee shop offers a respite for the cursed.
A hangover masks the horrors of the previous night.
A princess’s wedding gift comes with a price.
A locked apartment door hides a chilling secret.
A girl wakes up in an asylum and must survive and escape.
A young woman must protect the past to thwart a thief from the future.

An interesting fact about us is that all 7 of us are Denver-based authors, so we love to find excuses to get together for brunch. You can find out more about all the authors at Wicked Ink Books. If you like sci-fi/fantasy, please check out the anthology and let us know what theme you'd like to see us do next time! Happy hunting!

Don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me, Angela Myron, and more! To enter, you need to know my favorite number, which is hidden in this post. (HINT: It is PINK, BOLD, and accompanied by an interesting graphic.) Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the pink team and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

Below, please leave a comment, say hi to Kristi, and if you'd like to enter my coloring contest for bonus prizes, you can check out this post here. (This contest is not associated with YASH and closes on July 31, 2016.) Thanks for stopping by!

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author! EMILY SKRUTSKI

)Ah, spring! What better time to break out the crayons and have some fun. In the spirit of this vibrant season, let's do a super fun coloring contest! Open to all ages,

There are two categories: 

• Smoos Coloring Contest: ages 8-12
• Ennara Coloring Contest: Ages 13+

I'm not checking ages on each entry, these are just guidelines. And the 13+ category is open to everyone. Unleash your coloring skills, friends!

• First prize: A congratulatory letter and art advice from Ennara's illustrator, Anna Maria Minerva, who lives in Italy!
  
  
• Second prize (8-12 category): A poster of Anna Maria's artwork for Ennara and the Fallen Druid
• Second prize (13+ category): A poster of Anna Maria's artwork for Ennara and the Book of Shadows
  
  
• Third prize (8-12 category): A signed, print copy of Ennara and the Fallen Druid (recommended for ages 11+)
• Third prize (13+ category): A signed, print copy of Ennara and the Book of Shadows (recommended for ages 11+)

Deadline for entries is July 31, 2016.

Download and print your entry form here.

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.

How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
Working as an environmental artist I enter a world of wonder. I communicate with the Earth, the Spirit world, and the Animal, Insect and Plant worlds to create work that connects viewers to natural sites and the energy, and memories, they contain. I was called to expand upon the way that I work; to communicate messages from the Earth and Spirit worlds, with a wider audience–especially with youth. In writing Hunters of the Dream I want to invite readers, through story, into a world of wonder where they can begin to access their own innate memories of ancient mysteries and our deep connections to all beings, both seen and unseen.

What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
Hunters of the Dreams, weaves together the way that I work, both as an artist and Reiki healer, with the magic of writing and calling forth characters and stories. As an artist I work in this magical space where I walk between worlds. I work with, and through, dreams as well as meditations. In this way my environmental art practice is similar to the work of shamans and healers. Through the Hunters of the Dream trilogy, I want to encourage readers to begin to imagine that they too can affect the world around them with their thoughts and emotions. I want to invite them to remember a time when they too were deeply connected to the, Earth and to remember the magic they felt in the presence of, Nature.
I’ve had some great feedback from readers who have tried some of the teachings that Aurora receives from Nana Brin in Book One: The Gathering…they tell me they work J I’ve also been told the same thing about the Eco Heart Oracle, the Oracle guides the character’s journey – the cards in the deck speak to people.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?
The hardest part of writing Hunters of the Dream was overcoming my own blocks and fears of becoming a fulltime writer and author. Sometimes when you’ve held a dream so close to your heart, and for so many years, it becomes challenging to move forward into the unknown. It can be very scary to begin to walk into your dreams, trusting that your intuition is leading you in the right direction. I encourage anyone who is struggling with this to, just keep writing. Keep believing.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I love writing. I love the magic that takes place when I begin to receive the story. When the characters arrive and introduce themselves. I love weaving threads of history into the present, into the book, and into the future. I love adding threads of some of my personal experiences working with Nature and Mystery to the story.

How did you get to be where you are in your life today?
A lot of hard work and determination, combined with trusting and following my intuition! I was a graphic designer and loved my work. But after a few years I began to question what I was doing with my creative gifts. I didn’t think I came here to make ads, logos and magazines for the rest of my life – it felt like I was copping out. So, I quit my job and returned to school, as a single parent with two children. I completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, which included electives in Creative Writing, and then a Master of Fine Arts degree, and then I started a PhD. I was two years into my PhD work when I realized that I just loved researching and exploring new ideas and didn’t need another degree. I dropped out of my program – it was extremely hard to let go of that, but I didn’t think I came here to be an academic. After I graduated from my MFA program I got a teaching job, at the college I started at, and became a professor. I was honored to be there and, I loved working with students and watching them blossom into artists. I did not love the politics of teaching, and quit after six years. Letting go of teaching, and taking a break from being an artist allowed me the time to begin to really move towards my first love – being a writer and author. I will always be an environmental artist – it’s part of who I am – and it informs my writing. My artist skills also allowed me to create the Eco Heart Oracle deck.

For those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book, where should they start?
I am in the process of creating a membership website where readers can continue their journey into the world of Hunters of the Dream. Membership is free to readers, and gives them access to complimentary art and writing projects. Paid modules are also 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. Signup to become a member here:
bit.ly/EnterAWorldofWonder
 
Thank you for inviting me to your blog, Angela!

Thank you, Ingrid, for joining me today on my blog for a very special interview. I can't wait to read Hunters of the Dream!

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.
 
***
 
Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13548228.Ingrid_Koivukangas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IKoivukangas
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HuntersTheDream
Website: www.IngridKoivukangas.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Dream-Book-One-Gathering-ebook/dp/B0194J80JA
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

​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).

For more interviews, book excerpts, and giveaway chances from Ingrid, check out her book tour.

​Escape from the Past: The Kid

​by Annette Oppenlander

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

​GENRE:   YA historical/sci-fi

​BLURB:
 
Time-traveling gamer, Max, embarks on a harrowing journey through the Wild West of 1881! After a huge fight with his parents, Max tries to return to his love and his best friend, Bero, in medieval Germany. Instead he lands in 1881 New Mexico. Struggling to get his bearings and coming to terms with Dr. Stuler’s evil computer game misleading him, he runs into Billy the Kid. To his amazement Billy isn’t at all the ruthless killer history made him out to be. Trouble brews when a dying Warm Springs Apache gives Max a huge gold nugget to help his sister, Ela, escape from Fort Sumner. Shopping for supplies Max attracts the attention of ruthless bandits. Before Max can ask the Kid’s help, he and Ela are forced to embark on a journey to find his imaginary goldmine. This is book 2 in the Escape from the Past trilogy.

1. How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?

In “The Kid,” book two in the “Escape from the Past” trilogy, time-traveling gamer, Max, intends to return to his friends in medieval Germany, but mistakenly lands in the Wild West of 1881 New Mexico where he must overcome many horrific challenges.
 
Growing up in Germany, I’ve always been fascinated with the Wild West. I remember watching westerns with my father and reading books about pioneers, Native Americans and the gold rush. After I moved to the U.S. I continued reading historical fiction set in the eighteen and nineteen hundreds.
 
I chose Billy the Kid because I see him as a tragic character who encountered a string of bad luck and was basically set up to fail. He isn’t much older than Max and you can easily see how any young man could’ve had Billy’s fate. The second important character is Chief Nana, a Warm Springs Apache warrior, who in the summer of 1881 rode a 3,000 mile vengeance war against the U.S. Army. He was never caught nor were his fifteen or so warriors. The amazing thing about him was his age. He was around eighty years old then and lame in one leg.

2. What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?

First and foremost I believe in telling a good story with a great, fast-moving plot, relatable characters in a fascinating setting/world. While I believe in people learning from reading fiction, this learning should happen as a secondary outcome and in a natural way. Otherwise it’d be like school and textbooks. Brrh!
 
So, provided I’ve done a good job with my story, I believe my readers come away with three different kinds of information to enrich their lives.
 
Entertaining and Fascinating Information about Historical Eras
In “The Kid,” gamer Max meets Billy the Kid and we’re witness to Billy’s last month in Fort Sumner. We also learn about the ruthlessness of the Wild West, encounter Chief Nana, a Warm Springs Apache, who in the summer of 1881 rode a 3,000 mile vengeance war against the U.S. Army and was never caught. The fascinating thing about Nana is that he only had a dozen warriors and that he was about 80 years old and lame in one foot. We also get to live in an American Indian village, learn about rattlesnake bites and the viciousness of a “Norther.”
 
Moral Choices
Max, the protagonist in the series, must make many decisions to survive. More times than not he chooses to help people at the expense of his own comfort and/or safety. While this endears him to us readers, it puts him in dangerous situations. Max makes moral decisions that if we believe in “leading by example” will leave a positive and lasting impression on us. He acts heroically.
 
We may ask ourselves what we’d do in the same situation. Run and save our hide or help those in need. They say a hero is somebody who choses to do the right thing in the face of adversity. Hopefully, some of that heroic behavior subconsciously sticks with the reader. And maybe one day, s/he’ll help somebody in need.
 
Seizing the Moment
Many people dwell on the past, hold grudges, hate what happened once upon a time and in general do not appreciate what they have… now. At the other extreme we live for the future, always charging ahead without enjoying and being present in the moment.
 
Max deals with a lot of adversity, including a split-up family, but in the end he learns he must embrace what he has now. Sure, it’s not perfect, but whose life is perfect, whose family is perfect? Not too many. So, being aware and present in the moment, being grateful for one’s life is a huge learning experience.
 
Final Thoughts
I believe that all readers, teen and adult, benefit from reading the series. Most adults would appreciate learning about history, watch a character rise above and make tough moral choices, and seize the moment. I, for one, feel that Max taught me a few things along the way.
 
And next time you consider playing a new computer game, you may be more careful. You never know if it’s “EarthRider.”

3. How did you get to be where you are in your life today?
​
Becoming a writer/author was a process that took several years. In the beginning–the late 90s–I wrote children’s stories for early readers. I didn’t know anything about writing for children, the market nor the submission process, so this went nowhere. In 2002 I interviewed my parents about their lives during WW2 in Germany which led to a number of short stories. I didn’t really imagine writing a novel, let alone several, I merely wanted to preserve the memories for my family.
 
But I grew aware how much I enjoy the writing process. How I felt while I did it. I worked for a PR agency and did lots of business-related writing. I’d go home at night and write some more, spent my weekends writing fiction. I grew more and more invested, took classes, read books on craft, attended conferences and joined a critique group. In 2009 I attended a short story class at Indiana University and that’s when the light bulb turned on fully. I’ve known ever since that writing is my passion and I must do it even if publication is light years away. I finished the first manuscript in 2010. The first two books were published in 2015.

Thank you very much for having me!

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