Today I welcome Wendy Sparrow, author of Frosted a delightful novella about dashing Jack Frost that will make you want to grab your hot cocoa and curl up by the fire to enjoy this wonderful romantic read. So go grab your favorite cuppa and sit and learn a little more about Wendy and read my review of Frosted.
What three things do you need in order to write?
Quiet, Mountain Dew, and my laptop. With two kids, quiet is at a premium so sometimes, when
my son is next to me on the couch watching Minecraft walkthroughs, I put in my earbuds and
crank up a MP3 of white noise to block the world out. Then, of course, anyone following me on
Twitter knows that my bloodstream is about 98% Mountain Dew. Finally, there are few things
I guard as seriously as my laptop—it’s practically an extension of me—well, okay, it’s not—
though that would be an interesting idea for a story.
What's your favorite season?
With a winter-themed book out, I should say winter, but the truth is that I hate being cold. Brr. I
didn’t have to reach very deeply inside me for Kate’s feelings on the subject. Give me a snuggly
blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and a book, and it can snow all it wants—as long as I never
have to get out in it. On the other hand, I love fall. I love the colors of fall leaves. I love haunted
houses at Halloween and overeating at Thanksgiving. I wish fall lasted forever.
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Oh, I have a bucket list for this…and I just went to New Orleans last year which was on my
bucket list, so that leaves the Florida Keys for the United States, but all of Europe outside of
there. I’ve really wanted to visit London for a long time.
I read your brief bio and it mentions talking to yourself. My son calls me on this all the time and one time said “Mom, can’t you do it quietly in your head”. He’s seven and quite a character. Have your kids ever mentioned your talking to yourself, are they more accepting than mine, or are you not quite as bad as me?
Most of my conversations with myself take place on Twitter—so they’re on record. (Reason
#1,203 I will never be president.) Although, really, anyone with kids spends quite a bit of time
talking to themselves—they just don’t realize it. “It’s time for school! Why are you still in your
pajamas? I told you to get dressed twenty minutes ago.” “No, you didn’t!” “Yes, I did.” “Well,
I didn’t hear you!” Yeah. I think that’s the appeal of writing—someone you created has to do
whatever you tell them to.
What's the first sentence of Frosted?
Kate skirted the snow as if it were boiling, bubbling lava.
How would you describe Frosted?
Well, it’s your basic girl sees boy in the ice while ice-skating. Girl falls through the ice into
the winter world where she marries the boy who is king. Girl runs back to the mortal world.
Boy changes weather patterns to try to get her back before finally dragging her to Denver to
convince her to be his ice queen. There are a few complications of course—like the boy is
losing his powers because he’s been chasing her, and the girl has trust issues. Oh, and, of
course, the minor detail that the boy is Jack Frost, king of winter, but, at its core, it’s the age-old
boy meets girl story.
How did you come about using Jack Frost as a character basis for your novella?
Three years ago, I had this dream about a girl walking very carefully on the sidewalk, avoiding
stepping in the snow, and she looked down into an icy puddle and saw Jack Frost staring back
up at her with a look of frustration because he’s trying to get her back into his world but she
keeps avoiding the cold. I didn’t write the story right away, but one day I heard Kate say in my
head the line of dialogue, “Jack, you’ll have to find yourself a new queen.” Her voice was so
clear…the rest fell out of my head onto the keys so fast that my laptop was smoking.
Dish, who’s your favorite character?
In Frosted? Easy peasy. It’s Jack Frost. He’s a cross between Peter Pan and Thor. Plus, he’s
hopelessly in love with Kate. There’s something so endearing about a guy willing to manipulate
weather to get the girl he loves.
What can we expect next from you?
Oh, I should have a few more happily-ever-afters coming from Entangled shortly. But I also just
got the wonderful news that a memoir piece I wrote will be in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising
Kids on the Spectrum. It’s due out in April which is Autism Awareness Month.
Thanks Wendy!
Thanks for having me on! *blows cyber kisses and gives air hugs*
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My Review
I honestly can say I didn't know what to expect when picking up Frosted. Hmmm, a story about Jack Frost meeting a girl who falls through the ice and making her queen and then letting her go and finally chasing her down to convince her one last time. Sounds interesting, but can it work in a novella? The guy on the front was telling me it could and I honestly don't even go for blondes (my husband is dark headed and I've found my type is mostly dark-headed men). I mean look at him, doesn't he scream read this book :) So I did and I was delighted.
Yes I will be honest and say both characters, Kate and Jack frustrated me at times. But that was part of the story. They were both in love but both afraid to admit it or didn't know how to admit it. One was scarred by life, one hadn't really lived a life. I found them both to be interesting characters and once the novella really started moving and the story started really revealing itself I found myself understanding them and when I understod them, I liked them more and more and I fell in love with them and the story. Wendy does that, she makes you fall in love with the story which is magic itself.
I loved the use of the Jack Frost tale as the background with the winter kingdom and an immortal who controls the weather, even goes so far as controlling the weather for the woman he loves. It was a fascinating read with a different background even though as Wendy simply states it is at it's core a book of boy meets girl. However she does add layers to it that make it so much more.
Frosted becomes a very a very enjoyable read that I could hardly put down. I love the novella because it ensures a quick read, yet it's a complete read. It develops characters and develops a storyline without leaving you wanting too much more like a short story does. Frosted willl read quickly and you will want more but only because you will grow to love Kate and Jack. So grab you hot cocoa and a blanket and if it's cold enough, bundle up near a nice warm fire and enjoy Frosted. It may take away some of the chill of these waning winter days.
My Rating: 4.5/5.0
About the book:
After
falling through the ice one cold day, Kate is saved by a mysterious man
named Jack and ends up marrying him. Come to find out, she's committed
herself to the king of winter himself. Now Kate has cold feet about
their life together...and cold everything else.
Forced
to return to the frozen north for her job, Kate hopes to sneak-in and
out of Colorado before Jack knows she's there. After all, she's been
living in sunny Florida for seven years, and he hasn't managed to come
see her. But Jack has one last chance of convincing his runaway bride to
come back to him, and he won't give up until he breaks through the ice
that's frosted her heart.
About the Author:
At home in the Pacific Northwest, Wendy Sparrow writes for both an adult and young adult crowd. She has two wonderfully quirky kids, a supportive husband, and a perpetually messy house because writing is more fun than cleaning. She enjoys reading with a flashlight under a blanket—the way all the best books should be read—and believes in the Oxford comma, the pursuit of cupcakes, and that every story deserves a happily ever after. Most days she can be found on Twitter where she’ll talk to anyone who talks back, and occasionally just to herself.
Giveaway:
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