Every year we have a few books that completely blow you away! Snow like Ashes is one of these books for me! I loved it so so much, that I even wrote a Love Letter to the Author! So, when I got the chance to be on the Blog Tour, I was thrilled and super excited!
And.. I am even more excited with the Guest Post today! You know much I love romance and also how much everyone loves different POV’s. So I asked Sara is she could describe and introduce us the main character and kick ass heroine Meira from Mather’s POV! And .. HOLY COW Guys, this is so awesome! I am so excited that Sara played along with this!
So, I am super proud to present this exclusive piece here on the Blog!
“Meira” – From Mather’s POV
When Bewitched Bookworms presented me with the option of writing a description of Meira from Mather’s POV, I knew I had to do it. I adore writing from Mather’s POV—I’ve written from a lot of other SLA characters’ POVs over time, through exercises on my own, and for some reason his POV is always one of my favorites.
For those of you who don’t know who he is, Mather is the heir of Winter, the king of the kingdom Meira spends SLA fighting to get back. He’s an interesting man in his own right, though—at sixteen, he’s only ever known his kingdom to be enslaved and out of reach, and though he’d do anything to free it, he’s haunted by one crippling fact: the source of Winter’s power is a locket that can only be used by the female of his bloodline. So while Mather may be a good king someday, he will never be the ruler Winter needs, and this shortcoming has plagued him forever.
So he’s got a lot of baggage. Which is fun for me. Not so much for him, though.
Notes:
- This scene comes at the end of Chapter Two, when Meira is preparing to leave for a rather important mission.
- For whatever reason, whenever I write scenes from the POV of other SLA characters, I can only do so in third person past. So this scene is in third person past, even though SLA itself is in first person present. #authorquirks
- This is a very very rough draft. Like my eyes are the only ones to have seen this baby. Be gentle.
They had been in Ventralli the first time they had seen snow.
Mather couldn’t remember how old they had been—ten? Eleven? Young enough that they instantly tried to catch snowflakes on their tongues, old enough that they knew not to say out loud how neither of them had seen snow before. William and Greer had been inside a shop, picking out various types of dried beans to add to their supplies, while Mather and Meira had been outside with the already laden cart, stricken with awe when the first crystallization landed on their skin.
Meira held her hand up, staring at a snowflake perched on her palm. She didn’t say anything, no cry of joy or exclamation of wonder—she just stared, and gaped, her eyes wide, her lips parted. Mather himself could barely breathe, afraid any motion would send the snowflakes scattering away like ants running from a boot.
She closed her fingers around the snowflake and shot him a smile through the specks of white that streaked the air. Her smile called to his, powerful, ardent happiness expressed in one swift cut of her lips.
He’d seen that smile on her so infrequently throughout their life. In truth, he’d seen such happiness so infrequently that he could count every occurrence on one hand.
But after today, he just might need both hands.
He’d faked an injury so she could go on a mission to Spring. And she’d smiled at him like she had in Ventralli, like he was the first snowfall she’d ever seen.
“How’s that ankle?”
Mather jerked forward, dropping the wood he’d been stripping, his knife scattering into the embers of the fire at his feet. One leg sat cocked under him; the other, “injured,” stretched out in a semi-useless position.
“Fine,” Mather said without looking up at William. He scrambled for his knife and hissed when the embers singed his fingertips.
William dropped into a crouch next to him but Mather kept his eyes averted. “You want Alysson to take a look?”
“No. Just a sprain. It’ll be better soon.”
“Awful lucky.”
“Sure is.”
William knew he was lying. Mather knew that William knew he was lying. Both were waiting for the other to admit first. Neither would.
Movement caught Mather’s attention and he swung toward the tents across the fire. Sunlight made the flames unnecessary but for cooking, and the pot of stew that boiled sent plumes of steam into the air, obscuring the scene so all Mather could see was the faint outline of Meira slinging a pack over a horse’s back. His stomach cooled, a knot unwinding in his gut.
She pivoted toward him, or maybe toward William, but she didn’t hover long enough to do anything, like she feared William would revoke his order and make her stay instead of go to Spring if she didn’t leave fast enough.
Meira ducked back into her tent.
William pushed out a grumbled sigh. “Be careful.”
Mather jerked his attention back down. “Always am.”
“No,” William countered, and the tension in his tone made Mather look at him, finally. Hard eyes met Mather’s, a ground jaw, brows taut. “You’re focused. That’s different. You know what you want and you know how to get it—but you have a lot to learn about being careful.”
Mather’s grip on the wood and knife tightened until his hands cramped. He didn’t want to hear William’s reasoning again—“When we get our kingdom back, you and Meira will be in two different worlds. Nothing can happen between you.”
“Then I guess I’ll learn how to be careful.” The snap in Mather’s voice surprised himself, but he flipped his eyes back across the campfire to avoid seeing William’s reaction. He’d no doubt have to pay for such an attitude once his ankle “healed” and he resumed training.
Meira emerged from her tent again, the chakram on her back glinting sunlight off its blade as she double-checked her horse. She swung around, surveying the area with the last look of someone mentally recounting a list, and stopped when her eyes latched onto Mather.
She stiffened, teeth worrying her lower lip in the quirk Mather had noticed she manifested long ago. Whenever she was contemplating or fidgety—he wasn’t even sure she knew she did it, but ice above, it did horrifically detrimental things to Mather’s ability to think.
Meira cast a nod at him, a small smile, and swung up onto her horse without coming to say farewell or calling out to him. Maybe because William still knelt beside him, no less severe.
“Yes,” William continued their conversation like Mather hadn’t looked away. “What concerns me is the cost you will accumulate while you learn caution.”
Mather clenched his jaw. “I know well the costs of living. You haven’t let me forget.”
“And I never will.”
Mather glared at him. He couldn’t help it, but it faded when William returned his glare with a withering, watchful gaze.
Mather bent his head in something like a bow of surrender. “I help my people when I can,” was all he let himself say on the matter, a formal, political, meaningless statement.
William pulled to his feet. “As long as that’s all she is to you.”
That dug into him, but Mather didn’t show it, holding until William walked off into camp. When he was gone, Mather slumped toward the fire until the heat licked his cheeks.
As long as that’s all she is to you.
Mather’s eyes snuck up, searching the empty area for Meira. But she was gone now, gone with Finn, on their way to Spring.
He didn’t know if there had ever been a time when he could have honestly said Meira was “just one of his people.” But he wasn’t careless, no matter what William said. He wouldn’t do anything reckless—Meira was capable. She would do well on this mission.
And he couldn’t imagine regretting something that had made her smile like that.
Sara, Thank you so so soooo much for this!!! If I wouldn’t be already in love with Meira before, I would be now! And… as I am so Team Mather – so this last part completely broke my heart again!
This is really one of the most amazing Guest Posts I ever had the honour of hosting on my Blog!
Series: Snow Like Ashes #1
Published by Balzer + Bray, Harper Collins, HarperCollins on 2014-10-14
Genres: Adolescence, Family, Fantasy, Fantasy & Magic, Girls & Women, Love & Romance, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 432
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.
Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.
Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.
So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.
About Sara:
Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, the first in a trilogy, comes out October 14, 2014 from Balzer + Bray. It does not feature her hand-drawn pictures.
Find Sara Online:
Tumblr | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | Pinterest | YouTube
Tour Schedule:
- 10/6/2014- Bookish– Interview
- 10/7/2014- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads– Review
- 10/8/2014- Bewitched Bookworms– Guest Post
- 10/9/2014- Fictitious Delicious– Review
- 10/10/2014- Adventures of a Book Junkie– Interview
Week Two
- 10/13/2014- Fiction Freak– Review
- 10/14/2014- Dark Faerie Tales– Interview
- 10/15/2014- Fiktshun– Guest Post
- 10/16/2014- IceyBooks– Review
- 10/17/2014- Two Chicks on Books– Guest Post
Giveaway
4 Winners will receive SNOW LIKE ASHES swag packs Two post cards, two bookmarks, SLA buttons, and a bag of instant snow.
Seriously guys, isn’t this amazing? Doesn’t this make you want to pick up this amazing story right now? Do you now want to get to know Meira and Mather and see what will happen to them?
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Review recently posted..Review
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This sounds like a great book; the plot seems interesting and unique. I can’t wait to read it! Thanks for the giveaway!
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Love it, Danny! My cousin reviewed this one for our blog, but I still plan on reading it myself!
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I REALLY enjoyed this story and love Mather’s POV you’ve got here. I do so love when there’s a book that just blows you away, you know?
*hugs*
Mary @ BookSwarm recently posted..Pre-Squee: Hard To Come By by Laura Kaye
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I’m really looking forward to “Snow Like Ashes”! I’ve even preordered it. I hope it comes soon after the publishing date. That’s always a little problem in Germany. Sometimes you have luck and sometimes you have to wait one or two weeks more… 😉
Maura recently posted..Wating on Wednesday #3
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learn more of your useful info. Thank you for the post.
I’ll certainly return.
nuvitaderm Review recently posted..nuvitaderm Review
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I’ve really got to schedule this into my reading order – thank you :).
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This site really has all the information and facts I needed about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Cleanse Wonder recently posted..Cleanse Wonder
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I’m so excited for this book! I can’t wait to read it 🙂
maganbagan recently posted..Waiting on Wednesday: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
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This book sounds great! I can’t wait to read it 🙂
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This book sounds great! I can’t wait to read it 🙂
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This cover had me hooked! 🙂
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This book sounds so good!
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I’m on #TeamTheron <3
I can't wait for the second book!
Kathleen recently posted..Showcasing my Stack (15)
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This book sounds great and the cover is amazing! Looking forward to reading this.
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AHHH! THE FEEEELS!
Snow Like Ashes is such an amazing book! If I wasn’t already head over heels for Mather, I certainly am now! TEAM MATHER <3
Dana @ The Nerdy Journalist recently posted..Review | Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch
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The cover is just gorgeous! I cannot wait to read this book!
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