Frost by Marianna Baer

Marianna Baer

Our Rockstar

Let us introduce you to our ROCKSTAR!!

Marianna Baer took an age old paranormal story and twisted the tale to make it new and mesmerizing, showing us how gifted of an artist that she is.  We feel she has just begun to tap in to her talent as an author. 

We can't wait to see what she will come up with next...

She totally ROCKS our world!!

Marianna Baer received an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and a BA in art from Oberlin College. She also attended boarding school, where she lived in a tiny dorm called Frost House, the inspiration for her first novel, Frost. She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Want to know more:

Check out our interview with Marianna...

TSK TSK: Do you have a routine you go through when you write?

Marianna:  My only routine is that I have no routine! I have no idea when I wake up in the morning what I’ll need to get going that day. Sometimes, I head straight to my laptop and the words pour out for hours.  (Hallelujah!) Other days, I can’t bear to look at my own writing, and need to read a good novel for a while to get into the mood. (More common, unfortunately.) And, occasionally, I need to spend the whole morning shopping for dresses on Ebay, and will then write until midnight. (Not so great for my bank account!) Completely unpredictable.

TSK TSK: What type of research went in to writing Frost?

Marianna:  Since I went to boarding school and lived in the dorm that Frost House is based on, I didn’t have to do research on that aspect. I’d say that the subject I researched most extensively was mental illness -- schizophrenia, specifically.

TSK TSK: What do you do in your spare time?

Marianna:  I spend a lot of time with friends here in Brooklyn – having dinner together at our favorite sushi restaurant, going out to hear live music, etc. In summer, I try to get to the beach or the pool as often as possible – I love to swim. And a good friend and I are starting an Etsy shop with handcrafted jewelry, so I work on that a lot, too. Oh, and I read the New York Times, keeping an eye out for articles that might spark future novel ideas.

TSK TSK: Where is one place you are dying to travel to and why?

Marianna:  Iceland, to go to the hot springs. Google images of it, and you’ll see why! If magic exists, it must be there.

TSK TSK: Have you thought of collaborating with another author or been asked to be part of an anthology?

Marianna:  In my fantasy future, I’d love to collaborate with my friend Jandy Nelson (THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE) because she’s so darn brilliant.

TSK TSK: If you could choose an author as a mentor, who would it be?

Marianna:  Sadly, the author I’d have chosen just died a couple of weeks ago – Margaret Mahy, from New Zealand. She wrote the most beautiful, sophisticated books that bring fantasy and magic believably and seamlessly into our real world.

TSK TSK: What is the best part of being an author?

Marianna:  Getting paid to make things up! That, and never having to get properly dressed, of course.

TSK TSK: Did you have an alternate ending for Frost, or was this the only ending you saw possible?

Marianna:  (MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!) At the end of the book, Leena, the main character, is on the verge of choosing to die, because she thinks she isn’t strong enough to withstand the heartache that life brings. (This comes from her deep insecurities, but also because the house itself is trying to convince her of it, so she’ll die there and never leave.) In an early draft, Leena did actually die, and the reader found out that she’d been narrating the book as a ghost herself. After getting deeper into the process, though, I knew I didn’t want that. The whole point is that she chooses life, that she realizes she IS strong enough to face it. I feel certain that would be Leena’s choice.

TSK TSK: What is on your desk right now?

Marianna:  Ha! This question is making me laugh because I’m a bit of a… mess, to put it bluntly. I have piles of stuff all around me. Right now, I see my high school copy of TENDER IS THE NIGHT, a copy of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor, a piece of sandpaper, a stack of scrap papers with notes about my current project, a receipt from the dry cleaners, my checkbook, a spoon, a pair of scissors shaped like a bird, lots of odds and ends from my jewelry making project, a bottle of nail polish, a gold necklace I inherited from my grandmother… You get the point!

TSK TSK: What is something you can't live without?

My friends.

Marianna gave us such great answers. She's obviously bright, funny and extremely talented.
Totally ROCKstar qualities.

Places you can find Marianna Baer:
Marianna's website
Twitter

 Frost

by Marianna Baer

Leena Thomas’s senior year at boarding school begins with a shock: Frost House, her cozy dorm of close friends, has been assigned an unexpected roommate: confrontational, eccentric Celeste Lazar. But while Leena’s anxiety about a threat to her sanctuary proves valid, it becomes less and less clear whether the threat lies with her new roommate, within Leena’s own mind, or within the very nature of Frost House itself. Mysterious happenings in the dorm, an intense triangle between Leena, Celeste, and Celeste’s brother, and the reawakening of childhood fears, all push Leena to take increasingly desperate measures to feel safe. Frost is the story of a haunting. As to whether the demons are supernatural or psychological . . . well, which answer would let you sleep at night?

 Kathryn's Review of Frost:

Ok... I am going to start off with WOW!! I am completely blown away by this book. And mainly because I don't read many ghost stories.  Which I guess could be weird since in this day and age they are a pretty popular topic.  TV shows, movies, and of course books have been showcasing them for years, but recently there seems to be somewhat of an influx in the interest in ghosts.
But, Frost has changed my view on being somewhat stereotypical and opening my eyes to the uniqueness that Marianna Baer created with this fantastic book.
Frost house is part of a boarding school in which our main lady Leena attends.  It is her senior year and with pleas to her head master, she was able to get her best friends and herself the house as their dorm for the year.
So, as the beginning of the book lets us know this critical information, we jump straight in to the excitement Leena has for starting school and having the best school year ever... See where I am going with this?  Yep, obviously some trouble has to come in to play..,and you are right... Insert Celeste in to Leena's happy world.  Celeste, who is eccentric and brutally harsh and honest, has been assigned to be her roommate for a semester because she unfortunately has a broken leg.  I couldn't believe how awful it could be for Leena, but let's just say, Celeste is an interesting character that really provided so much drama in this story, that you just love to dislike her.  (Later, my opinion changes, I will  catch you up first)
So, want to know about a redeeming factor for Celeste is? Ah yes, her lovely brother David.  Now, I have to say, there are things about him that make me say "What???? You are her brother, not her guardian..." but, relationships are key to our story and the triangle that forms with Leena, Celeste, and David is one that will define everything that you read in this story.
Now, on to the drama...of course, odd things start to happen, and who do they happen to?  Yep, Celeste.  Does anything happen to Leena in their room?  Nope, in fact Leena feels safer there than anywhere else.  Time creeps by and things begin to escalate for Celeste and this is where things change for me on her.  She is being attacked.  Bruises left on her body and she keeps it hidden because she knows no one will believe her.  She will be called crazy and why not, when her own dad suffers from mental illness.  So, she suffers.  All the while Leena continues to feel protective of the house and we even find her hiding in the closet to find her peace.  I do need to add that Leena keeps this little wooden owl with her that she calls Cubby.  She and Cubby have a little secret of their own.... Cubby keeps her drugs hidden inside himself.  Why is this important?  Well, when she grabs Cubby and hides in the closet to take her chill pill, she begins talking to Cubby and hears voices in her head.  She claims she is talking to herself, but is she?
Why is Celeste having a bad experience and Leena is comforted?
I was glued to every page of this book.  From the odd brother/sister relationship, to the budding relationship of Leena and David, so much transpires that you are completely engrossed and captivated by the events that take place in Frost house.  I was shocked by the reasoning and behavior of Leena and all the while rooting for a good outcome.
When I finally reached the end, I was emotionally spent and found myself trying to decide if the girls were really experiencing a paranormal encounter or was it just hallucinations???
I have to say, I am leaning toward the paranormal encounter... But, don't take my word for it...
Go and get Frost today.  For a whirlwind of a read that keeps you on the edge of your seat with anticipation, suspense, mystery, and intrigue, Frost is a book that won't disappoint!!!
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

 =SCORCHER

OK...NOW...here is the great part...Don't forget to scroll down and enter our GIVEAWAY for a signed copy of Frost donated by Marianna.(Thank you so much!!!)

Before we go...
We want to give a big thank you and shout out to not only Marianna for her fabulous story and interview, but also our very gracious hosts; Rachel of Fiktshun and Jamie and Patricia of Two Chicks on Books. They're all rockstars in our eyes and we're were so honored to be a part of this amazing tour...so, THANK YOU!!!
As always, happy reading! ~Kathryn and Shelley


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