An epic fantasy of forbidden romance that chronicles the coming of age of a princess who is possessed by the Snow Queen and fated to rule her kingdom with a strong hand and icy heart.
As a child, Princess Freyja looked into the Snow Queen’s cursed mirror - and was changed.
Now an aloof and difficult young woman with a wit as sharp as her tongue, the future monarch is in need of a tutor. And Ambrose, a failed poet, is in need of a teaching position. He just never suspected how dangerous the extracurricular activities would be!
Soon, Ambrose finds himself on a grand adventure fighting to save the vexing but alluring princess from the court occult conspiracies that have targeted her. He is opposed not only by sorcerers and the evil Snow Queen, but also the icy royal damsel who holds his heart.
Will Ambrose’s love cause Freyja to thaw…or will she put him in the deep freeze instead?
Sensuous, suspenseful, supernatural and filled with witty banter, this romantic fantasy will both turn up the heat and leave you thoroughly frost smitten!
A 2019 Critters Readers Poll top ten finalist in the category of Science-Fiction and Fantasy.
~ Universal Amazon Link ~ The price of this book as been steeply discounted on Amazon for this event! Check it out!
Micah S. Harris is the Author of the epic fantasy romance Portrait of a Snow Queen, which took third place in the category of science fiction and fantasy in the Critters Readers Poll. Strong female protagonists and banter are trademarks of his work. Portrait of a Snow Queen is no exception and is recommended for older fans of Frozen and lovers of the witty verbal sparring in The Princess Bride.
He won the 2016 Pulp Ark Award for best novel for Ravenwood, The stepson of Mystery: Return of the Dugpa. He is also the Author - Along with artist Michael Gaydos (Marvel’s Jessica Jones) - of the graphic novel Heaven’s War, a historical fantasy pitting the Oxford Inklings against Aleister Crowley.
His lifelong love of movies also influences his fiction, whether a fairy tale retelling, horror story or paranormal mystery. He taught film on a collegiate level and has chronicled, both in print and via podcast, fascination lost genre gems.
This is a very exciting book that pulls you in. It keeps you wondering what will happen next.
As a young tutor is given a new pupil that he never excepted. The story he is told of what has happened is beyond what he can possibly believe fully. Micah S Harris does a really good of writing in a way that makes it hard for you to put the book down.
1. How did you come up with the title?
Boy, the title was tough. I went through several things like “Frost Smitten” or “Defrosting the Snow Queen.” But I was reminded that there is such a thing as a literary portrait, as in Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Portrait of a Lady. And the cover art by Aaron Lopresti looks like Freyja is sitting for a portrait, so that worked out great.
2. Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of a family member?
I have to name three. Three of my beta-readers, Tabitha Miller, Sharon Ceres, and Barbara Sobczyńska fell in love with the characters and their world and were always excited to find out what happened next – and they read the even longer version! I was able to meet with Tabitha and Sharon, and that kind of human connection through a process that is usually solitary was invaluable and removed me from the vacuum of creativity.
3. If you could travel anywhere in the world for thirty days and just kick back and relax, where would you go, would you take anyone with you and why would you chose this vacation spot to go?
The United Kingdom, definitely. I’d love to see the Scottish Highlands, and I’m a longtime Anglophile. I love British literature, the history of the island and the artifacts that have been left there. The pop music that has come out of England is some of the greatest, from the Beatles to Prog Rock artists.
4. What is your favorite late-night snack?
Do I have to pick just one? Just as long as there’s a lot of it!
5. Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?
Ideally, having established a solid fan base and finally written one of the licensed properties of which I’ve long been a fan.
6. Tell us 5 random things about yourself.
● When I was small, my teddy bear named Boo-Boo ran away from home in an act of tough love to get me to stop sucking my thumb.
● I once had a Venus flytrap as a pet.
● My mom always encouraged my love of reading. She went beyond the call of duty of bringing me books from the library. So, if I read about a bear having a pancake party or a kid adopting a pet spider, she accommodated me in having my own.
● I was friends with the late Verne Langdon, make-up man on the original Planet of the Apes movies and the one who cast the foam rubber for the Pillsbury Doughboy when he was a stop-motion puppet.
● I used to play guitar, and was in a high school cover band.
7. What was the most surprising part of writing this book?
How the characters and their world grew. If Beta Readers were enthusiastic about a minor character, they inspired me to do more with that character. Thus, Freyja’s reclusive sister Asa and the former dancing polar bear, Theodyn, got spotlighted more than they would have.
One character who revealed herself to me and got a much meatier part was Emily, the Reverend’s wife. She was off to the side for a long time, and then I realized, “What if…” And when she stepped into the limelight and started really talking, she started writing herself, and I have been smitten with her ever since.
