Sara Raasch Interview

Sara Raasch is the author of the New York Times Bestselling Snow Like Ashes trilogy. Whilst eagerly awaiting the third and final instalment of the trilogy, why not check out our interview with Sara—and if you’re yet to discover the epic fantasy adventures of Meira and Mather, be sure to check out the first two books (Snow Like Ashes and Ice Like Fire) and discover the Kingdom of Winter for yourself.

So who is Sara Raasch and what is she all about? What’s she doing on a rainy Tuesday in April? Sweet or salty? Cats or dogs? Sword or lightsabre?

Sara Raasch is a 26-year-old living in VA who complains way too much about the DC traffic. On a rainy Tuesday in April, she’s probably watching something on Netflix (Psych or New Girl).

Salty AND sweet. All animals, every single one. And a sword. Definitely.

We’re currently settled in for the long wait until book three drops: without giving too much away, how would you describe the trilogy as a whole to reel in new (unsuspecting) readers?

I hope that the one thing this trilogy imparts in readers is the belief that they are enough on their own, without needing an outside influence. Which is, hopefully, something that would draw in new readers!

The Snow Likes Ashes trilogy gives us an incredibly fierce female lead, who is more comfortable with her chakram in her hand than having to attempt anything resembling politics; so how would Meira fare in our world? What would she be doing? Who would she be in our world?

Ha! Funny you should mention that, as in ICE LIKE FIRE, Meira has to confront her hatred of politics head-on. It makes for some…unfortunate situations for her.

In our world, Meira would definitely be that “mom” friend. The friend who always takes care of everyone else, stands up for injustices, makes sure everyone is all right. It’s in her nature to be loyal and protective, so that would totally be her!

What is it about winter and the cold and ice? Is it just how the story presented itself or is there something more about it that draws you in, versus the other seasons? And what about the concept of the Rhythms—where did they come from?

I liked the idea of winter being portrayed as “good”—they’re usually seen as “evil,” so I liked the juxtaposition of flipping that expectation! The Rhythm concept fell in as I was expanding the world—I wanted a balance, four Seasons, and four “normal” kingdoms.

There’s a lot about change, belonging, and the concept of home in the Snow Like Ashes books—was this a deliberate thing you set out to do with the plot, or did it happen as the characters moved through the story and lived it?

Some of it was deliberate, some of it a happy accident. As I said in #2, my main goal is to tell a story that lets readers know they are good enough as they are—that goal has been the same since I started working on this version of the book, a few years back.

What planted the little seeds of goodness that eventually grew into the Snow Like Ashes books? Does the finished product of two books and one yet to come resemble those first little shoots at all, or has it changed from the initial seeds of inspiration?

The initial idea (I think—it’s been a long while and my memory is bad) came because I wanted to write a book where “winter” was the “good guys.” The original drafts I wrote of the trilogy way back when I was a preteen are similar to what has been published in only a few areas—some characters, a general story here and there. The evolution of a story from start to finish takes you places you don’t always think you’ll go!

Are there any books that you’ve read, without which, for whatever reason, the Snow Like Ashes books would not exist as they do? Whether it’s because the story inspired you to write or the writing itself resonated with you?

Sharon Shinn has been a HUGE inspiration—she’s an adult fantasy writer, and her world building is something I always aspire to!

Do you have a comfort book? One that means the world to you? One that, even if you’re not much of a re-reader, you like to keep it close and just remember how amazing it was?

Sharon Shinn’s Twelve Houses series. I’ve reread every book in it at least twice. It’s so magical!

What does your writing process look like? Are you very organised or do you generally hit keys on the keyboard and hope something resembling what you’re aiming for comes out? Are you a planner?

SO organized. Painfully so. My organization has organization. It’s ridiculous. But it works for me!

If you’re caught blatantly procrastinating, what are you doing?

If not on social media, then probably watching My Drunk Kitchen on YouTube.

Whose narrative do you enjoy writing most? Why them?

Meira! Definitely. Mostly because she’s so much like me—and by that, I mean sarcastic.

If the main characters had to attend a masquerade costume ball, what kind of costumes would they wear and why?

Well, Meira actually does go to a masquerade-esque kingdom in ICE LIKE FIRE—she wears a snowflake mask, befitting the Winter Kingdom!

In our world, what would the characters’ Twitter feeds or Snapchats look like? Who would be the selfie-addict? Who would never use text speak? Who would laugh the most at silly memes and cat videos?

A fan actually made mock Instagram accounts for Meira/Mather/Theron and I AM IN LOVE.

What would be Meira’s theme song? How about Mather’s or Theon’s?

They all kind of vary book to book, but I’ll just give some random ones and let you figure out which book they go with 😉

Meira: “Titanium” by David Guetta/Sia
Mather: “Sail” by AWOLNATION
Theron: “Breath of Life” by Florence + The Machines

Are there any plans for after the trilogy is finished? Any stories you know you desperately want to write?

There are! Alas, I cannot yet speak of them. Hopefully soon though!

We would like to thank Ms. Raasch again for stopping by today! The first two books in her series, Snow Like Ashes and Ice Like Fire, are out now. The final book in the trilogy, Frost Like Night, is due out September 20, 2016 in the US and October 19, 2016 in the UK. You can learn more about the Snow Like Ashes series on her website or you can follow her on Twitter @seesarawrite.

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