Blog Tour- CROWN OF ICE by Vicki L. Weavil and a Giveaway!

Hey y'all! I'm super excited to have Vicki L. Weavil here here today as a part of the CROWN OF ICE blog tour! I asked Vicki for a scene from the love interest, Kai's POV and she was more than happy to share! Make sure to stick around to win a copy of the book!
Haven't heard of CROWN OF ICE? Check it out!

Title: CROWN OF ICE
Publication date: September 9, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Vicki L. Weavil

ISBN: 978-1939765390

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Thyra Winther’s seventeen, the Snow Queen, and immortal, but if she can’t reassemble a shattered enchanted mirror by her eighteenth birthday she’s doomed to spend eternity as a wraith.

Armed with magic granted by a ruthless wizard, Thyra schemes to survive with her mind and body intact. Unencumbered by kindness, she kidnaps local boy Kai Thorsen, whose mathematical skills rival her own. Two logical minds, Thyra calculates, are better than one. With time rapidly melting away she needs all the help she can steal.

A cruel lie ensnares Kai in her plan, but three missing mirror shards and Kai’s childhood friend, Gerda, present more formidable obstacles. Thyra’s willing to do anything – venture into uncharted lands, outwit sorcerers, or battle enchanted beasts — to reconstruct the mirror, yet her most dangerous adversary lies within her breast. Touched by the warmth of a wolf pup’s devotion and the fire of a young man’s desire, the thawing of Thyra’s frozen heart could be her ultimate undoing.

CROWN OF ICE is a YA Fantasy that reinvents Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” from the perspective of a young woman who discovers that the greatest threat to her survival may be her own humanity.

Now on to the excerpt!

CROWN OF ICE: The Missing Chapter –

A Turn on the Ice

No one understands my need for solitude.

Sitting at the edge of a frozen lake, I slouch down on the rough wooden bench and silently curse the shrieks rising from a cluster of skaters. The noise drifts over me, muffling my thoughts like a heavy fall of snow. I lift my head, tearing my gaze from the figures I’ve scratched onto a page of my leather-covered notebook. So close to solving this equation, so close—yet I must lay down my pencil.

“Kai, you promised.” Franka Lund, one of Gerda’s younger sisters, skates toward me, halting her glide by grabbing my knees. She leans forward until her golden braid tickles my bare right hand. Gerda will fuss at me for not wearing my glove, but it’s impossible to write equations with my hand encased in wool.

I flick the braid away as if it were a horsefly. “Give me a minute.”

“Hey.” Franka slides back and fixes me with her bright blue stare. She narrows her eyes as her lower lip rolls into a pout. Franka is beautiful, and knows it. She and her twin, Nanett, only twelve, already incite young men to fight for a chance to partner them at village dances.

Personally, having lived next to the Lunds for many years, I’d rather wrestle a polar bear than spend much time with the twins. Yes, they’re lovely to look at, but if I want to admire beauty I’ll take a walk in the high meadows in the spring. At least the wildflowers don’t demand constant attention.

I close my notebook with a sigh. “I know I promised. Just let me lace my skates.”

“You should’ve already done that. The ice is getting crowded now. We won’t have room to really spin.” Nanett steps forward. The mirror image of her sister, her glare matches Franka’s exactly.

I consider for a moment the probability of having twins. There must be an equation for that …

My reverie is broken by Nanett’s whining. “Could’ve been ready to go as soon as we got here, instead of just sitting there, scribbling those numbers. What good is that, anyway?”

Years of practice have taught me to ignore such questions. “It won’t take long. Besides, Gerda isn’t here yet.” Sliding my notebook and pencil into the inside pocket of my felted wool coat, I survey the two bright faces before me. If I consider them dispassionately, I can admire their lovely features, but that only goes so far. I’d rather bask in the warmth of Gerda’s honest smile than dance attendance on the twins.

I chide myself for my unkind thoughts as I tighten my skates. Franka and Nanett are young, perhaps they’ll grow out of their vanity. Anyway, they’re no worse than most people in our village, old or young. The truth is, I prefer struggling over equations to hunting or fishing, or even dancing. No wonder most girls think I’m boring as old shoes. I can’t expect my scholarly pursuits to attract many village girls, though Gerda doesn’t seem to mind my obsessions.

As if conjured by my thoughts, Gerda appears, plopping down on the bench beside me. “Twins bothering you?” Before she leans over to lace up her skates she casts me a grin.

I catch the twinkle in her blue eyes. Looking her over, I note how Gerda’s heavy jacket exaggerates her plump figure. Gerda’s told me she wishes she were taller, claiming her lack of height combined with her curvy figure makes her appear dumpy as a sack of grain. But that’s nonsense. She isn’t beautiful, like the twins, but she’s pretty enough, especially when the cold air heightens the color in her lips and cheeks. I smile and bump her arm with my elbow. “When don’t they?”

 Gerda sits up, tucking her amber braids under her blue wool hat. “Sorry I’m late, but Nels Leth had hitched up a wagon and offered me a ride.”

I grin as I pull on my right glove. “No worries. And I’m sure Nels was just hanging about, waiting for you, before he even considered skating today.”

The color deepens in Gerda’s round cheeks. “Nonsense. Now, where’s your cap? You know you must cover your head in this weather.”

“Yes, must protect his brilliant mind.” Franka shares a smirk with Nanett before gliding to the edge of the lake. Somehow she manages to make the word “brilliant” sound like an insult.

“Better a brilliant mind than an empty one,” snaps a voice behind me.

I glance over my shoulder and spy Gerda’s fourteen-year-old sister, Varna. She’s wearing heavy boots instead of skates.

Striding to the edge of the lake, she flaps her hands at the twins as if shooing chickens. “Swan off, Franka, and do your little spins. You don’t need Kai to partner you. I’m sure some other boy will be glad to oblige.”

Varna looks nothing like her sisters, which is her great misfortune. She has a field mouse’s small, dark eyes, and hair as dull and brown as that creature’s fur. The distinguishing feature of her narrow face is her nose, which is long and boasts an unfortunate hook. Gerda may be merely pretty, compared to the beauty of the twins, but Varna is downright plain. A starling among goldfinches.

Still, there’s nothing dull about her mind. “Surprised to see you here, Kai. Thought you’d be buried in your books, with you trying to get into university and all.”

“I’m not just a house mouse, you know. I actually spend a great deal of time outside, helping with the mill.” I meet Varna’s serious gaze and hold it. “Which is as much your family’s business as mine.”

Varna kicks a loose stone onto the ice. Her gaze follows the pebble as it skips over the frozen lake. “Since I’m not likely to inherit it, what’s that to me?”

“Varna!” Gerda rises to her feet and steps onto the ice. Spinning around to face us, she casts a frown at her sister. “You needn’t be rude.”

“Oh, Kai doesn’t care, do you, Kai? He likes plain speaking.”

The last thing I need is to be caught between Varna’s claws and Gerda’s soft paws. “Well, yes …” I stand and push off from the shore. Gliding in a wide circle around Gerda, I notice Franka and Nanett have already found partners to twirl and spin them on the ice. Of course—there’s probably a line. “You aren’t skating, Varna?” I call out.

She shakes her head. “Not interested in breaking my legs, thank you.”

I know there’s more to it than that—probably a fear she’ll end up skating alone, while other girls find partners. But I won’t say anything about that. No need to be cruel.

Varna turns and trudges down the path that leads into the forest bordering the lake.

“Off to learn more healing skills from Dame Margaret, I bet,” observes Gerda, as she skates closer and takes holds of my proffered arm. “I don’t know what she’ll do when the old lady dies.” A shadow dims her bright eyes. “Which might be soon, from what I hear.”

“Perhaps another healer will come our way,” I reply, as we glide, arm in arm, to the center to the lake. “Until Varna’s old enough to take over the job, I mean.”

Gerda dips her head, hiding her eyes. “Perhaps.”

“Are you seriously worried about Varna?” I bend forward and tilt my head until I can glimpse Gerda’s face. Startled by her grim expression, I lighten my tone. “Why? She’s tough, and the most sensible of all of you.”

“Not really. She just pretends.” Gerda straightens and stares out over the lake. “But let’s enjoy this day. The weather is perfect and we have a few free hours before I need to help Mother with the evening meal.”

Dear Gerda, always thinking of others. I pull her a little closer to my side before we glide off to join the cluster of skaters.

As we cut smooth lines and curves into the ice, I glance down at Gerda’s face. She’s smiling again—that warm smile that transforms her from ordinary to lovely. A skater glides past us, turning his head sharply to stare. Nels Leth, of course. He’s been pursuing Gerda since she turned fifteen, but Gerda seems oblivious to his attentions.

Because she loves you.

I lift my head and survey the far shore, where our jointly owned mill rises, ghostly gray against the ice blue sky. I know our parents want us to marry, and I suppose that makes sense. It would consolidate our business interests, and ensure income for both families into the future. It’s a very logical plan …

So it should appeal to you.

But it doesn’t, and I don’t know why. I tighten my grip on Gerda’s well-bundled waist. It isn’t because of Gerda—she’s the only girl in the village I would ever consider marrying.

It’s just … I don’t want to marry anyone. I don’t want to be shackled, like my father, with a wife and child. Forced into mindless labor just to put food on the table. I want to go to university and learn everything I can and then learn more. I want to travel—to see all the amazing things I’ve only read about up to now.

You want to be free.

It’s true. I can smile and nod when our families talk of marriage, but I can’t lie to myself.

As we skate closer to the mill, a strange noise rises from a tangle of dead grasses at the shoreline. It sounds like an animal in distress—some type of dog, from the whining and sharp yips piercing the clear air.

“Stay here,” I tell Gerda, as I release my hold on her.

She protests, but can’t skate as fast as I can. I reach the shore in several long glides, and when I turn to urge Gerda to stay back, a strange gust of wind rolls out from the shore and drives her back toward the crowd. Just as well—I need to examine this anomaly on my own.

As I approach the tangle of grasses a figure steps forward, moving closer as I pull apart the weeds to uncover the source of the sounds.

"What have you found?" asks the stranger.

It’s a girl’s voice. As I stare at her she adjusts the hood of her cloak until it shadows her face.

"A wolf. Just a baby. All on its own, poor thing." I bend down and pick up the pup, cradling it gently.

The wolf whimpers and strains against my arms. His gaze is fixed on the young woman.

"He seems interested in you. I'm sorry, I don't think I know you, miss." I narrow my eyes, hoping to study her more closely. "And I know everyone in this town."

"I'm just passing through." She turns her head to avoid my gaze. "What should we do with him, do you think? The pup, I mean. It seems a pity to leave him here on his own."

"Well, I'd take him home, but my father would have my hide." I stroke the pup's head. "We've a few sheep, you know, and chickens. Our dogs would probably try to kill it, anyway. They're pretty territorial – don't like other dogs about, and as for a wolf …"

"Yes, that might be a problem." The girl moves a little closer. "I may be able to help."

A tingling sensation tickles the back of my neck. Something about this young woman isn’t right, isn’t normal. "How's that?"

"I have a sleigh. Rather fast, and quite capable of crossing the fields beyond the village. If you came with me—you and the wolf pup, I mean—I could take you somewhere he'd be safe."

"On his own? This little guy?" I clutch the pup tighter. "I don't think he'd survive out in the wild."

I know where there's a pack that might take him in. High up in the mountains." The girl tosses back her hood and stares directly into my eyes.

Her hair, springing about her face in soft curls, is so pale it appears white. Her sharp-featured face is the color of newly fallen snow, and her eyes are cold and clear as ice. There’s no color to her, yet somehow she radiates power, like the white flash of lightning.

I gasp, almost dropping the pup, who barks and nips at the air.

"Who are you?"  I shake my head to clear my thoughts, but there’s something in her face that draws me in, something infinite and unfolding, like the vast expanse of a glacier. "Do you really know the whereabouts of a wolf pack?"

"Yes, I do." She presses her gloved fingers against my coat sleeve.

I shiver. Her touch sends a river of ice coursing through my veins.

But it’s alright. Don’t remove your hand.

"And you can carry us there?"

"I can." She slips one hand through the crook of my elbow. "My sleigh's just over there, behind the mill."

I follow her blindly as she leads me away from the shore.

As we reach the ponies the wolf squirms and breaks from my hold. Leaping to the ground, the pup bounds into the sleigh.

"You see—” the stranger tightens her grip on my arm "—he wants to go." She turns to stare into my eyes. "And you—you want to come with us."

To travel far away. Across oceans of snow. To learn, to understand what power illuminates those icy eyes. To stay by her side, forever.

"Yes, I …" I rub at my forehead with my free hand. "I do, I think. But, it doesn't make sense, really …"

"You do want to save the pup, don't you?" She yanks off one glove and touches my face with her bare fingers.

So cold, yet a touch that burns like metal newly forged.

"Of course." I clutch at her hand, but it’s like thrusting my fingers into the fire.

I swiftly drop her hand as Gerda’s voice shatters the silence.

"Kai! Kai, where are you?"

The young woman backs away, slumping against the side of the sleigh.

"I'm here." My first words come out as a whisper, but I raise my voice as I speak again. "For some reason, I'm here."

You must walk away. Back to Gerda. Return to reality, to what you know.

But there’s something I must do first. I glance at the stranger, who’s pulled up her hood and turned her face away. "Will you still take him, the pup? Will you find little Luki a home?"

"Luki?" The word is edged with ice.

I smile. The drifts of confusion have melted from my mind. "His name. It's Luki. At least it should be."

It’s strange, how I want to keep staring at the young woman, even though my thoughts are now clear, are again my own.

She lifts her chin and meets my enquiring gaze without hesitation. "Very well, Luki it is. And I shall find him a home, never fear."

There, I have done my best for the pup. Now I must leave.

You must go. Before you don’t want to leave. Before you cannot.

I hear Gerda calling me once more, and turn my back on the stranger to follow the sound of my friend’s voice.

Thanks for stopping by Vicki loved this scene from Kai!!!!

About Vicki:

Vicki Lemp Weavil was raised in a farming community in Virginia, where her life was shaped by a wonderful family, the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and an obsession with reading. Since obtaining her undergraduate degree in Theatre from the University of Virginia, she’s gone on to acquire two masters degrees, living in places as diverse as New York City and rural North Carolina. She’s currently the library director for a performing an visual arts university.  Vicki loves good writing in any genre, and has been known to read seven books in as many days. She enjoys travel, gardening, and the arts. Vicki lives in North Carolina with her husband, son, and some very spoiled cats.

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Giveaway Details:

 Four (4) winners will receive a digital copy of Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil (INT)
One (1) winner will receive a digital copy of Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil AND a $10 Amazon Gift Card or B&N Gift Card – Winner’s Choice (INT)

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