Ice Queen

☆ Final Author's Note ☆

Hey Readers! 

Well you've reached the end of 'Ice Queen'! I'm honestly so touched from the positive feedback I've heard about the novel and I really enjoyed writing it. I am one of those people that finds it hard to stop writing and I really do enjoy doing it for fun. I'd encourage anyone who loves writing to keep it up and pursue it in the future!

I'm so glad to have finished this book and started to expand my abilities in writing. I've had a lot of fun composing this novel and I've been fortunate to have a very understanding audience that allows for me to take breaks and that puts up with the all too common spelling errors. So thank you for that :) It's been a real pleasure to write this for you and I hope everyone has a safe and happy return to school!

This was a labour of love during my quarantine, I'm very blessed to be in a very safe region of Canada at the moment. We have very few cases (I'm talking count them on ten fingers low) and as a result we've been able to open our bars and restaurants again keeping me from going too stir crazy :). But nevertheless my classes for this year of uni are online, so I'm sure I'll send out another book or two to keep my busy.

Please keep staying safe out there, washing your hands and being kind to each other. We're in this together!

Lastly, I'm not sure why anyone would want this.....but just incase I've made a short playlist of songs I listened to or thought of while writing this novel. Feel free to listen to them, though I can't guarantee they're necessarily thought provoking or amazing, if you'd like to put yourself in my shoes I'll place them just here below and what I think they best associate to specific parts in the novel :) (I make no promises that this playlist flows in any way)

I will have the playlist link in the story bio, thanks for reading xxx

Playlist song descriptions:

Forever/Nate Growing Up ~ Labrinth, HBO Euphoria Original Soundtrack (I see this as the beginning chapters, of Sasha and Nate existing together but not knowing each other. How invested they are into their problems and....gosh I love these songs! No words but they hit deep in your feels I swear.)

Stupid Love~ Lady Gaga (This song is what started it all, when I come up with my novels songs really help me visualize. This is the song Sasha lets loose to when Nate runs into her at the arena, the lyrics are very apropos. 'Not sorry I want your stupid love'......perfect!")

Salted Wound~ Sia (I see this as the soundtrack of Sasha practicing with Nate, where the two are learning to trust each other again. Where Sasha becomes vulnerable and puts a lot of faith into Nate, with new tricks and the stakes of the competition and the pressure from her father. Warning, this is the epitome of singing in cursive.)

Wait~ M83 (This song is the words 'first kiss'. It's sensitive and slow and also captures the feelings of caring for the other person and longing. The feeling of finally doing something you've wanted to do for ages and Sasha coming clean to Nate about her own baggage.)

Happiness is a butterfly~ Lana Del Ray (This just heartbreak as a song, never having the thing you want and about being limited. This  works two ways: when Sasha and Nate realize the way they're carrying on is hurting them and the people around them prompting them to take a break. And in Sasha's father giving up and losing it, her loss over that and of her family. If you listen to none of these songs please check this one out!)

Two Ghosts~ Harry Styles (This is the confession song, the 'I like you too' moment if you will. The words of this song fit so perfectly......I swear, it's just a slower love song that really sends the visual of being the only people in the world."

Banana Pancakes~ Jack Johnson (This is the song I picked for the intermediate point where Sasha no longer lives at home. It gives me the sort of easy-going, things-will-get-better vibe that we sort of see through this part in the novel. Where their love grows and where feelings get out of control, 'Can't you see that it's just raining, ain't no need to go outside'.....that may summarize 'I love complicated' a little too well.)

From the Dining Table~ Harry Styles (If you haven't cried to this song....I don't know what to tell you. It's just the perfect key and it really makes me think of the chapters where Sasha is moving back in with her family. When her and Nate say goodbye, and when the deep conversation takes place after he crawls through her window. The part about not speaking and comfortable silence being overrated, I find it associates best with Sasha's broken relationship with her father.)

Slide Away~ Miley Cyrus (This is the song I picked for Sasha standing up to her father and telling him what she wants. Where she loves him, but knows him working with her is a bad idea. It also hits notes of moving on and growing up. If you haven't heard the beat or the melody of this song.....I assure you it gets stuck in your head.)

We Belong~ Dove Cameron (This is the song I associate with Nate and Sasha now trying to navigate a relationship together. The fact that it's not as easy as either of them thought and that they're both a little to busy to really be pursuing anything of this nature. How they're both broken and wrecked on the best of days, but that even though this relationship exhausts them, that at the end of the day, they belong together.)

Cry to Me~ Solomon Burke (This is the romantic soup night that I loved writing. It just sounds romantic and fluffy doesn't it? This is the perfect song for talking about your feelings and trusting another person, well-suited for the night Sasha and Nathan first sleep together.)

Thoughts~ Sasha Sloan (I've chosen this song for the rumours of Sasha's eating disorder that ultimately distort her self-image. About how her own thoughts and fears get the better of her over this and how she views herself. It's just a sad song about the voice in your head, but let me tell you the beat drop.....it's something to behold.)

Sit Next to Me~ Foster The People (I picked this song to well summarize Sasha's final Nationals skate, the feeling of nailing something and feeling everything rush over you. The feeling overwhelmed by Nate's arrival and of working hard to succeed. I picture this as the moment after she skates off the ice and wraps her arms around Nate.)

Hey Angel~ One Direction (This is the song for the next few chapters following Sasha's national's win. 'I'm so lucky', 'I wish I could stay' and 'A victory lap'. It's the right mood for the love between the two of them and it supports the story's narrative well.)

The Way I Are~ Timbaland (This is the PaRtY song, I am an early 2000s kid so please give this one to me. This just screams underage drinking and house parties to me, I'm not sure why. This is obviously where I put Sasha and Nate going to the house party and finally letting off steam after weeks of stress.)

Casino- Ryan Beatty (This song totally fits the mood of reflection. The two a.m thoughts you will have to this song.....hurt even me sometimes. This just seems like the mood for the dust settling once Sasha comes home. Like dealing with her health, helping Irene and saying goodbye to her bullies.)

I'm Good~ Wafia (This is the bad-bitch anthem I hear for Sasha, for her forgetting the bullshit of Sabrina and Jake who've done her wrong. About her letting them go and really loving herself, that they no longer affect her. For working on herself with the doctor and for being open with Nate. This is the slow-mo song I hear for her when she walks through the halls.)

SUPERBLOOM~ MisterWives (This song says it all, 'I deserve congratulations, 'cause I came out the other side'. This song works perfectly for Sasha's new, well-adjusted life where she's got the perfect boyfriend and the best friends anyone could ask for. I'd like to think that the real theme of this story is self-growth. That Sasha finishes the story strong and with no regrets.)

Phases- PRETTYMUCH (This is Nate's anthem, because he stuck with Sasha's phases and never left her. This is the song I hear for the epilogue where he gives her the charm bracelet and makes sure she has an amazing birthday. It's the story of him loving Sasha unconditionally.)