AsLongasWeLivePromo

Hello, everyone! It's DAY TWO of the Frosted Roses blog tour! Today we're celebrating the release of Cortney Manning's As Long As We Live, an epic fae romance featuring two trios of siblings — one of humans, one of fae. Fittingly, Cortney's here on the blog today with a guest post about the sisterly relationships in the original fairy tale — but first, of course, let's hear something about the book and author, shall we?

About . . .

As Long As We Live

Ivy Durran, the oldest sister, is a resilient young woman who clings to her sunny resolve even in the darkest situation. When a terrible blizzard strikes the land, she feels responsible for protecting her sisters: adventurous Rose and vivacious Poppy. However, the storm drives an unexpected visitor to their doorstep, one who could bring hope or danger with his arrival.

Meanwhile, Pierre, the newly crowned ruler of Concoria, strives to bring order to his frozen land and tranquility to his troubled brothers. Nevertheless, the deep magic of Concoria is not easy to tame. While Pierre would love nothing more than to escape into a simple life close to Ivy, the human lass he met years before, he instead shoulders his burdens and seeks healing for his kingdom and family.

Dark magic, frigid storms, and deadly predators must be overcome if Ivy and Pierre have any hope of saving their families and their homeland.

Three human sisters live in a Fae realm where every prince is blessed or cursed by a gift of magic, and royal rivalry threatens the future of the land.

Find it on: Amazon || Goodreads

Cortney Manning

Cortney Manning resides in Missouri but has always loved traveling the world. She holds a master’s degree in Victorian Literature from the University of Glasgow and has a not-so-secret love of fantasy as well. Her writing can be found on her website and in the Rooglewood Press anthology, Five Poisoned Apples. In her free time, Cortney enjoys walking, drawing, and afternoon tea.

Find her online at: Website || Blog || Goodreads || Facebook || Twitter || Instagram || Amazon

The Frosted Roses

The Frosted Roses are six retellings of the Snow White and Rose Red fairytale, each one fantastical and magical. You don't want to miss any of them! You can learn more about the books and find the full tour schedule on the tour page.

The Frosted Roses are the result of the 2020 Arista Challenge. The Arista Challenge is hosted by Kendra E. Ardnek; it invites fairy tale authors to come together in community as they work on unique retellings of a selected fairy tale.

Sisters Red and White

Thank you so much for welcoming me to your blog for the release of As Long as We Live, my epic Fae fantasy retelling of “Snow-White and Rose-Red”! Today, in celebration of this release, I’ll be discussing the unique value placed on female relationships in the original fairy tale.

In many fairy tales, women just don’t get along. Whether it’s Cinderella and her stepsisters, Snow White and her stepmother, or the Goose Girl and her traitorous maid, fairy tales are filled with examples of women mistreating other women. Of course, there are the occasional examples of loving female relationships, such as the Little Mermaid and her sisters, but all too often, those characters tend to serve as minor characters or even die, such as the mother in many versions of Cinderella

In contrast, “Snow White and Rose Red” is rather unique because it features two loving sisters at center stage supported all along by their wise mother. Snow White and Rose Red are shown to be two very different sisters who make an effort to be involved in each other’s lives. For example, even though Snow White prefers quiet, indoor tasks, she still journeys out with Rose Red on her trips into the woods.

The two sisters are also supported by a mother figure who, refreshingly, does not die in the tale but remains present, offering her daughters guidance and advice. This is a sharp contrast from the original version of the Grimms’ “Snow White” in which the evil antagonist was originally the heroine’s own mother until the Grimm Brothers decided that storyline was too dark for their intended audience. Instead, Snow White and Rose Red are loyal and devoted daughters to a mother who showers them with love and wisdom.

In the end, all that female support results in three happy and successful women living close to the family they love. Snow White marries her bear prince, and her sister, Rose Red, meets and marries that prince’s brother. Together, they live as wealthy royalty, and even their beloved mother joins them in their happy new home. Overall, the storyline is refreshing, proving that, even in fairy tales, women don’t have to take each other down to be successful or happy. Instead, a little sisterly love and support can help more women succeed.

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Thanks for sharing, Cortney! I think one of the fun things about fairy tale retellings is getting to build out and add in some of the relationships you don't see in the original stories — but it is nice when the fairy tale already has some of those strong relationships in it.

Are you looking forward to As Long As We Live? What are some of your favorite fairy tales or fairy tale retellings with strong sisterly or mother-daughter relationships? Please tell me in the comments! And make sure you check out the rest of the tour stops!
Thanks for reading!