A dark and haunting tale of a young girl trapped in Winter, longing to be free. When Rose and her sister are left to fend for themselves and an ailing mother, they must fight both nature and the darkness of the soul to survive.

Reviews:

“A beautifully written novella with a fairy tale feel. My favorite read of 2012 so far; once you start reading, you won’t want to stop. Rose is a heartbreaking, strong heroine that will make a lasting impression on any reader.”

— Literally Jen

“Definitely not a fluffy cowboy romance, an emotionally charged, gritty American-historical romance that painted a vivid landscape of the hard-times faced during the deep winter months of late 1800′s America. Did I mention that the writing was seriously GOOD?! Ms Marks is an author-to-watch.”

— KarLynP (Romance Forum Refugees)

“I was taken aback by this piece. It was beautifully written, the rhythm and language of the author’s word choice was something akin to a stake being pounded into your heart. And yet through the pain, you love it.”

— Kenneth Kao

“A hauntingly beautiful coming of age story, reminiscent of “Winter’s Bone” by Daniel Woodrell. With lush prose and realistic characters, Marks crafts a tale that focuses on the difficult subjects of abandonment and poverty, and yet rises above these dark subjects through the use of magical realism and hope. The end result was a novella that I couldn’t put down.”

— Merrie Destefano, author of Afterlife and Feast