Unexpected Greeting (Snippet Sunday 11.6.16)

Welcome to Snippet Sunday on Darkling Dreams!

Where writers come together to share a few sentences (8-10) of their current project — whether it’s a recently released novel, a WIP (work in progress), or an older manuscript that’s being revived. Intended to hook readers, gather feedback and build an author’s fan base, Snippet Sunday is the FB group that does all three.

Welcome to November, folks! Unfortunately October and Halloween is over, but the next best scariest thing is now upon us. (And no, I don’t mean the holiday madness, although, that is probably scarier than this.) I’m talking about NaNoWriMo, the challenge to write 50k words in a single month. Which on top of the holiday madness is pretty scary anyway, at least if you’re me it is. Coffee is my new best friend for this month. After debating with myself for over a month if I was doing NaNo this year, my fingers decided for me at the last possible moments on October 31st that I was going for it. So in honor of me trying to finish this novel this month (I’m praying it doesn’t take 50k words to do it) I am switching back to sharing from Fated to Darkness this month.

It’s been months since I shared from this, since July, so to recap we last left off with Heather finding herself back home, but having to lie to her mother and pretend nothing had happened to her under Ciara’s thumb. We last saw Heather crying herself to sleep in her room and wishing to wake up from the nightmare that was reality.

This week’s snippet is skipping ahead a little bit from the last snippet I shared. We’re now onto Chapter 7: Distant. For setup purposes, Heather is still home and she’s downstairs in the living room with her family, about to play Candyland.

Now for the first peek at Chapter 7…

~*~*~*~

The family dog, Jazmine, trotted her way in from a nap. However, when she noticed Heather, for some reason she stopped dead in her tracks. Her nose twitched as she sniffed, staring at Heather with ears perking up. Their eyes locked and a low growl came from the dog. Heather was taken aback, barely picking up the sound. This was her dog, her best friend, growling at her. Never in her life had Jazy ever done that. She had always protected her and loved her. She was a dog that wagged her tail happily to see her each time, would lick her face in greeting, and would sleep outside her door to make sure she stayed safe at night.

Though look how well that worked out a week ago…

Jazmine’s ears drew back and she shifted backwards a few steps, staring at Heather. Her brown eyes stayed locked with Heather’s bright green ones, unable to look away as the dog’s gaze near searched Heather’s.

“Jazy…” Heather whispered, holding her hand out to her dog.

She bared her teeth just a bit. Heather’s heart jumped and she felt like something had just cracked in her to see her dog reacting like that. It was so unlike her.

“It’s me…”

The brownish-tan and black dog that looked like a cross between a German Shepherd’s coloring, and the short hair and breed of some other unknown combinations bared her teeth just a little more, hackles raising a slight bit.

For awhile as her parents set up the game, seeming oblivious to the fact their daughter was having a staring contest with the sudden hostile dog, the two just looked at each other. Heather’s eyes held pleading and hurt to see Jazy act like that toward her, while Jazmine’s normal warm eyes held a cold warning in them.

~*~*~*~

I wonder what could make Jazy react to her in that way. This scene feels really rough round the edges yet so any feedback is appreciated.

Blurb:
Three year old Heather Fraeis is like every other normal toddler. With a loving family, a family dog, and a little bit spoiled.

But fate can be a twisted and cruel friend.

Kidnapped on the night of her fourth birthday by a woman clad in black, Heather is whisked away to a realm that has never been known to exist. Forced into a life she doesn’t want as her kidnapper’s Heir, she comes to find that monsters do in fact exist, nightmares are more than bad dreams, and magic is more than just the thing of fairy tales.

Lies, fear, secrets, and pain await her around every corner. Swallowed whole by the dark path laid out before her, she is forced to fall with no light at the end of the tunnel to give her hope. Until she meets a young boy that may change everything once more for her…

Can Heather defy all the odds and overcome who is she forced to become? Or will it be too late for her to rise above the fate laid before her?

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This story is not yet on Wattpad because it is my baby that I hope to publish one day, and if no one will publish me, I am self publishing. But it’s also not on Wattpad because it’s in first draft phases yet. So there will be no “if you wish to read more…”

However! If you wish to read anything else that I have out for free, you can hop on over to  my profile on Wattpad and check out what I have to offer. Or if you wish to read my debut release, Embermyst, you can find out more about that in the tabs above. (I’m working on the tabs, bare with me.) I love to hear any and all feedback on my work as well. Comments are greatly appreciated, as are the reads. You can also find my on my Facebook author page to keep up to date with all that’s going on in my writing.

And if you’re looking for some other great snippets of fellow authors,
hop on over to Facebook and check out Snippet Sunday!