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.
Unfortunately October and Halloween are 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.
We left the Fraeis family playing Candyland in last week’s snippet, where a fun game turned just a little bit dark. This week we’re skipping ahead to the end of Chapter 7, and we’re also switching POV. This is in Elaine’s POV, Heather’s mother.
Now for the final peek at Chapter 7: Distant…
~*~*~*~
Elaine was standing outside the door, leaning against the wall as she listened to what had been going on. There was a slight frown on her face and she looked up when her husband exited their daughter’s room.
“You know, it wouldn’t kill you to say ‘I love you’ back to her. She wants to hear it from you. She craves to get any sort of affection from you.”
He sighed, rubbing at his face tiredly. “Can we not have this discussion again? It’s been a long day.”
“Fine,” she huffed, irritated. Silence hung between them for a few minutes as they made their way to their own bedroom down the hall.
“Did you notice how…distant she was tonight?”
Her husband paused at his dresser from emptying his pockets, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “Yes.”
“She was like that all day. She ate breakfast, withdrawn, then came right back upstairs and slept the entire day like she hadn’t slept a wink in days. She was so quiet, and so unlike herself. I was afraid something was wrong with her, that she might be sick or depressed.”
“She’s four, Elaine. I don’t think she can be depressed. Maybe she’s just sick of the snow like you are.”
She frowned. “Anyone can be depressed, it doesn’t matter on the age.”
“Yes, dear,” he sighed, obviously not up for any sort of argument.
“I’m worried about her.”
“I’m sure she’s fine.”
Elaine crossed her arms over her chest, not at all amused or reassured. “Do you even care?”
That caught his attention, and he looked up to her with surprise. “Of course I do.”
“You don’t seem like you do. It’s always short answers and vague ones at that. Like you don’t even take an interest in what might be bugging your own daughter.“
“I’m just tired. It’s been a lo–“
She huffed and shook her head. “That’s always your excuse. Either that or you have to work. She barely sees you, I barely see you. It wouldn’t kill you to be around a little bit more, to see your daughter grow up. You’re missing everything.”
~*~*~*~
And there’s the first real look at her parents. It seems Heather has more troubles in life than just becoming the Dark One’s Heir.
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?
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!
Darkling Dreams 