“We will never leave your side, Tory. As long as we are together, we can decorate each moment we share. Just me, you and daddy.” Diane said in excitement. Her dream had finally come true. She would be a good mother now at any cost.
CHAPTER 42
Lanra woke up again and looked around the room.
Quietly she hopped out of bed and stood in the middle square of the tic tac toe board on the floor. The cushion shaped Xs and Os rested on the small chairs. She didn’t know a lot of strategies to win the game but had understood to always go first and take the center square.
She picked up her teddy bear from the pink nightstand and asked “Do you think I should sleep with mommy? The movie shoot scared me. It was strange.”
‘Mist’-the teddy bear just stared blankly at her with its black eyes, leaving Lanra to decide for herself.
“I think there’s nothing scary out now. Let’s check.” Lanra went to the window, where she saw what looked like an accident. There was a crowd of people, blue and red lights flashing. Mom was right; it had to be a movie shoot. That would explain the crowd anyway. A tiny bit of movement caught her eye and she saw a man, apart from the rest of the crowd. There was nothing special about him, he was trying to get a better view, but he was crossing the road.
She stood stiff and felt what she had before. Suddenly, her sleepy eyes snapped open. They were no longer soft, but now almost glowed with a red that was inhuman. Her childish face smiled evilly, and she felt the wrath from before. Another one was coming, and she knew subconsciously just what to do to him.
*****
The Darklit Sky (Grasp, #2)
How much longer will Diane’s and Andy’s happiness last? Will Tory be loyal to the Grasp unlike their other kids, or will it come down to choosing between their kid and their loyalty to the Grasp once again?
Rave and Lance were content with their lives, until they realize that the past is back, and that this time Lanra is in danger from the demon. Standing against the powerful Grasp trying to take their kid, will they be able to protect Lanra, or will she be taken?
With the queen relying on the miracle, she can’t let Lanra slip from her. And she can destroy everyone that come in the way. What price will Diane, Andy, Rave and Lance have to pay to keep their kids away from the queen’s evil grasp?
It will all be answered. The next of the Grasp series, ‘The Darklit Sky’ coming 2016.
Other works of the author coming up in 2016
The Chloetia Series (26 days left)
Do you remember Ritchie Maxer from this novel? If you said it was the author appearing in Chapter 24 in hotel ‘Splendor’, you are right! Ritchie Maxer is the protagonist in ‘The Chloetia Series (26 days left)’
Here is the extract-
Writing the series had never been so deadly
When author Juni Rodith finishes writing the book- ‘The Chloetia Series (39 days left)’- in thirteen days, she takes her life by bleeding to death by carving Chloetia all over her body. It is uncertain what made Juni take the drastic step- but Juni’s family blames it on Chloetia.
As the book becomes a hit worldwide, Ritchie Maxer is called in to write the next of the series ‘The Chloetia Series (26 days left)’. Ritchie pushes the theory away that Chloetia had anything to do with Juni’s death- mainly as Chloetia died long ago. His only goal is to complete the next installment of the best-selling book, and bask in the fame that would come to him afterward. But will it be so easy, or will Ritchie experience what Juni had?
You Broke My Heart… Not ME!
A heartbreak is inevitable when you are let down by the one you love. But will you let that set you back or will you stand up and express that you deserve better? And it isn’t about proving to the world, it is about proving it to yourself.
You Broke my heart.. Not ME! Is my collection of poetry on heartbreak- most of them written to tell a story, with each one revolving around the idea of this haiku-
YOU DID BREAK MY HEART
BUT LET ME MAKE IT CLEAR THAT
YOU DIDN’T BREAK ME!
To stay updated with Sadaf Zulfikar, you can follow and participate on her new blog http://graspedbystories.blogspot.in/ or she could be reached at [email protected]
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First I’d like to thank my mom and dad without whom I wouldn’t come so far to complete this, my loving husband Zeeshan, my brother Shariq, and a special thanks to my sister Shehzeen who put up with me, from the time this whole novel was just a sentence in my head. She listened again and again- to each new twist and change I thought about. You’re the best sister ever. And I also extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone in my family who always loved me and were so supportive.
I’d next like to mention my friends who are an inseparable part of my life. Hitu- with whom I first gained interest in writing books back in school. Chandrika- my insanely good friend who always has my back no matter what, love you. Lekha- who gave me a lot of confidence being one of the first readers of my book. Your support meant a lot. Ifrah and Shifa- My buddies who always believed I could do it, even when I wasn’t so sure myself. I couldn’t do this without special friends like you all.
I don’t remember myself how many drafts it took before I published this. With each draft, I’d relax thinking I was done, but ideas kept crawling in my head, begging to be included. Then it was back to the writing desk and well, changes in chapters.
Thanks to Margaret Wood and Stephen Cooper who were the first ones to help me in the editing process. I thank Brian Boon and Sara Hassan for helping to edit those chapters in which I made changes later. And then finally I thank Naomi Holloway who helped me give its final shape with her suggestions and edits. The credit for the cover design goes to Ahmed Emad. I couldn’t possibly miss out mentioning my beta readers Heather Gilbert, Norhan Jamal and Umme Hani for being ever so helpful.
And last but not the least I thank each and every reader of my book. There is no place for a novel in the world if not for readers like you.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this book I'd be very grateful if you'd post a short review on Amazon. Your support really does make a difference and I read all the reviews personally so I can get your feedback. Thanks again for your support!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sadaf Zulfikar is an aspiring writer who lives in India. She is a poetess, freelancer, with a degree in Computer Science Engineering. She loves cats, novels, animated movies, and to imagine. The Grasp of Nighttide is her first novel, with sequels yet to be written for the ‘Grasp’ series.
As she prefers sitting down with a book, rather on social media- she hasn’t done major social networking yet. You can view her profile on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14676298.Sadaf_Zulfikar visit her new blog http://graspedbystories.blogspot.in/ or just mail her at [email protected].
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