Roxanne Rhoads: Guest Blog and Giveaway: Sceadu by Prashant Pinge

The shadow behind Sceadu

I find the human shadow to be very fascinating. It is present at all times, whether you may be reaching for a slice of bread or walking on a tar road under the sun’s glaring rays. Sometimes it may be long, at other times short. It may be to your right or to your left. It may slide alongside on the ground or pop up behind on the wall. But it never leaves your side.

The formation of the shadow is explained in physics. As all of us know, it is formed when an object blocks light. The shadow, as a concept, is also touched upon in the subject of psychology. However, in psychology, the shadow is treated in a somewhat different way. I won’t elaborate any further, leaving the discovery of its meaning to the reader in the book.

The grey shadow is usually taken for granted. It appears quite docile during the day when it flits around silently. There are those who fear it in the night. For the most part, however, nobody gives it a second thought. But just for a moment, imagine if this supposedly docile shape held a land replete with dangerous creatures waiting to find a way into our world.

Sceadu gives centre stage to the human shadow. But the story not only talks about a land inside but also provides a logical basis for its existence, making it a thrilling yet believable adventure. Just read it. You will never look at your shadow in the same way again.

Sceadu

Prashant Pinge

Genre: YA fantasy fiction

Date of Publication: Nov 10, 2014

ASIN: B00NVCV0I0

Number of pages: 246

Word Count: About 70,000

Cover Artist: Reptile FX

Book Description:

All this while, Matilda’s shadow had been growing larger and larger. Suddenly, it lunged out of the ground and swallowed her, like a python does its unsuspecting prey.

Nine year old Matilda ends up with a century old book through a series of strange coincidences. And disappears. Her brother and cousins are forced to suspend their hostilities and pursue her to Sceadu, a land inside the human shadow. Once there, the reluctant visitors find themselves chased by the vicious Hefigans, creatures of Sceadu. However, everything changes with the revelation of an ancient prophecy that foretells the doom of the world they left behind.

With the stakes suddenly raised, the children must now navigate the dangerous terrain, overcome grave challenges, and unlock the secrets of the shadow. But can they do it in time to thwart the plans of the treacherous Hefigans? Or will they succumb to the guile of a ruthless enemy who is equally determined to destroy mankind?

Sceadu is a fast-paced adventure which blurs the boundary between the physical and the psychological, the real and the mythical.

Available at Amazon

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/BIQHTbekS8Y

Excerpt:

Matilda sat at her old wooden desk, staring into the thick yellowed pages of a book under a dull moth ridden beam cast by the night lamp. But every time she blinked, it seemed as if the words had played a round of musical chairs. And the moths, fluttering through the words at times and hovering over them at others, did not make things any easier.

Matilda was about to turn the page when there was a tug at her feet. It was a very gentle one, almost imperceptible. Surprised, she glanced down, but there was nothing. Perhaps it’s just my imagination, she thought. She was about to shake her thick dark brown curls out of her face when she felt it again.

Matilda pushed her head down and looked into the dark void with furrowed brow. Her skinny legs stared back. But before she could decide on whether she had actually felt anything, there was another tug, an unmistakable one this time. And another one. The truth suddenly dawned upon Matilda. It was her shadow, trying to drag her into itself.

Matilda jerked back the chair, kicking hard at her shadow. But it snapped back, pulling at her even more viciously. She stomped upon it repeatedly. But the dark grey shape began jabbing at her feet and ankles. Matilda pushed herself up and made a frantic attempt to run. But her legs refused to move, and she almost toppled forward.

All this while, Matilda’s shadow had been growing larger and larger. Suddenly, it lunged out of the ground and swallowed her, like a python does its unsuspecting prey.

About the Author:

Prashant Pinge was born and brought up in the picturesque neighbourhood of Shivaji Park in the bustling city of Mumbai in India.

A quiet and diligent student throughout his schooling and college years, Prashant proceeded to pursue electrical engineering at Purdue University in the United States. Over the next decade, he accumulated three more degrees, a master of science in management from Lancaster University, a post graduate program in management from Indian School of Business, and a post MBA master in international management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Apart from enjoying the company of books, Prashant had always had an imaginative bent of mind. But writing only happened in the fall of 2003, when a remarkably intriguing dream interrupted an uncharacteristically deep spell of slumber, compelling him to stagger to his desk and pen down the idea. That book is still a few years away from being written. Prashant, however, continues to work from his cauldron of creativity and churn out critically acclaimed works of fiction.

In addition to his literary pursuits, Prashant is Managing Partner in his marketing and branding firm, Media Panther. In his spare time, Prashant enjoys collecting old coins, reading fiction, travelling to exotic destinations, watching movies, and listening to music. He recently wrote and produced a short film titled Freedom of Expression. Prashant is also keenly interested in the subjects of psychology, mythology and ancient history.

Prashant lives with his wife and son in Mumbai.

Author website - http://prashantpinge.com

Blog - http://prashantpinge.com/blog

Author Facebook page - http://facebook.com/PrashantPingeAuthor

Sceadu Facebook page - http://facebook.com/SceaduTheBook

Twitter page - http://twitter.com/prashantpinge

LinkedIn page - http://in.linkedin.com/in/prashantpinge

Google+ page - http://plus.google.com/+PrashantPinge

Goodreads page - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8393378.Prashant_Pinge