Happy Book Birthday Sceadu!!

Book title: Sceadu

Author name: Prashant Pinge

Genre: YA fantasy fiction

Publisher: Prashant Pinge (self published)

Date of publication: Nov 10, 2014

ASIN: B00NVCV0I0

Number of pages: 246 (in 6” x 9” PDF)

Word count: About 70,000

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

Purchase link: http://amzn.com/B00NVCV0I0

Blurb/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.

Sceadu - 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.

Author Interview

First, tell me a little about your book and why you wanted to write this particular story….

A century old book transports four children to Sceadu, a land inside their shadows. The reluctant visitors search for a way back but find themselves chased by the Hefigans, creatures of Sceadu. The stakes are suddenly raised when an ancient prophecy foretells the doom of the world they left behind. Now, the children must navigate the dangerous terrain, overcome grave challenges and unlock the secrets of the shadow, or suffer the destruction of their own kind.

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

I have always been fascinated by shadows, those supposedly docile grey shapes that are always by our side. But what if they held a land replete with dangerous creatures waiting to find a way into our world? This question inspired me to write Sceadu.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated or did you always just know?

I have always had a great imagination. However, the decision to write happened much later. It was fuelled by a dream where the plot intrigued me so much that I had to get out of bed and pen down my thoughts.

What inspired you to write your first book?

The first book I ever wrote was based on humorous events from my own childhood.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

I find channeling personal experiences to be a very powerful device when writing. While your imagination can take you on marvelous journeys, the emotional component can be really drawn from events in your life or from people you know.

How do you choose when/which characters die in your books?

The decision to kill off a character, especially an important character, is never an easy one. I only do so when the plot absolutely demands it. It is also important to know how the death of the character will impact the other characters and the flow of the story. And that is where timing comes in. I prefer doing it at a time when it is least expected by the reader, thereby piquing their interest in the story even more.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Although he is certainly not a new author, I have recently discovered the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. And I am hooked.

Who do you look up to as a writer?

I think Phil Pullman writes beautifully.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?

I would not. The decision to publish the book was only made after I was absolutely satisfied with each and every facet of the book.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I suppose the most challenging thing about writing would be trying to keep pace with the speed of thinking.

What book are you reading now? Or what genre? My followers love author’s opinions!

I am currently reading The Magician’s Guild. It is a YA fantasy novel by Trudi Canavan

Who designed the cover? And do you help with them?

The cover was designed by Reptile FX, my animation, VFX and design studio. I am very involved with the designing of all my covers.

Did you learn anything from writing your books and what was it?

Writing is my passion. But it has also taught me patience and perseverance.

If you could be one of your characters, who would you chose?

I would choose to be the character of Steven.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to readers?

Just read Sceadu. You will never take your shadow for granted again.

  

Author bio:

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 web links:

Book website – http://sceadu.net

Author website - http://prashantpinge.com

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

I hope you guys check this one out! Happy reading and later gators!