Hello and welcome to new subscribers. I’m fudging the numbers a little. If I start at 0, call my first attempt a Newsletter, sent to a handful of folks, a trial run, or a prologue, I can make-believe this is number 15, on Friday the 15th, which is good enough given my chosen profession—some of the time. 

Over the years I hear phrases and idioms, “you can take the man out of the cave, but not the caveman out of mankind” is an example that seems to be a riff on the apt given my oft used Social Media handle, ‘Country Boy’ “you can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.”

Either way, being secreted in my man-cave brings me to stories. Work on the Prequel to the Prequel for the Spectral Detective progresses. 

Those who read last week’s Newsletter will know I’ve two stories in development. 

Coming first in terms of in-story chronology is “Into Darkness.” I’m 8k words in, so maybe halfway through this novella—a free-to-read Prequel for the wider series as envisaged.“King in the Dark.” Picks up after the Prequel, and tells the hero’s journey into his first mystery, the events that lead him to his work as a Private Investigator. 

It so happens that the pivotal moment of Arthur King’s life, and so the key event that “Into Darkness” explores, and where “King in the Dark” effectively begins, happens to occur in a cave. 

Caves come in many shapes and sizes, and that primal character can be enclosed and claustrophobic, or vast, cathedral-like. As a kid, one of the few family Holidays we took, I got to visit St. Michael’s Cave in Gibraltar. 

So it's coincidental that I’m promoting “Cave of Time” by Luna Fox, because there’s a cave in it, being full of mystery and magic, pulling on those deep-seated archetypes that make caves both mysterious, compelling and dangerous in our collective imagination. |

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“Cave of Time” ...is a gripping, bite-sized fantasy adventure that packs a punch. Set in a world stripped of magic, it follows a young, underestimated hero on a perilous quest to save his people. The story weaves hope, sacrifice, and destiny into a vivid tapestry of dark forests and mystical caves, keeping you hooked with its fast-paced action and emotional depth. Perfect for fantasy fans craving a quick, immersive tale with heart.

“Cave of Time”