In the north of Great Britain, especially Scotland, frit is a dialect word for fright, and many do take fright—are frit of Friday the 13th.
There are various takes as to why the superstition evolved. The combination of Good Friday and the number 13 seems to hinge on the role of Judas because those with a jot or a tittle worth of Biblical knowledge will have counted Jesus, and the twelve disciples make thirteen.
History has events like the arrest of the Knights Templar on Friday, 13th 1307, which in my part of the world makes this almost contemporary news.
Of course, 13 is no more lucky or unlucky than any other number; it can appear to be, just as 7 or 3 may feel lucky, but that's confirmation bias. Noticing things because we are already primed to go looking for them, like that new car time. All of a sudden, I begin to notice other models of the same make and model of vehicle on the road.
The number thirteen carries natural and cultural significance. The Moon's cycle repeats roughly thirteen times in a solar year, forming the basis of the lunar calendar used by ancient Israel, later adopted by Jewish and Christian traditions for festivals and feasts. In biblical Israel, there are twelve tribes, but the tribe of Joseph splits into two—Ephraim and Manasseh—resulting in a total of thirteen tribes.
Thirteen might have been unlucky for King George in 1776, but it proved lucky enough for those 13 colonies, which became the first States of the new American Republic; while the flag is updated, the Great Seal of the United States of America still has 13 arrows.
So, is this a lucky day for me?
For sure, I get to announce the completion of one project and the commencement of another.
The Prequel to Dragons Unleashed, provisionally titled Dragons' Shadows, is complete and in beta.
It's a story punctuated by bad luck, some of it manufactured.
A pivotal moment in the fictional history of my fantasy world set in the Antediluvian age is the accidental fall of the Akicadan Emperor, Relwroth, thrown from his horse.
My first stab at a prequel for an existing work, and I enjoyed it, but I busted my target 15-20k words and ended up with a novella of around 40k words.
The story revolves around the existing characters in the main, some names those already familiar with the main novel will recognise, and others known by a title or a role are fleshed out more fully here.
Dragons' Shadow
This novella is a prequel to the first book in this series: The Chronicles of Erock.
In the shadow of ancient prophecies, Dragons' Shadows unfolds a gripping epic of power and peril. A visionary prophetess races to save the fortified city of Erock from a hidden threat, while a crumbling empire's emperor battles to cement his legacy.
In the rugged north, a young outcast rises to lead a struggling clan toward hope.
A Leviathan stirs, and their fates intertwine, threatening to plunge a vibrant world into chaos. Dive into this thrilling fantasy where destiny and danger collide.
If anyone would like an advance beta copy of the prequel, drop me a message.
In other news......a new review of Dragons Unleashed is due with "New Christian Fiction by Patricia Sweet."This exciting site features regular reviews of books within the broad Christian fiction genre.
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In yet more, other news,
I have begun my next prequel!
Provisionally called My Boy Jack, this is the Vampire story which I've alluded to before.
In this case, I am writing the prequel prior to the main novel, with the concept of a "reader magnet" in mind, which is a jargon term for a giveaway novelette or novella that allows a reader to get a sense of the writer's style and story before committing to a longer work. Here, I am reversing that, sort of, so I can gauge interest in this idea for a Historical Science Fiction Novel featuring Vampires and other monsters, some of them human.
Jack's adventures begin in the middle of the Seventeenth Century. My original concept started in Jack's childhood, with an initial arc of five years leading to an adventure on the High Seas, among others. The prequel short story deals with the unique circumstances of Jack's birth and the challenges he faces.
It's a rule, some say, that starting a story with the birth of the protagonist slows the narrative down. Still, it worked for David Copperfield and Superman, so here I am writing more birth scenes, and in my defence, the Greatest Story Ever Told opening act pivots on a manger in Bethlehem.
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