New Release! – Cabal’s Stone
It’s that time of year again and I’m sticking to a tradition I’ve kept going the past three years. Every October I release a horror novella in time for Halloween. Previous years I released The Visitor at Anningley Hall, Old Town and Whispering in the Cypresses. This year I’ve tied in the subject matter of my novella with my upcoming historical novel; namely King Arthur.
How is King Arthur scary, you ask? Well, there is a little sub-genre called Folk Horror that has grown in popularity in recent years and it basically sees the sinister in the British countryside, its superstitions and folklore. Think The Wicker Man and you’re on the right track. Bits of folklore relating to King Arthur (or more accurately, the 5th century warlord who inspired him) are found all over Britain, especially in Wales and one of them deals with a stone supposedly marked by the paw print of Cabal; Arthur’s dog. According to legend, if the stone is removed from its cairn, it will reappear there a day later, no explanation given. This was all I needed for the basis of a creepy tale set in the Welsh valleys.
History graduate Ollie Preston has worked himself to the point of a nervous breakdown. A long weekend at a cottage in the Welsh valleys with his girlfriend Jan and old university friend Johnathan is just what he needs; no books, no stress, just clean mountain air and healthy companionship.
But there are some things Ollie can’t let go. According to local folklore there is a cairn on a nearby hill that marks the grave of King Arthur’s faithful hound. Ignoring all the warnings, Ollie takes a stone from the cairn and unleashes an ancient power. In a nightmarish flight through the Welsh valleys, Ollie desperately tries to outrun figures from Britain’s distant past who force themselves in on the present; figures who will not relinquish the land’s ancient secrets without a fight…
Cabal’s Stone is available from Amazon now.
