One of the things that you probably don’t know about THE WIZARD’S STONE is that there was a reason why I sent Odo out on his journey during the autumn. While THE REVENANT AND THE TOMB takes place in the spring or summer (I don’t think I mention the season in the story, if I recall correctly), and THE REVENANT AND THE CULT books take place during late spring, I made it a point to set THE WIZARD’S STONE during the autumn.
Why?

Because autumn always scared the crap out of me. The world turns cold, animals migrate to warmer places, plants die off, and leaves wither and fall. Autumn is a time of dying for the world. It’s no wonder why our modern-day concept of Halloween took hold during this season. There is nothing more despairing to me than the black and white image of trees whose limbs are absent leaves, and fields of corn that are nothing more than withered stalks. It can be grim, depressing, and lonely.
With autumn, the nights start to get longer and creatures start to hibernate. There’s no snow on the ground so there’s no impediment to travel. And, at least in Michigan, being the wet season of the year, the rain comes down chilled and hard. A miserable condition that lowers spirits and makes people anxious to be back indoors. Back inside their dens where they are warm, safe, and dry.
For me, Autumn is the perfect time to set a scary story, which THE WIZARD’S STONE sort of was – a horror story.
And now you know.
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