A Stone that Wouldn’t Let Go
BEHIND THE BOOK
How a mysterious Middle Kingdom stela sparked the idea for my prequel and shaped the legacy behind Book #1.
I wasn’t searching for anything for particular, but it was 2020 and we had just entered the pandemic. I needed to write a prequel — a story that would set everything in motion for Book #1.
So, I wondered through several searches, images, articles, letting curiosity guide me. That’s when I stumbled across a fascinating piece about a magical and mysterious ancient Egyptian stela from the Middle Kingdom.
I was hooked instantly. Two details gripped me: it’s location, the sacred site of Abydos and the beautiful drawings and deeply carved hieroglyphs that hinted at ritual, protection, and the afterlife. The more I read, the more I realised that this object raised more questions than answers. Experts still debate whether it was used as memorial or a spiritual tool.
The article described the stela as an enigma — a magical, mysterious object whose full story may never be known.
Naturally, my inspiration began to stir, and the same question kept circling back to me: What if?
What if a message carved for the afterlife was meant to be deciphered in the future?
What if the Stela wasn’t just a memorial, but a secret far bigger?
What if it changed the whole trajectory of someone’s life?
The questions kept echoing until the idea behind the prequel began to take shape. I knew I needed to bridge this story into Book#1 in a way that felt meaningful — something that tied directly to Johnathan’s past (Fay Hunter’s Father’s story). The Stela had to be central, the heart of the prequel, setting up the legacy that would lead into Book #1 and beyond.
The Stela Secret is currently undergoing its final edits and will be released this summer. Writing it has been an incredible experience — one that has strengthened me as a writer and deepened my connection to the series and its characters. It has helped me understand the threads planted in Book#1 that will soon come to fruition in Book#2.
If you’d like to learn more about this magical stela, you can read the article here.
And if you’re curious about Abydos, you can explore more here.
Announcement Updates
- The Prequel will be released this summer 2026 (official date coming soon). It will be available on all major platforms — and subscribers will receive it free on release day.
- If you’d like to grab your free copy, you can subscribe here.
- If you’d like to follow along with clues, behind‑the‑scenes notes, and early reveals, you can find me on socials.
- You can explore The Stela Secret page here.
- Book # 2 drafting has officially begun.
June 2026