“The Skull in the Tree” Preorders and Release Date

Preorders for the standalone rerelease of The Skull in the Tree are now live on Amazon!

Cover art by Rachel Bowdler

Knight-Mother Arlise Dun rode into Ó Méith in search of a warm meal and soft bed. What she found instead was a skull in an old oak tree. A skull inscribed with dreadful curses on an innocent mother-to-be.

Arlise knows the horror of maledictions bound in blood. Even better, she knows how to break them. But she isn’t on business for the Order. She’s on leave with her infant daughter, bound for a reunion at Quiet Cove.

If she’s to ferret out the hexer before their curse claims a stranger’s child, Arlise may be forced to endanger her own…

Refined for release as a standalone novelette, The Skull in the Tree is a dark heroic fantasy tale of approximately 11,000 words.

The Skull in the Tree will be out December 19th, a little ahead of Christmas. Same as with Hanging at Crosbhothar and The Gale at Quiet Cove, this date only holds for the ebook edition. Since these stories are reprints, I can’t schedule the paperback releases ahead of time, so it could be another few days for them. Still, they should be out before Christmas, so if you’re in need of something to read over the holidays, definitely check out this novelette. The Skull in the Tree is probably my favorite of all my stories!

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Published on November 20, 2025 10:11
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Writing, Reading, and Living with Austin Worley

Austin Worley
Here on my first ever blog, you're welcome to follow along as I chronicle my writing process and life. ...more
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