Tod Newman discovered his calling as a storyteller during his engineering studies at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where long watches at sea sparked an imagination that would eventually span from ancient prophets to imperial Rome. What began as tales inspired by maritime lore has evolved into something far more ambitious: novels that excavate the buried truths hidden beneath history's surface. Drawing from influences as diverse as George MacDonald and the Inklings (Tolkien, Lewis, Williams) to the psychological depths of Russian masters, the stark beauty of Cormac McCarthy, the magical fiction of Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, and the agrarian wisdom of Wendell Berry, Tod crafts stories where powerful ideas emerge naturally from character and conflict rather than heavy-handed allegory. The Halls of the Shadow King series represents the culmination of years spent in third-century Rome, walking the marble halls where emperors plotted persecution and following the hidden networks that kept faith alive in history's darkest hours. Here, Tod's signature magical realism finds its perfect setting: a world where the divine still intervenes through ordinary people called to extraordinary purpose. Discover Tod's latest projects and upcoming releases (and buy them if you like!) and get on the mailing list at todnewman dot com