Lanterns, Curses, and a Full Moon Update
The moon is full again. It pulls things into view. Unfinished thoughts. Half-written promises. Stories I meant to tell later. Some are ready now. Others can be set down without regret.
A Lantern That Still Glows
A Lantern in the Ivy continues to carry more weight than I expected. It holds something gentle and grounded, something steady. A kind of clarity that doesn’t need to shout.
This is the work I want to keep close. Stories that don’t begin in violence. Games with breath in them.
There’s more coming. If that book spoke to you, pass it along. These projects grow through conversation. Through trust. Through people who still know how to listen.
What Comes Next
The next release is Manus Malefecari: The Cursed Hand. It’s a new edition of the Cursed series I created for The Foragers Guild. The format is different now. The focus is sharper. The fire burns cleaner. It belongs here.
I’ve returned to the occult line with intent. Not for shock. Not for fashion. Because this work still matters.
Since the early days of the hobby, there have been people who believe roleplaying invites dark forces.
Now, those same people are using fear to make others smaller.
What they fear isn’t the occult. It’s the imagination.
This book contains no violence, no spectacle, and no apologies.
Only belief, memory, language, and fire.
We’re still here. And we are not done.
No, We’re Not on Social Media
Lightspress isn’t on social media. That’s not a marketing oversight. That’s a decision.
I left those platforms because they reward outrage, grind attention, and trade intimacy for metrics. They’re incompatible with the values I’ve built this imprint around. Literacy. Empathy. Attention as a sacred resource.
The moment you depend on those systems, you stop serving readers and start feeding the machine. That’s not how I work. I’m not interested in content. I’m not chasing clicks.
What I gained was clarity. Time. The ability to focus on the books themselves. That’s what this is. Not a brand. Not a broadcast. A signal. A message. Something you can tune in to when you’re ready.
If you're here, you're already in the right place.
What I’m Still Carrying
Fighter Theory is not meeting expectations. Sales have been slow. I’m still writing Cleric, Rogue, and Wizard, and I’ll release them as planned. Once those are out, the series is going on the back burner. If there’s a response, I’ll return to it. If not, it will stand as a complete but limited set.
The Agency has also struggled to reach readers. That book may stay quiet, but the structure it introduced is sound. I’ve already written three follow-ups. The Service, SECTION-R, and the Magpies faction book are all coming. Each one speaks clearly and carries its own weight. If they connect, I’ll keep going.
What I Can’t Predict
I’ve been alternating between fantasy and modern work. The next title may shift that rhythm. Some choices are made from conviction. Some are made from economics. I have a journal full of ideas and a drive full of material. I know what’s worth finishing. I just don’t know what’s next.
Since Last Moonrise
Here are a few new pieces on the blog, in case you missed them:
A Quiet Signal Worth Sharing
If something in this issue mattered to you, share it with someone who would understand. You can leave a comment on the site, at the bottom of this newsletter’s page.
The moon will turn again. I’ll be here.
