W. Tod Newman writes historical fiction often set in the third century Roman Empire - the era of persecution, Sassanid expansion, and early Christian networks that quietly outlasted both. His series "The Halls of the Shadow King" follows Amal, a young man with a gift for perceiving what connects people, through a world where that gift is simultaneously a burden and a calling.
He researches the old-fashioned way, composes in LyX, and draws his own cover art starting from charcoal and pen and ink. He publishes through his own imprint, Desdichado Books.
His current project is a series about the Pleasant Valley war of 1880s Arizona.  The first novel in the series is published here as "The Rim Country".  It is anticipated that it will be the first of three novels in this series.
"Amal and the Shape Shifters" is a prequel story to his "Shadow King" novels, and is posted here in seven parts. If it finds the right readers, that's enough.
More at todnewman.com.