Beneath a Jackal Moon
About the Novel
Beneath a Jackal Moon immerses you in the world of Kai “KK” Kaine, where extreme wealth and crushing isolation collide with forces beyond comprehension. Sequestered on an opulent estate by his media-mogul mother, KK finds his only comfort in the company of fifty black-backed jackals. He longs for simplicity, a father, and a friend—but his mother has other plans.
When he befriends Beau, a shattered exchange student from Paris haunted by childhood tragedy, their unlikely bond becomes a lifeline. Together they seek the truth of KK’s elusive father, a journey that leads from a rattlesnake farm in Texas to the ancient mysteries of the Shroud of Turin, and into the dark secrets of the Kaine family lineage.
Pursued by spirits and burdened by revelations of his heritage, KK must decide whether to embrace the destiny that stalks him—or burn it all down in search of freedom.
“The wind whispers through the mountain’s crevices, a soft symphony beneath the aurora’s ballet. Beau is restless, nervous, scared. I mute it all. A peaceful mind demands elegance. But I know if roles were reversed, I would set elegance on fire.”
Excerpt from Beneath a Jackal Moon
Blade arrives just before the casket is about to close. He looks disheveled in ripped jeans and a Bart Simpson t-shirt, the cartoon pulling back a slingshot under the words Yo Dude! His outfit clashes hard against the somber air of the funeral.
He peers down at our dead father, shaking his head — the reason left for interpretation. Then he opens the canvas bag in his hand and dumps a rattlesnake into the coffin. Its rattle echoes like a sinister drumbeat. With a forceful push, Blade slams the lid shut, leaving the seminary student stumbling back in shock.
I wrote this poem/song as a companion piece to Beneath a Jackal Moon, capturing KK and Beau’s journey in verse.
In the shadows of regret, Beau Laughed’s heart does cry,
A fateful echo of his brother’s last goodbye.
No laughter in the night, just silence cold and deep,
Haunted by the weight of promises he couldn't keep.
KK, in his solitude, seeks a friend through the dark,
Escaping from a life where only shadows leave a mark.
Together they embark, a journey fraught with pain,
Facing fears that bind them, breaking chains of disdain.
KK and Beau in the dead of night,
Facing inner demons, battling outer fright.
Jackals by their side, under shadow’s loom,
Their courage challenged, beneath a jackal moon.
In the darkened woods where shadows writhe,
A devilish dance, a battle for their lives.
Jackals encircle, the shadows meet their end,
Beau and KK, their spirits now mend.
Reunited with their kin, and jackals strong and true,
Beau’s first laugh in a decade, a moment fresh and new.
Family, love, and joy, where dark once held its sway,
In the light of the moon, they find their way.
Through trials faced and battles won,
In the stillness of the night, where the moonlight shone.
KK and Beau, their spirits entwined,
Find solace and strength, beneath a jackal moon.
Status
Completed and
waiting its turn to query.
The Bones
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It’s Upmarket coming-of-age.
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Core themes: Self-Identity, Power of Friendship, survival from internal and external forces.
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Has mythic, magical-realism threads