nones The midafternoon prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours, the public prayer of the Church to praise God and sanctify the day. Nones are prayed at approximately 3 p.m.
novice A monk in training who has not yet taken final vows. The purpose of the novitiate period is to determine if the novice is truly called to the religious life.
obedientiary A lesser official in a medieval monastery who reports to the abbot and the prior
prime The morning prayer in Liturgy of the Hours, the public prayer of the Church to praise God and sanctify the day. Prime is prayed at approximately 6 a.m.
prior The person in charge of the abbey after the abbot
quarrel The arrow designed for a crossbow
refectory The dining room of a monastery
Saint Benedict The founder of the Benedictine Order (A.D. 480–547)
scriptorium a room, often in a monastery, where Scripture and other important books were copied by hand
seal A symbol imprinted in hot wax used to seal a document. The imprint identifies the sender of the document, and the intact seal provides proof that the document has not been opened by anyone else.
sext The midday prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours, the public prayer of the Church to praise God and sanctify the day. It is prayed at approximately noon.
shire A county or similar division of land
terce The midmorning prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours, the public prayer of the Church to praise God and sanctify the day. It is prayed at approximately 9 a.m.
The Rule The book written by Benedict in 516 of the rules and concepts for how a monastic community should live. The Rule addressed spiritual and practical matters and helped shape how religious orders were organized and operated.
whipping rod A small whip that a person would use to strike himself or herself on the back as a form of voluntary penance, considered a way to discipline the physical body for spiritual benefit. This practice, also called flagellation, was condemned by Pope Clement VI in 1349 because of widespread abuses.
Acknowledgments
I hope you were blessed and enriched by experiencing Xan’s story in Shadow in the Dark. But this novel was not the product of my efforts alone. Indeed, it would not exist without the hard work of many others, for whom I am deeply thankful to God. I regret having space to mention only a few of those names here.
First, I greatly appreciate the love and support of my family, especially my wife, Alisa, and my son, A.J., who both inspired me, suggested many great ideas, and became invaluable sounding boards for the series. The idea for these novels sprang from one of my family’s cross-country road trips during a change in military assignments. We spoke at length in the car about ideas for an exciting book that would engage today’s youth while also grappling with issues of the moral and religious life. From that conversation emerged the concept of Shadow in the Dark, including the character of Xan, the location of Harwood Abbey, and the mysterious “Shadow” lurking at the abbey.
Second, I am grateful for the generous advice and consultation of Dr. Jennifer Paxton, a professor in the Department of History at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. An expert in twelfth-century English abbeys, Dr. Paxton helped me conform Xan’s world ever closer to the historical reality of that period.
Third, I owe a very large debt of gratitude for the prayers and kind advice of other authors who took the time to review my book, especially those in the Catholic Writers Guild, as well as for the mentorship of Ramona Tucker and Jeff Nesbit, who were the first professionals to truly believe in my writing.
Finally, I am so grateful for the dedication of the entire staff at Loyola Press, who have taken this novel and raised it to the next level through their professionalism and investment in the series. Their incredible team—with a special shout-out to Jim Thomas and Tim Travaglini—helped make innumerable improvements to this story and to my writing. Special thanks to Joseph Durepos, Joellyn Cicciarelli, Maria Cuadrado, Vinita Wright, Carrie Freyer, Andrew Yankech, and Mandy Lemos. And to the many, many others who have personally worked on making this book a success. I owe you all a great debt.
For those who have read this novel, I pray it has been a blessing to you, and I hope you will keep reading the series. There is much more to come in the adventures of Xan and Lucy!
About the Author
Antony Barone Kolenc retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps after 21 years of military service. He is a law professor who teaches courses on constitutional and military law and has been published in numerous journals and magazines, and he speaks at legal, writing, and home education events. He and his wife, Alisa, have raised five children and are proud of their three beautiful grandchildren.
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© 2020 Antony Barone Kolenc
All rights reserved.
Cover art credit: Martin Beckett, MahirAtes/iStockphoto/Getty Images.
Map art credit: Martin Beckett
Map insert, Floorplan of an Abbey: Kathryn Seckman Kirsch
eBook ISBN: 978-0-8294-4811-5
Based on the print edition: 978-0-8294-4810-8
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020930779
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