And of course, in 2018, I’m already planning for The Revenants series. Okay, truthfully, I’ve been planning for this one since around the time I started planning the Sanctuary series, but nowhere near as exhaustively as I did Sanctuary. This one needs some more time to incubate, and also … it’s not just about Cyrus anymore. It will follow the characters that have re-emerged with him in Reikonos, one thousand years after his last battle with Bellarum. Arkaria has changed dramatically, and I don’t want to spoil it, but if you re-read the coda to this book after you’ve read the first book of The Revenants, you might see where I’ve hinted at one of the bigger changes to the world in that thousand-year absence. The Sanctuary series was certainly epic fantasy, but I think because of what I’m going to be doing with The Revenants series (which will have a steampunk flavor), following not just Cyrus but old characters and new ones through a world gone mad and an adventure that will challenge even him, we’re going to be looking at (potentially) some very large books—and large books take a very large chunk of time to write (which is why this book is late, since it’s not far off being the longest in the series). Which means 2018 might just be an optimistic pipe dream. I apologize for you true-blue, diehard fans if that ends up being the case, but listen … I write three series at the moment. I write reasonably fast. But it takes time to craft these works, and it takes time to write the other books (Out of the Box, in particular, sells 4x the books and takes ½ as long to write) so … patience, grasshoppas. All good things in time, and as you’ve hopefully just seen … all your questions will get answered in the end.
Acknowledgments
If you think it takes a lot of people to make one book happen, wait until you see how many it takes to make an eleven-book series happen! There are so many people to thank I barely know where to begin, but I’ve compiled a list that’s long yet hardly exhaustive. There have been so many people along this road that have sent emails and messages of support, who have spread the word about this series so that it could grow in its popularity to much more than I might have anticipated when I first started writing it. I thank you all, and wish I could devote a paragraph to each of you.
Shannon Campbell, Heather Rodefer and Kari Phillips were the first three people I called when I got the inkling that I wanted to be a writer and publish the work that eventually became the Sanctuary Series. I’ve heard horror stories about how other people have had friends discourage them, tell them not to follow their dreams, but each of these ladies told me, in no uncertain terms, that I should not only publish, but that I was going to be successful at it. In addition, all three helped me so much with feedback in the early years of my writing career, whether it was with editing, brainstorming, or the simple encouragement of saying, “I really enjoyed this,” they did it all.
Scott Garza was the man responsible for the inspiring the ideas that spurred the Sanctuary Series. He has been a steadfast friend, another constant encourager, and probably the most decent guy I’ve ever known. He was the inspiration for Alaric Garaunt (but only the good parts of the Ghost!), and this series wouldn’t have been possible without him.
Debra Wesley gave tireless feedback in the early phases of the series and kept me on track, enlightening me about technical details I had no idea about.
Robin McDermott also contributed heavily to the early editing of Sanctuary books. She did a marvelous job giving feedback and letting me know when I turned a really atrocious phrase or six.
Andrew Seager is the reason there’s a map of Arkaria in these books. He also gave me some pretty awesome feedback about things I needed to change after reading Defender. In another way, he’s responsible for the series as well, because he was the one who not only introduced me to the world of MMORPGs that formed the genesis of guild politics in Sanctuary, but he also gave me the computer I started playing on. Without him, none of this would ever have happened.
The GC Alumni…thank you all, for being who you are. The guild of Sanctuary is reflective of that core spirit we had, that family feeling that we could do anything, take on the whole world if we just hung together. Thank you all.
Alexa Medhus, Nicolette Solomita, Paul Madsen, James Boggs, Chris Chu, Jennifer Ellison, Niki Bradley, Adrienne Prevo, Erin Kane and Jessica Kelishes were among the fans who have embraced this series and have helped me in various ways throughout the publication of it.
Of special note is David Leach, probably the biggest Sanctuary fan out there, and the first reader for every book in the series for the last several. David has provided incredible feedback and motivation for me to keep writing even on days when I don’t necessarily want to.
Sarah Barbour has been the editor of the series since Crusader, and has tirelessly worked to correct more errors than you can shake a godly weapon at.
Jeff Bryan has also worked to catch some of those literary nits, those errors that tend to arise between editing passes. He also amuses me with jokes sprinkled in the margins, some of which make it into the final text.
Robert Altbauer is the mapmaker for the entire series, and has done a marvelous job.
Karri Klawiter has designed every one of those eye-catching covers, and has done a fantastic job of creating new concepts even when I’m mentally bankrupt of even the slightest artistic direction.
Nicholas J. Ambrose was my original editor, original formatter, original cover artist, and added more to the early days of this series than you can possibly imagine. He’s been a steadfast friend, without whom I wouldn’t have been able to take those first steps into the world of indie authoring that has treated me so well. I’m pleased to say he’s returning to format this, the last book in the series, which feels like an awesome way to bookend the series.
Thanks, also, to the usual suspects – my wife, my kids, my parents and my in-laws. Without them doing what they do, I’d probably still be on book one (or book none) instead of book eleven of this series and number thirty-six in total.
Lastly, thanks to you, the fans, especially if you’ve been here since the beginning. The Sanctuary Series started from the smallest beginnings you could imagine … and I can’t wait ‘til you see where we go next.
Other Works by Robert J. Crane
World of Sanctuary
Epic Fantasy
Defender: The Sanctuary Series, Volume One
Avenger: The Sanctuary Series, Volume Two
Champion: The Sanctuary Series, Volume Three
Crusader: The Sanctuary Series, Volume Four
Sanctuary Tales, Volume One - A Short Story Collection
Thy Father's Shadow: The Sanctuary Series, Volume 4.5
Master: The Sanctuary Series, Volume Five
Fated in Darkness: The Sanctuary Series, Volume 5.5
Warlord: The Sanctuary Series, Volume Six
Heretic: The Sanctuary Series, Volume Seven
Legend: The Sanctuary Series, Volume Eight
A Haven in Ash: Ashes of Luukessia Trilogy, Volume One* (Coming Early 2017!)
Ghosts of Sanctuary: The Revenants Series, Volume One* (Coming 2018, at earliest.)
The Girl in the Box
and
Out of the Box
Contemporary Urban Fantasy
Alone: The Girl in the Box, Book 1
Untouched: The Girl in the Box, Book 2
Soulless: The Girl in the Box, Book 3
Family: The Girl in the Box, Book 4
Omega: The Girl in the Box, Book 5
Broken: The Girl in the Box, Book 6
Enemies: The Girl in the Box, Book 7
Legacy: The Girl in the Box, Book 8
Destiny: The Girl in the Box, Book 9
Power: The Girl in the Box, Book 10
Limitless: Out of the Box, Book 1
In the Wind: Out of the Box, Book 2
Ruthless: Out of the Box, Book 3
Grounded: Out of the Box, Book 4
Tormented: Out of the Box, Book 5
Vengeful: Out of the Box, Book 6
Sea Change: Out of t
he Box, Book 7
Painkiller: Out of the Box, Book 8
Masks: Out of the Box, Book 9
Prisoners: Out of the Box, Book 10* (Coming October 11, 2016!)
Unyielding: Out of the Box, Book 11* (Coming Late 2016!)
Southern Watch
Contemporary Urban Fantasy
Called: Southern Watch, Book 1
Depths: Southern Watch, Book 2
Corrupted: Southern Watch, Book 3
Unearthed: Southern Watch, Book 4
Legion: Southern Watch, Book 5
Starling: Southern Watch, Book 6* (Coming in Late 2016 – Tentatively)
*Forthcoming
Table of Contents
Prologue
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Coda
Afterword
Acknowledgments
Other Works by Robert J. Crane
Legend Page 78
