A Note to the Reader
If you enjoyed this book and want to know about future releases by Robert J. Crane, you can CLICK HERE to sign up for my mailing list! I promise I won’t spam you (I only send an email when I have a new book released) and I’ll never sell your info. You can also unsubscribe at any time.
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for reading this story. As an independent author, getting my name out to build an audience is one of the biggest priorities on any given day. If you enjoyed this story and are looking forward to reading more, let someone know – post it on Amazon, on your blog, if you have one, on Goodreads.com, place it in a quick Facebook status or Tweet with a link to the page of whatever outlet you purchased it from (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, etc). Good reviews inspire people to take a chance on a new author – like me. And we new authors can use all the help we can get.
Thanks again for your time.
Robert J. Crane
Acknowledgments
Whenever I put one of these books out, I’m always afraid I’m going to mess it up by failing to mention someone who deserves it. Writing the book may be a solitary effort, done in a locked room after chaining myself to the keyboard, but the state it comes out in is one that is totally unfit for print, a disaster of epic proportions filled with grammatical errors, misspellings and failures of continuity both minute and massive. To my editorial squad of beta readers, I give thanks:
Shannon Garza, for not only fixing the grammar and spelling, but helping me to improve flow and clarity, and keeping Sienna on the correct emotional keel.
Robin McDermott for letting me know when I was getting too “wordy.” Or as I would put it before she corrected it, “diffuse.” She also caught lots of other errors, but this is what I get the biggest kick out of, reading her notes.
Calvin Sams always does a readthrough and provides notes, and this time is no different. Thanks, Calvin, for keeping an eye out for me!
Damarra Atkins focused on the geek aspects, as she is well attuned to geek culture and managed to even pick up on some of the more obscure references in the manuscript. And that is why I have left them in; so long as one person gets them, they stay.
Debra Wesley once more kept an eye on the technical aspects of the manuscript, letting me know when things don’t quite work the way I think they do. I know I write fantasy, but that’s no excuse for a complete departure from any sort of reality, and Deb keeps these books grounded nicely.
And what can I say about Heather Rodefer that hasn’t already been said? She’s the nicest Packer fan I’ve ever encountered, and I mean that in as complimentary a fashion as possible coming from a Minnesotan to a Wisconsinite. She is the error correction patrol, the final authority when it comes to mistakes in the manuscript. Without her, I shudder to think what horror I would be producing, and I know it would not be fit for public consumption.
Once again the cover of this work has been created by the excellent Karri Klawiter of Artbykarri.com, who I can’t say enough nice things about. She’s great to work with and always seems to come up with a fantastic idea for the covers.
The final editing duties were handled once more by Nicholas J. Ambrose of everything-indie.com. In addition to being a superb Halo player he can also fix a manuscript in record time, then make it beautifully presentable in every e-format known to humanity. And all this just weeks after Halo 4 came out – this makes him quite the wonder.
Last of all, it seems appropriate that in a book titled Family that I take an extra moment to thank mine. My extended family has been ridiculously supportive of my career, far beyond what I could have expected and miles better than what I’ve heard of other authors in similar situations. Thank you all.
Also, thanks to my mom and dad, and my kids, who have given me both the tools and the reason to use them in this field of endeavor I have chosen.
I’ve heard it put in better terms than mine that “faith is the evidence of things not seen.” My wife had faith in me when there was literally nothing to see, and believed in me enough to back my crazy play to be an independent author back when it made zero sense to anyone but me. For that (and much more), I am eternally grateful.
About the Author
Robert J. Crane was born and raised on Florida’s Space Coast before moving to the upper midwest in search of cooler climates and more palatable beer. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in English Creative Writing. He worked for a year as a substitute teacher and worked in the financial services field for seven years while writing in his spare time. He makes his home in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.
He can be contacted in several ways:
Via email at [email protected]
Follow him on Twitter – @robertJcrane
Connect on Facebook – robertJcrane (Author)
Website – http://www.robertJcrane.com
Blog – http://robertJcrane.blogspot.com
Become a fan on Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/RobertJCrane
Sienna Nealon will return in
OMEGA
THE GIRL IN THE BOX, BOOK FIVE
Omega – a shadowy organization that is synonomous with power in the metahuman world. They have hunted Sienna Nealon since the day she first left her house, killed countless Directorate agents and operatives, and now they unveil their greatest plot – Operation Stanchion, a phrase whispered to Sienna by an Omega operative almost too scared to speak the words aloud. Now Sienna must track the pieces Omega has in motion, journeying across the upper midwest to confront the forces that have plagued her since she first stepped into the metahuman world before they can land their final stroke – and bring an end to the Directorate forever.
Coming Early 2013
The Sanctuary Series
Epic Fantasy by Robert J. Crane
The world of Arkaria is a dangerous place, filled with dragons, titans, goblins and other dangers. Those who live in this world are faced with two choices: live an ordinary life or become an adventurer and seek the extraordinary.
Defender
The Sanctuary Series, Volume One
Cyrus Davidon leads a small guild in the human capital of Reikonos. Caught in an untenable situation, facing death in the den of a dragon, they are saved by the brave fighters of Sanctuary who offer an invitation filled with the promise of greater adventure. Soon Cyrus is embroiled in a mystery - someone is stealing weapons of nearly unlimited power for an unknown purpose, and Sanctuary may be the only thing that stands between the world of Arkaria and total destruction.
Available Now!
Avenger
The Sanctuary Series, Volume Two
When a series of attacks on convoys draws suspicion that Sanctuary is involved, Cyrus Davidon must put aside his personal struggles and try to find the raiders. As the attacks worsen, Cyrus and his comrades find themselves abandoned by their allies, surrounded by enemies, facing the end of Sanctuary and a war that will consume their world.
Available Now!
Champion
The Sanctuary Series, Volume Three
As the war heats up in Arkaria, Vara is forced to flee after an ancient order of skilled assassins infiltrates Sanctuary and targets her. Cyrus Davidon accompanies her home to the elven city of Termina and the two of them become embroiled in a mystery that will shake the very foundations of the Elven Kingdom – and Arkaria.
Available Now!
Crusader
The Sanctuary Series, Volume Four
Cyrus Davidon finds himself far from his home in Sanctuary, in the land of Luukessia, a place divided and deep in turmoil. With his allies at his side, Cyrus finds himself facing off against an implacable foe in a war that will challenge all his convictions – and one he may not be able to win.
Coming Early 2013!
Savages
A Sanctuary Short Story
Twenty years before Cyrus Davidon joined Sanctuary, his father was killed in a war with the trolls and he has never forgi
ven them. Enter Vaste, a troll unlike most; courageous, loyal and an outcast. When Cyrus and Vaste become trapped in a far distant land, they are forced to overcome their suspicions and work together to get home.
Available Now!
A Familiar Face
A Sanctuary Short Story
Cyrus Davidon gets more than he bargained for when he takes a day away from Sanctuary to visit the busy markets of his hometown, Reikonos. While there, he meets a woman who seems very familiar, and appears to know him, but that he can’t place.
Available Now!
The Girl in the Box
Contemporary Urban Fantasy by Robert J. Crane
Alone
The Girl in the Box, Book 1
Sienna Nealon was a 17 year-old girl who had been held prisoner in her own house by her mother for twelve years. Then one day her mother vanished, and Sienna woke up to find two strange men in her home. On the run, unsure of who to turn to and discovering she possesses mysterious powers, Sienna finds herself pursued by a shadowy agency known as the Directorate and hunted by a vicious, bloodthirsty psychopath named Wolfe, each of which is determined to capture her for their own purposes…
Available Now!
Untouched
The Girl in the Box, Book 2
Still haunted by her last encounter with Wolfe and searching for her mother, Sienna Nealon must put aside her personal struggles when a new threat emerges – Aleksandr Gavrikov, a metahuman so powerful, he could destroy entire cities – and he’s focused on bringing the Directorate to its knees.
Available Now!
Soulless
The Girl in the Box, Book 3
After six months of intense training with the Directorate, Sienna Nealon finds herself on her first assignment – tracking a dangerous meta across the upper midwest. With Scott Byerly and Kat Forrest at her side, she’ll face new enemies and receive help from unlikely allies as she stumbles across the truth behind the shadowy organization known only as Omega.
Available Now!
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
A Note to the Reader
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Other titles by Robert J. Crane
Family Page 21