Crusader: The Sanctuary Series, Volume Four
Page 92
“Survivors.”
Acknowledgments
You'd think that with a book this size, the acknowledgments would correspondingly drone on and on, but I'm going to try and keep this brief. Unlike, you know, the book itself.
Heather Rodefer once again Editor-in-Chief'd her way through the entire, 400 typed page, 10 Point Times New Roman beast of a manuscript. She calls it my Encyclopedia. Let me tell you something, Ms. Editor-in-Chief - Encyclopedias don't have a plot. I'm pretty sure Crusader does. Somewhere in there. Muchas gracias, Heather.
Deb Wesley again kept me on track with the technical details, reminding me of things like the fact that horses would not be able to descend a spiral staircase. Whoops. Also, she helpfully substituted the words, "Whicker" and "neigh" for all the whinnying that happened. Just a little variety, you know. It helps. Thank you, Deb.
Robin McDermott took time out of her life to go over everything in fine detail and let me know I was calling Ryin Ayend by both his names on pretty much every occasion I referred to him. Sorry, Robin. It's fixed now. For that and a thousand other error corrections (and getting your Gmail address suspended while mailing the book to me in 30 pieces of scanned text) I thank you.
Paul Madsen helped give the book another good look over as final error correction when it was nearly ready to go. My thanks to the great Paul, who waited patiently for the book for...well, almost as long as the fans.
Thanks to two of Cyrus's biggest fans who read through to make sure I was on track with this story, David Leach and James Boggs. Their feedback was invaluable.
Once again the cover was designed by the incomparable Karri Klawiter, who should really be making a fortune as a mind reader. I'm glad she's not, though, because I need book covers.
Editing was once more handled by the great Sarah Barbour, who did this *while she was on vacation* and even did a second pass, heroically going back for more when I would have thrown in the towel, personally! Her dedication amazes me.
Much gracias also to my group of secret sprinters, who helped me drive through to the end of this work at high speed. Mad props, all.
Last in the roundup, but never least, is my parents, who came to stay with us during both the 2nd draft and 3rd draft of Crusader, which allowed me to work late in the night on the manuscript. Thank you both. Also, my wife and kids, who are the reason I do this and the reason I get to. Love to you all.
Author's Note
Well, that took about forever to get out. Sorry. I hope you think it was worth the wait. It ended up a heck of a lot longer than I thought it was gonna be, and of course my other series took off like gangbusters, and since I do actually have to pay the bills, the adventures of Cyrus and Vara took a back seat for a bit. Sorry again. These books take a good long while to write, which is why it will be until 2014 before I can get volume five out. BUT! Don't despair too much, because I have a few Sanctuary offerings to hopefully whet your appetite between now and then. I've added a novel starring everyone's favorite (or least favorite) dark knight to my schedule (check out the teaser on the next page - it started as a novel but is pretty much a trilogy now) as well as a novel starring Aisling (that one's just a standalone novel - for now). They won't be as long as Crusader, obviously, or book five (teaser is on the same page as the one for the Terian novel) so I can write them more quickly and get them out to you without having to dedicate months to working on nothing but them (as I did with Crusader).
Anyway, again, I'm sorry for those of you who are waiting. I'd love to finish these main books (Volumes 5-8) sooner, but it's just not possible right now, not with the numbers it's selling. I will finish this series (and even add additional side books/trilogies and short stories) because I love the world of Arkaria and all its occupants, but it's going to be slower because of how big these books are. Thanks for your patience (if you have patience - I *really* appreciate it if you do) and if for some reason this series were to explode the way the other has (The Girl in the Box), selling tons and tons of books, I can pretty well promise I will be back to finish it sooner. I'm nothing if not a ruthless mercenary. Meat pies don't pay for themselves, after all...
If you want to know as soon as the next volumes are released, 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.
Thanks for your support and thanks for reading!
Robert J. Crane
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 cyrusdavidon@gmail.com
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
Cyrus Davidon will return in
MASTER
THE SANCTUARY SERIES, VOLUME FIVE
The disappearance and presumed death of Alaric Garaunt has thrown the guild of Sanctuary into chaos. Added to the upheaval are the sudden disappearance of Sanctuary's old allies, The Daring, the resurgence of the Dark Elves in the war, and a mystery brought to Cyrus Davidon by an old friend. As the darkness rises in the land of Arkaria, Sanctuary must find a way through their struggles to unify, even as a battle between two pillars of the guild threatens to tear them asunder once and for all.
Coming in 2014
But first...
THY FATHER'S SHADOW
A SANCTUARY NOVEL
BOOK ONE OF THE KNIGHT OF SHADOWS TRILOGY
Terian Lepos is a man without a home. Cast out of Sanctuary, he wanders the land of Arkaria until a messenger arrives with a curious offer, one that will take Terian into the darkness of Saekaj Sovar, a place he thought he had long ago left behind, and into the service of the Dark Elven Sovereignty, where he will face his worst fear - his father, and the secret that drove him from his homeland once before.
Coming Autumn 2013!
Other Works by Robert J. Crane
The Sanctuary Series
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
Master: The Sanctuary Series, Volume Five*
Thy Father's Shadow: A Sanctuary Novel*
Savages: A Sanctuary Short Story
A Familiar Face: A Sanctuary Short Story
The Girl in 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*
Southern Watch
Contemporary Urban Fantasy
Called: Southern Watch, Book 1*
*Forthcoming
); -o-filter: grayscale(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share