The Broken Ones is a story that has been sitting in my head for many years now, because much of it is the history that motivates both the plot and characters of the Malediction Trilogy. For a long time, I thought it was a story that would exist only in my mind, perhaps shared in bits and pieces on the Internet, as the world I’d created came to a conclusion at the end of Warrior Witch. The Malediction Trilogy consumed six years of my life, and when it was finished, I was ready to move on to different projects.
Or so I thought!
But once the post-release exhaustion of Warrior Witch had faded, and fans filled my ears with their sadness that the series was over, I found that I was no more willing to let go of the world than they were. There was still a story that needed to be told – a story that would allow readers a greater depth of understanding of why certain characters made the choices they did. And when scenes began to form as vividly as though they were unfolding before my very eyes, I knew it was a story that I was damned and determined to have published.
To that end, I am more grateful than words can say to my agent, Tamar Rydzinski, who is a pillar of support and bookish wisdom, and who moved swiftly to make my dreams for this little novel a reality. So much thanks to Marc, Phil, Mike, Nick, and Penny – the awesome team at my publisher, Angry Robot – for enthusiastically agreeing to publish the novel, and for putting The Broken Ones on the fast track so that readers could have it as soon as possible. A big thanks, too, to Amanda Rutter, my original acquiring editor, for taking on the editorial while Phil was on sabbatical – the story was so much better for your involvement.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of my family – Mom, Dad, Nick, Pat, and Steff – who not only helped take care of my kids so I had time to write, but also listened to my whining about how hard it was to work on such a tight deadline. Never mind that I’d inflicted that deadline on myself! The biggest thanks go to Spencer, who never complains about the demands of my career, and who ensures our family eats more than just endless pizza and toast!
I’m not sure whether to thank my daughters for being a constant source of inspiration and motivation, or to apologize for being the busiest mother ever! But I do hope that as you grow, you’ll see my novels as proof that dreams can become a reality if you work hard enough to achieve them.
To my dear friend, Elise Kova, a thousand thanks for always being there to lend an ear when I needed to vent or share some exciting news. I have no idea how I functioned without you! I will never stop being grateful to you for empowering me to take charge of my career and to create my own success! You are a bigger inspiration than you know!
To my readers, especially the bloggers and reviewers who’ve stuck with me from the beginning, thank you for your endless enthusiasm for the world I created. Most especially, thank you to Melissa Robles for your passion for my characters and the endless hours you dedicated to helping me make this novel all we wanted it to be!
The Broken Ones is the last chapter of Trollus, but I hope you’ll all join me with the new plots and characters that I intend to bring to you in the years to come!