FAQ: Whither Sanctuary?

Because it came up about 3846921 times in last night's chat, here's the official status of the Sanctuary universe.

As most readers know, there are three published Sanctuary stories, all in the SETTING SUNS collection (available now from New Babel Books!). From what I've heard from readers, they were among the most popular stories in the book. I enjoyed writing them, and was pleased that so many people seemed to enjoy them enough to ask me (constantly) when they can get more Sanctuary.

The first book is written. And rewritten. But the current version was written before NOCTURNAL URGES or my subsequent three books. I look at it now and cringe. I am actually glad the one agent to whom I submitted it turned it down - it would have tanked (and been blasted by reviewers) in its current incarnation. It needs work. Enough work that I simply don't have time to do it right now.

See, it's all about cash flow, folks. The 2007 convention season is over, but 2008 is looming and I need to be able to pay for those lovely conventions with something other than wisecracks and charm. When I take too much time off of "paying" projects, my cash flow nosedives and I end up paying out of my personal account. Which, I'm afraid, does not have the padding to allow me to fund the hotel bill.

So I've made myself a little promise. If I land a big enough sale - win a $2,000 contest, for example, or sell a novel to a publisher that offers advances - I will take some time to devote to SANCTUARY, rewrite it from the ground up and send it out to agents for representation to New York.

It's not gonna be 2008, folks. I wish. ABADDON is out, and sometime later it'll be out in print. That'll be great, and give me something new to sell at cons and hawk at bookstores. But right now I need to be working on things that'll come out in late 2008 and give me money in 2009. That's not SANCTUARY, not yet.

Believe me, I want that series out there. Everything I've done has been about building my name to the point where SANCTUARY can be seen in public. I want Crawford and Torrance kicking ass out there in the "real" world where everyone can see them. I love that universe, and I could happily play in it for the rest of my career.

But the hotel bill still needs to be paid. When I can get back to SANCTUARY, you guys will be the second or third to know.

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