Bittersweet.
That's the best word I can use to describe the feeling of writing the final words to Bobby Pendragon's adventure through time and space. I actually finished the first draft quite a while ago just before leaving for the Raven Rise tour last year. I did a very cliché thing and went to the mountains with my dog, Maggie, to power through to the end. When I wrote the last words, my first reaction was relief. I had done it. But that feeling didn't last long. It was immediately followed by this hollow sensation, because I knew, in that moment, that I would never be writing about Bobby or Saint Dane or Mark or Courtney ever again. As sad as that was, it was also a momentous occasion, because I had not only written the climax to one book, but to an entire series. I'm very proud of that.
Back in 2001, when I first came up with the idea for Bobby's adventure, I outlined all 10 books in about a week. It was just that easy. (Okay, maybe it wasn't easy, but it was quick.) I'm amazed to say that, for the most part, the story worked, and I was able to hold to that original arc of stories. Who knew? Back then, there were many skeptics, and I was one of them. I had put myself onto a very long road that I knew would make for a difficult journey. Maybe not as difficult as Bobby's, but difficult nonetheless. After seven years, I finally typed the words that seemed so distant back then: "The End."
For all of those who have made the journey with Bobby and me, I thank you for reading. For those of you new to the story, stop reading this! Go back and read The Merchant of Death and get with it. You've got a long journey ahead of you, but I think it's one that you'll enjoy.
There's another road ahead for me. I've made the turn onto a spooky trail that leads to the afterlife. Starting next year, a new journey will begin along a frightening byway called the Morpheus Road. I hope you all make the journey with me.