Dear readers,

I know what sadness feels like when you finish a good book. I dare not say that this book I've just finished is good for everyone, but I feel emotionally overwhelmed right now. I can't believe this journey is over and I am both sad and happy at the same time.

This story had stayed the longest with me. I invested so much time and energy writing it. Surprisingly I had never jotted down a single plot. Every plot just poured out of my mind and my imagination and they laced together almost all by themselves.

I did rely heavily on mythology, epic tales, and folklore to write this book. I think I have mixed them all together, like Ramayana and the Mahabharata of India. I based the setting in Cambodia, which is actually home to over 2,000 temples dedicated to Hindu gods. It is nicknamed the Meru on earth, or the City of Gods. Angkor was once the largest city on the planet. If you have time, you can watch plenty of documentary about the city. Some scientists even link it to the lost advanced civilization before the great flood or alien civilization. Well, who knows? Vishnu and Shiva and the other gods could be from another alien race.

Anyway, Hindu mythology is so underrated compared to others like Greek and Roman mythology and even Norse. I wanted to write something different from the mainstream. Everyone is writing about Egyptian, Greek, or Roman myth, including me. But I wanted to introduce to the world that other cultures are great too. And if you look into your own, you'll find so many amazing stories. If you're from Philippine, Saudi Arabia, South America, Korea, Mongolia, Turkey, Norway, Sudan. Write a story about it. If you're from Japan, omg what are you doing here? Write a book about it! What I mean is, there are tons of stories that can be written based on where you live or used to live or are a part of.

ROTA and DOTN are originally one story, but I split it into two books. It's probably the longest work I've ever written. I loved everything about it. The bad and the good. I'm grateful for my earlier readers who kept encouraging me to write. Honestly, sometimes I'm still surprised when readers tell DOTN is their favorite of all my works.

I don't know what else to say. Thank you all for reading and sorry for finishing it.

I know I've been especially cruel in this story than any others. And tell you what? It's because I cherish it the most. Now stop blaming God for letting bad things happen to good people. I'm an atheist, but if God exists, I think I can understand why.

Geez, I'm not prepared and ready to say goodbye to it yet. Now I feel like I want to keep talking about Nikita and Amarisa and everyone in the book or books. I don't want to let them go just a much as you do. If I could, I would keep writing about their lives and more.

Here is what happens when writers finish a book they love, they grieve. They get teary eyes and tight throats the moment they know that their beloved characters are no longer talking to them anymore. There will be no flash of episode or scene coming to their minds in random times and places anymore. They won't get to write down what is exciting and funny and sad and happy for those characters anymore. Now that's what I feel. Despite yearning to complete a project, I'm also not ready to let it go. I was just having so much fun a while ago, now I'm back to my mundane life and dull reality.

But looking at the bright side, I will try my best to write more stories. I have many future stories I want to write about. It also just depends on my time and energy. I can't promise to bring anything better, but I hope it's going to be good enough.

For now, will you excuse me, I need some time to process this. I'll be back soon and hopefully, bring another story for the new year.

With love,

Sveta