Dear Wonderful People,

Please do not disreguard this letter.

This story has gone through a lot with me. I started it on an online journal to pass the time. I had never written anything on line and was quite afraid of what might occur, it was possible nothing would occur, but we all fear nothing to a degree. I went to work every day with this in my mind, I stood over photocopiers and stared at computer screens while all the characters where building in my head. I drank hot chocolates and thought about how fat it was making me while planning out first kisses and enslaving battles.

I took it on my 21st birthday to England, and brought it back again. I lost it in my computer, but it was saved by my brother (low and behold the nerds do rule the universe and for that I am thankful). I hated it, forgot about it, remembered it. I learnt that people could like what I was writing. It was there when I lost my job, it was there when I got accepted into University, it’s been at my side this year and a half in a college room begging to be completed.

This story is a segment of my life, not the portrayal of it, but a segment. And so I grant it this ramble, because I feel I have a right to it.

I have never given up on this story, only set it aside for periods of time, and I would like to thank all my reviewers because without them I doubt I would have gotten this far. In repayment for the fine service of your attentive patience I will be replying to every review ever received for this story. I may be brief, I may be boring, and I may take my time putting the replys up but I will do my best because it is the least I can do for my readers.

I have never overlooked any review and have learnt the value of reviewing myself (I’m such a prude with things like that). Please be patient with my replys because they will be battling with my university work, personal life (ha as if I have one) and anything else I don’t know about yet that will be distracting when it comes.

I would like to take a moment to thank two people espeically for their time effort and encouragement.

Firstly I would like to thank my much neglected and forgotten editor, no one can blame her for how poorly edited the majority of this story is because I neglected her. She put herself out of the way to help me, and I became so distracted by a multitude of events that I forgot to send her updates to edit. My rudeness and stupidity should however not affect that she was a marvel who went out of her way to help me. Amelia thank you so much (I’m sorry I’m a Baka).

The second person I would like to thank is Gezi. It may seem strange to anyone who knows me but Gezi has been a driving force in much of my writing. She has offered me constant encouragement since our first communication and has been invaluable to me. A great friend and an excellent person who deserves more credit then I can ever give her. But without her I don’t think I could have done as much as I have, and I thank her for being there and helping me out so much with everything.

Aside from these two I know there are a lot of people to thank but please don’t feel insulted by not being mentioned, I have had over 250 people review this story over it’s time and I do not have the ability to mention you all right here.

Moving on from my thanks (which could take more words then this entire story has) I would like to say (write) a few words about the future of this story.

‘The Phoenix Arrow’ as you will know by now does not cover everything. I’m afraid many people will say it covered nothing, but that is a risk I must face. The Phoenix Arrow has been intended for this end since it’s first scriblings on paper. I am a poor person when it comes to endings, and I know that this ending will have disapointed and angered many people. Please be patient with me. I did not make it known to many, I perhaps should have and apologise for my misconduct in this, but the Phoenix Arrow was never intended as a single story. There are in fact three stories, the tentative tiles for these have remained ‘The Phoenix Arrow’, ‘The Phoenix Feather’ and ‘The Phoenix Spirit’. The Phoenix Feather, the next story in the saga will not be written until The Phoenix Arrow is complete.

What do I mean by complete? This story has been the first draft, the first words carelessly scrawled on paper or thumped out on a keyboard. It has not been polished or refined, it has plot holes that could break your neck if you tripped on them, and not a very coherent flowing story. I intend to fix this. I have intended to fix it since very early on but have refrained a million times over because I felt it would not be constructive to try and fix it before it was finished. Now the story is finished I will get to my editing.

Once I am staisfied with my story, once it has reached my limit I will be taking this story in all it’s polished glory to a printery and self-publishing it. I know it is not the best story in the world, but I love it, and to see it in book form would give me a sense of completion and accomplishment I can not even imagine right now. I will even put it up for sale once that is all done. And if it does well I will turn my attention to ‘The Phoenix Feather’ with the same intent and purpose. I may try sending it to publishers, but I doubt it is of any quality to gain their attention and I am a fragile being who can not take rejection very well so I’m not sure if that is the right path for me. It does not matter. What ever happens, whatever I do with my story or is done with it I will keep information about it on my personal website (which although I have not updated in ages will hopefully be fixed up the next time I have time to breath) which can be reached through my profile. I know this all sounds like self advertising and it is, but many people have actually expressed interest in the posiblity of buying my story in book format.

What else is there to say? I do not know. Oh. On the advertising I will make one thing clear. I realise everyone has read this story now, and yes the polishing of it will make it about 80 times beter but I have kept aside a few things for the novel itself. No not the main story, but several back stories that I have fiddled with over the history of this stories creation. Most pominate are the stories of the harem and how they came to where they are. This may be of little interest to anyone but me but I felt I needed to point out that I will be including unpublished material that relates to the novel.

I am running out of words, an unusual thing for me, but I am sure with so many years of writing this story that I have forgotten things I am meant to say. So if I have not covered something, ask me about it. Include your e-mail address and I will reply directly, and prompty (I’m a nerd I do little but watch for reviews). I would be more then happy to reply to anything anyone asks.

Oh, on this story and why it ended where it did. This story, is primarily a story of the changing of ideals. Kalika was a fixed character when it began, she was a certain person and she was much that sort of person that very little would have altered it. I know it’s an odd thing to write a story about, but low and behold it is what the story was about. I know I shouldn’t be explaining it but I’m sure some people didn’t see it.

Okay my ramble is done. I will now stop. Please feel free to e-mail me and harase me and any of that sort of stuff. I am more then happy to deal with complaints about my ending one on one or anything else you have to say.

Thank you again for all your time, and if you read this rant, your effort as well. :D

Best of luck in everything!

Amanda Robinson aka Kimra

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On a side note I do have an ultra special thanks to the people who managed to review so much they stuck in my memory. I could not have done this without you (espcially since most of you have been with the story since very very early on): Ameliebabie, Angelgirlie805, Artemis the Brave, CrazNM, Crazygurl70, Crimson Starlight, Heather A. Moeller, Lioness Knight, MikaQ, Nina , SailorPhi and who cares4.