If you enjoyed Serafina and the Splintered Heart, I encourage you to let people know about it, post reviews and comments online, and share your impressions with others. Thank you for helping to spread the word. But please avoid revealing how the story starts with Serafina in spirit form, the appearance of Rowena and the Black Cloak, and other details. Enjoying this book depends on the reader knowing no more than Serafina does at any particular moment, so it’s important to avoid spoilers.
I would like to touch on a few elements of this story. The Cherokee are an important part of our community here in Western North Carolina today. I would like to thank the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI), the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Western North Carolina University, and members of the Cherokee tribe for their assistance with the depiction of Waysa, the Cherokee people, and the Kituhwa dialect of the Cherokee language that is spoken here in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
When you read this story, you may have thought that the idea of making fabric from spider silk sounds a bit far-fetched, but in reality, spider silk is an exciting new area of textile research. This includes using natural spider silk, creating synthetic spider silk, and gene-splicing spider silk DNA into other animals to achieve enhanced qualities. One of the most impressive uses of natural spider silk is a golden-colored cape made from silk harvested sustainably from thousands of golden orb spiders. Creepy but true.
As I’ve mentioned in my previous author notes, Biltmore Estate is a real place, which you can visit and explore. I’ve worked hard to be historically accurate with my depiction of the house and grounds. I would like to thank Biltmore Estate and the descendants of George and Edith Vanderbilt for their continued support and encouragement of my writing efforts, and for all they are doing to preserve and protect an important part of our American history.
I write at home, nearly every day, and work in close connection with my family. I would like to thank my daughters, Camille, Genevieve, and Elizabeth, for helping me to create this story and improve many of its details. And I would like to thank my wife, Jennifer, for working closely with me to refine the writing. My family is an integral part of my writing process.
And once again, I would like to extend my thanks to my agent, my beta readers and consulting editors, and everyone on the Serafina Team in Asheville and around the country who have helped make the Serafina series what it is.
I would also like to give my sincere gratitude to Laura Schreiber and Emily Meehan, my editors at Disney Hyperion, and the rest of the wonderful Disney Hyperion team. I am so honored to be part of your efforts to bring high-quality, imaginative books to readers of all ages.
Finally, I would like to thank you, the reader. In an era of easy distraction, I am so thankful for your willingness to journey with me into the heart and imagination of Serafina’s world. Thank you for reading my stories, and for all your support and encouragement.
Stay Bold,
—Robert Beatty
Asheville, North Carolina