But because it makes me happy, here is Emily Elliott's map of Etsey, with her notes for meeting with the solicitor.  It's a rough draft, but it's so fun.  I'm thinking of including this in lieu of the prologue.  (It doesn't have that information, but I'm hoping it's orienting, in a way.)

(Click to make big.)

 Etsey book 2.  Which I think is going to be called:

I talked here last month about an epiphany that I was letting out the magic in writing by talking about my stories too much; I'm not going back on that, but I was just cleaning, listening to good old E.S. and had this huge insight into the second story in Etsey.  I think it came because I have, I suspect, started to see the end of this one.  This one is going to have an end, but I'm quickly realizing that I am not at all done with Madeline or Jonathan anymore than I am Charles.  This is lovely, but a bit daunting.  Also, the particular end to this one was feeling very heavy, and it was bringing me down.  So while I was cleaning out the fridge, hacking at the frozen chicken stock that had congealed at the bottom of the crisper drawers (don't ask), "Nara" from E.S. Posthumus came on, and I started seeing things.  And then I saw more, and more, and more, and then I was standing in the middle of the open fridge, staring into southern Catal and a brand new character, and I got all tingly and breathless and said, "Oh."

I ran upstairs to see who she was. 

I need an image, of course, so I started googling.  But what?  I could see her in my head--I knew she was wicked strong and beautiful and very, very sexy.  But how do you search for that?  At a loss, I decided to start with the song.  So I searched "nara."  I hit a lot of beautiful Buddist temples, some odd images of deer and cranky cartoon girls, and then, there in the corner, there was this woman.  She looked semi-clothed.  I saw a lot of Spanish, and then, next to the bolded 'nara' I also saw Wanda.  So, of course, the next google was "wanda nara."

DO NOT GOOGLE IMAGE WANDA NARA AT WORK.  But my straight male/lesbian/bisexual readers?  Oh, you may want to do so as soon as you get home.

This is the first character whom I can't post a photo of without cropping.  I finally found a few that are okay or mostly so, but the best ones I cannot post.  If you want to meet the new character, however, I can give you a headshot.  People with imagination can fill in the bottom half.