Well, I'm still up to my elbows editing "The Door to Unger." It's my least favourite part of the writing process. I'm sure any writer would agree. If I had my way, I'd go on making changes to the story forever. But then, I suppose, you would NEVER get to read it.

Despite the editing work, I've been continuing my work on the illustrations for the book and I want to introduce the newest character to the series: Effryn Haggle Horn. Below is the concept sketch for the character and a final illustration.



As you can see, Effryn is a Faun. He is a funny fellow, a purveyor of "magical marvels", a seller of charms, and...er, well—in short, a huckster. In particular, he has one enchanted item, whispering inside his silver bottle (shown in the picture), that is of particular interest to young Kendra. Will he be of a help to Kendra, or a hinderance? Well, you'll just have to wait to find out...

One final note: astute readers of "Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers" may have noticed a connection between the Een people and Fauns, for their main town is called Faun's End.