As the pre-Revolutionary, historical-fiction series moves closer to said-Revolution, more and more information, names, relationships and events become apparent and, happily?, available: diary entries, letters, museum and library archives and newspaper accounts, including digital indices for every, single edition of the London Gazette printed since 1665 ... sigh. I also found 7,500 letters to pick through via HistoryTales.org, including letters from George Washington to John Blair (President of the Governor's Council) and a number of other folks in Williamsburg in the 1750s. Similar to picking minced onions out of a tabouli salad, this is going to take a while.

I am well into my research and have set in mind, the death of a beloved mainstay, which makes for some interesting, very Goth, 18thC. funereal studies. As readers of the series will know, I also add a new fellow with each title, in addition to the main animal characters whom follow through the series: Savannah, Dante and Ichabod: Petruchio the brooding Mastiff in Book I, Pomeroy the happy-go-lucky Sea gull in Book II, and Sterling di Padua the flamboyant Fox in Book III. My newest animal? A French-Indian beaver named Mingo. I'm also thinking of adding a mischievous monkey named Bes, named after the Egyptian god of humor. (Thank you to a very special reader in Puerto Rico for that suggestion!!)

What I do not have is a strong, tight outline. I also do not have nearly enough antique, ship's decanters filled with port wine

Tarina Tarantino's Sparlicity Shimmer. Perhaps, introducing my new characters in one place might gel something in my noodle; and get me closer to my Sparklicity.