[Author's note: character chat instructions]

OUR FIRST CHARACTER CHAT event takes place tomorrow at 2 p.m. EST. Here's how to join in.

Go to http://chevenga.digitalnovelists.com/node/10

There you’ll see the chat box entitled... what else... “The Puckered Fig.”

You can either sign in as “Guest” or, if you want to use a screen name and avatar, click on “Sign Up.” Create an account at Chatroll. The chatbox will then identify you by your screen name.

Once you have an account, you can log in on the box at the bottom of the chat box… useful for future character chats we might hold!

If you want the chat in a separate screen (which we’ve found sometimes works better) click on the little window with arrow icon, bottom right of chatbox.

We are going into this with the attitude of, "First time, technical difficulties are almost inevitable so let’s assume they’ll happen and be pleasantly surprised if they don’t.” Bear with us if they do.

Tomorrow's chat will feature the Spark of the Sun's Ray himself, First Minis Kurkas Joras Amitzas Aan. He doesn't bite. Mostly. You may lurk if you like, we don't require verbal participation.

N.B. -- we're holding the chat on the nascent version of my upgraded website. So if you want to do a little exploring elsewhere on it, go ahead. None of the book content is there yet, but there are blurbs, FAQ, the Millennipedia, etc. There is also a nascent forum -- only one we've got, which we hope to develop into a true community once the new site is going. So register as a user and play in there if you like, and if you have any comments, suggestions or requests for the website, let me know in a comment here or a forum post there.

--