Have you ever wanted to know more about a character than what appears in the book? Or maybe you're curious about the author's inspiration for the characters and how they got their names. This fun page explores the characters from my books and the little details from their lives that you otherwise wouldn't know.
Characters from Survival Instinct
Scott Frasier
The hero of Survival Instinct was easy to name. Scott's a former college football player. If you're from Nebraska (as I am), you know two of the biggest names from the glory days of Cornhusker football were Scott Frost and Tommy Frasier. So, when I was trying to think of a name for my hero, Scott Frasier just seemed to fit. And yes, I've had readers who figured out where the name came from. He-hee! It's like a special inside-joke just for Husker fans!
Abby Caldwell
Abby Caldwell was never supposed to be named Abby. I gave her that name as a placeholder and told myself I'd figure out something else later. You see, Abby is my niece's name--and I didn't want to "steal" her name! But I never found a better name to fit this character. And as Abby Caldwell's role in the story grew, I realized she was a lot like my niece--strong, brave, resourceful...a woman after God's own heart! So you see, there wasn't any better name I could give her.
Marilyn Frasier-Adams You know how some shoe companies name their shoes? The Danielle, the Nicole--the name is supposed to invoke an image of the kind of gal who'd wear that shoe. We all know a Nicole who wore those practical-yet-cute loafers, right? Or a Danielle with the slipper-like wedges? And we've all known a Marilyn, too. A classy woman, a woman of style and sophistication, a woman with integrity and a backbone of steal. I've know several women named Marilyn who'd fit this description. So when it came time to name Marilyn, I didn't have to think. She was simply Marilyn.
Mitchell Adams Guilty confession? I like to give characters who go together coordinating names. It's kind of like naming twins--Emma and Ethan, Alexander and Angelica. The names not only help me keep my characters straight, but they give the reader a way of remembering who's who. So when it came time to name Marilyn's husband, Mitch was the obvious choice. He just sounds like he's going to be a menace, doesn't he?
Trevor Price Okay, no secrets here. You know from page one that Trevor Price is trouble with a capital "T". Trevor got his name because it sounds like "terror," and he's been terrorizing Abby long before the story starts. His last name, Price, is a nod to the driving force behind his actions: money. It also evokes the memory of Vincent Price, who starred in all those old-time horror movies. Yup, Trevor is a bad guy, through and through. But maybe you guessed that from his name already!
Characters from Troubled Waters
Tracie Crandall Your first met Tracie in Survival Instinct, where she worked closely with Trevor Price. Just like the Marilyn-Mitch combo, Trevor-and-Tracie were named to go together. But right off, you learned that Tracie didn't really go with Trevor. She helped Scott and Abby, and now she needs someone to help her. Because the trouble that began in book one isn't really over yet. In some ways, it's just getting started...
Heath Gerlach We already knew Tracie Crandall was a sweet girl in a tough spot. When she needed a hero to help her out, I knew I had to create a very special guy. Though his character leaps off the page from the very start of the book, Heath was difficult to name. He started out as Kael, which my editor felt was too foreign-sounding (okay, she was probably right). So I grabbed the baby name books and scoured for something similar but more familiar and narrowed it down to five names: Luke, Mark, Heath, Leith, or Kale. And my editor said "just not Leith or Kale". I picked Heath. Do you think I chose the right one?
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