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 Out on a Limb
The characters in Out on a Limb have been part of a feud for generations. What started as a friendly rivalry between two family-owned airstrips ended up as vicious resentment that kept Elise and Cutch from their happily ever after for years! Based loosely on the famous Hatfield/McCoy feud, both of the feuding Holyoake families ended up with "Mc" names. To help readers keep the names straight, our McCutcheon hero goes by Cutch.
Elise gets her first name straight from Southwest Iowa, where the name seems to be particularly popular. After hearing about several youngsters in that area with the first name Elise, it became my top pick for a realistic character name. The only problem was, while typing the story, I often found myself inadvertently typing Elsie instead of Elise. Before submitting the final manuscript, I did a find/replace that swapped out 28 accidental Elsies!
Henry "Cutch" McCutcheon IV
Henry's name started out as Gilbert. When my editor decided Gilbert sounded too wimpy (okay, I have to agree with her on that one) she asked for a more masculine name. Since I needed a name that would have been around four generations ago (since Cutch is the fourth in his family with the name) I picked Henry, which just happens to also be my son's name. And a very good name at that!
Maggie Arnold
Maggie's name started out because of a scene that was eventually cut from the book--a moment of confusion over her identity because her given name was Margaret but she went by Maggie. As it ends up, the need for a name with a common nickname wasn't necessary, but by then Maggie had stuck. Her last name, Arnold, is the last name my cousin picked up when she got married. I thought it sounded nice, so I stole it!
Gideon Bromley
Gideon makes his first appearance in Out on a Limb. He's the sheriff of Holyoake County and, as such, I wanted his name to have a dependable ring to it. And who's more trusted or dependable than good old Wilford Brimley? Since I couldn't steal his name outright (er, I think it was already taken) Brimley became Bromley. Gideon gets his first name from the Bible character, because after all, who's more trustworthy than a Bible hero? A Bible hero who reminds you of Wilford Brimley, of course.
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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