She Sees Characters by Janice Maynard
One of the best parts of my job is imagining a new hero and heroine every time I start a book. For me, the names usually come first. I have several baby name books, and I have been known to scan through high school and college graduation programs for names I like. It’s important for me to be able to “see” the characters in my head as I’m describing them. I have writer friends who like to clip celebrity photos for inspiration. That doesn’t really work for me, but I do have a definite image in my brain by the time I start the story.
In SCOT ON THE RUN, I had so much fun creating what I call “nerd” characters. That’s not my usual pick, so Ian and Bella were definitely different. Often in romance novels you read about a man and a woman who are complete opposites. I have done that as well as a writer. But this time, my two main characters actually have more in common than they realize.
One of the downsides of character naming is that moment when you have a name you think would work, but there is someone in real life who has that same name, and it would be weird. For instance, you probably wouldn’t give the hero or heroine the same name as your gynecologist or your dentist. Ha!
It’s not only first names that are important. In the old days when we still had phone books, it was fun to flip through the pages, land in the G’s for instance, and pick a name at random. No phone books anymore, but I find all sorts of good places online to come up with new last names.
And of course, the first name and last name have to sound good together. Have you ever read a book where you hated a character’s name? That can really take you out of a story. Unfortunately, there is nothing an author can do about the fact that “somebody” has a negative connation about almost every name. Like maybe my hero’s name is the same as your ex-husband or the kid who humiliated you in school. Those unfortunate coincidences are going to happen no matter what.
If you have a chance to read SCOT ON THE RUN, I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know Bella and Ian. They turned out to be two of my favorite characters. J Happy reading, and happy summer…………….Janice Maynard
SCOT ON THE RUN…………….
Bella is housesitting in Portree, Scotland, for her brother, Finley, while he’s on his honeymoon. She expects a quiet time, enjoying the harbour town’s breathtaking views and quaint shops. So imagine her surprise when one of Great Britain’s most eligible bachelors comes pounding at her door in an attempt to evade both the paparazzi and a flurry of female fans. Unaware of his celebrity status, Bella reluctantly gives him sanctuary. Yet the surprises keep coming, and soon she’s persuaded to accompany him to Edinburgh . . . as his faux fiancée. But while helping him fend off his ardent admirers, Bella just may gain one very authentic admirer of her own . . .
You can purchase SCOT ON THE RUN at:
Kensington Books
About the Author:
Janice Maynard knew she loved books and writing by the time she was eight years old. But it took multiple rejections and many years of trying before she sold her first three novels in 1996 and 1997. After teaching kindergarten and second grade for sixteen years, Janice turned to writing full-time in the fall of 2002. Since then she has written and sold over forty-five books and novellas. Her publishers include Kensington, Penguin/NAL, Berkley, and Harlequin.
Janice lives in east Tennessee with her husband, Charles. They love hiking, traveling, and spending time with their daughters, Caroline and Anna, sons-in-law, Jamie and Chris, three granddaughters, Anastasia, Ainsley, and Allie, and the newest additions to the family, Levi and Hattie.
Author Links:
Website: www.JaniceMaynard.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/JaniceMaynard
Facebook: www.facebook.com/JaniceMaynardReaderPage
