Heather Gunter's Blog, page 56

Blog Tour: Willing Captive by Belle Aurora

Welcome to our stop on the Willing Captive blog tour.  Belle Aurora became a favorite of ours with Friend Zoned.  Her latest novel, while unrelated, maintains the same quick wit, intrigue and absolutely fall in lovable (...is that even a term?...) characters.


Title: Willing CaptiveAuthor: Belle AuroraGenre: New AdultRelease Date: September 26, 2013Hosted by: Love Between the Sheets


Delilah “Lily” Flynn is used to her drab existence. Lily’s been living it for twenty two years. 
Her boring life is suddenly turned on its head when she’s rudely kidnapped from her bedroom.
Or so she thinks.
Nox Taylor is far too high up in his field to be assigned a babysitting job. 
There’s nothing more he wants than to complete his mission so he can be rid of the smartass tomboy, Lily.

Day after day, Nox watches Lily and her strange ways. She’s unlike any woman he’s ever met. 
Getting close to the girl is purely for her own protection…right?

Lily never imagined she’d make her first real friends in captivity. 
What lengths would she go through to keep them?
(Author note: This is NOT a dark romance.)


We reach the diner looking like a newlywed couple. Smiles, hugs, and happy. No one would guess we’re sweaty, hot, and tired. When I try to sit at the booth, I almost get whiplash when Nox pulls me into the same side as him. Close. The waitress comes over wearing a knowing smile. Before she gets to us, I pinch his thigh and hiss through a fake smile, “Would you stop doing that?”
He places his lips at the shell of my ear and whispers, “You keep pinching me and I might just pinch you somewhere you don’t want to be pinched, baby.”
Well…
That certainly shut me up.

Belle Aurora is twenty six years old and was born in the land down under. 
At an early age she fell in love with reading. Boredom one summer had her scouring the bookshelves at home. She stumbled across Sandra Brown’s Breath of Scandal and fell in love with romance.
  Having been brought up in a loud and boisterous family of Croatian descent, she developed a natural love for dramatics and humor. Only some years ago had she discovered a new love. 

Humorous romance novels.


Kristen Ashley and R.L. Mathewson had opened a brand new world where she could lose herself yet feel safe and at home in their stories.

Belle has been known to become a screeching banshee while anxiously awaiting their newest titles.
Belle never thought she would write. It had never interested her until recently. Friend-Zoned began to form and in February this year Belle typed the words Chapter One.

And she fell in love.


With words.


With writing.


With a creative imagination she never knew she harbored.


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Soundtrack: I Surrender by Monica James

I Surrender by Monica James is making history!!
For the first time ever, a soundtrack has been written to accompany a book!! The 10 track album was written by Passengers of Ego, the band starring in the novel. All songs were inspired by I Surrender, and reflect a chosen chapter in the book.
The album entitled, I Surrender will be available via iTunes, and also on CD on October 25th 2013.
For pre orders- passengersofego.bigcartel.com

Passengers of Ego are coming!  
Check out the video! Monica James’ publisher, theEDGEbooks.com has put together an author signing and band performance of P.O.E. to help celebrate the release of the CD at the legendary, House of Blues in Downtown Disney, Anaheim! Come out to meet Monica James and the band Nov. 2, 2013 at Rockin’ the Holidays Indie Readers Bash! Be a part of history!

It took one life shattering moment, for her to realize, her EX is not the man she believed him to be. Returning home to Los Angeles was never going to be easy for Ava. Her heart has been shattered to smithereens and she’s convinced it’ll never heal. Or, so she thought.

Enter Jasper White.

Unbeknown to Ava, Jasper White will change her life forever.

The attraction is instantaneous which troubles Ava, who has sworn off men indefinitely. But, she is finding resisting Jasper, with his tousled bedroom hair and piercing cerulean eyes, harder than she ever imagined. And that’s because Jasper knows what he wants, and he wants Ava.

But, can Ava surrender to her feelings for the one man who compels her to love again? Because, what happens if love does not triumph all? What happens if love isn’t enough?


Monica James is Amazon's bestselling author of I Surrender, the first book in the I Surrender Trilogy. I Surrender was released July 30th 2013 through theEDGEbooks.com 

Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson. Listening to the likes of Elvis to Fiona Apple and everything in between has been her inspirational tool to write. Her varied musical and literary tastes have shaped her into the writer she has become. Monica partook in extra Literature and Writing studies in High School. She studied a Bachelor of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University Victoria, Australia, majoring in Philosophy and Cinema Studies for three years. When she is not writing she is running her own business, but always finds a balance between the two. Monica enjoys reading honest, heartfelt and turbulent stories that leave an imprint on her. She put pen to paper because she wanted to write a book that she would want to read. She draws inspiration from her surroundings, hopeful others enjoy reading about the world as she sees it.


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Cover Reveal: Rage by Michelle Pace and Tammy Coons

“Rage” by Michelle Pace and Tammy CoonsContemporary Romance, Contemporary WomenAnticipated Release: December 1, 2013Cover Reveal Hosted by: Literary Mania Reviews




"Fury's" sequel "Rage" THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED TALE OF FURY'S FRONT MAN 
PHILLIP AND STEPHANIE OF "THE SOUND WAVE". 


Phillip Kersey finds himself and his hotheaded girlfriend, Stephanie, at a crossroads. He's the singer of the chart-topping rock band, Fury, and they're forever in the studio laying down tracks for their third album.

Steph's photography career has exploded. She's always on location and out of his grasp. Tired of Skype dates and stolen weekends, Phillip makes plans to whisk her off to Ireland so he can pop the question.

When Steph returns to the U.K. for the birth of their friends' baby, Phillip finally gets his chance. He's down on one knee when tragedy strikes. Aching hearts cause tempers to flair chaotically out of control. Phillip feels pushed aside and vanishes. Assumptions and accusations follow, and the public fallout between them becomes the stuff of legend.

When fate brings both Fury and Stephanie to a remote Brazilian paradise, the former lovers have no choice but to face each other head on. Will their wildfire chemistry burn down the wall between them, or will the tumultuous pair simply go up in flames?









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Review Tour: Wild Child (Wild Ones #1.5) by M. Leighton

Are you ready for M. Leighton's new novella WILD CHILD ? A part of the Wild Ones Series, this contemporary romance novella is hot and steamy! Releasing October 22, 2013, you aren't going to want to miss getting your hands on Rusty...errr, Trick... I mean,
WILD CHILD of course! See below for Heather's review and all of the information on WILD CHILD and M. Leighton, as well as where to find her. Make sure to follow along with the Tour and read all of the reviews being posted!






Jenna Theopolis has always known what she wanted. Getting out of her small hometown of Greenfield was number one on her list of priorities. Until she met Rusty Catron.
Rusty’s fun-loving personality was the perfect match for Jenna’s inner wild child. But what started off as a summer fling quickly turns into something more. At least it does for Jenna.
Rusty has lived with the ghost of his father’s abandonment since he was a child, but now he’s beginning to feel the crippling effects of his scars. He wants to trust in Jenna, but deep down he doesn’t believe someone so wild and free can ever be tamed. 
But tragedy strikes, pushing Jenna out of Greenfield and leaving Rusty with a choice to make—face his inner demons or lose the love of his life. Forever.





I've been a fan of Michelle's since the very beginning, reading Caterpillar and Wiccan and the Blood like Poison series; which I'm still waiting for more by the way (Caterpillar & Wiccan)... I tell her this all the time, so it's no secret. As far as contemporary romance series go, The Wild One's is up there as one of my very favorites to date.

I loved this book and I do mean LOVED!! I loved Jenna before, but I certainly love her even more now!! My only complaint was that it was a novella and not a novel. I wanted it to be longer so I could bask in the hotness of Rusty. I was a huge fan of Rusty in The Wild Ones but it doesn't even begin to compare to Wild Child. We get a bigger taste and I still need more of him!! 

What I love is we finally get to see the big picture. We get to see Jenna who has always come across wild and free and maybe for a while she was just that, a Wild Child. But the truth of the matter is that maybe, just maybe it took someone strong, crazy about her, willing to 'tame' her in to staying. 

I said this before but I'm saying it again. I love Trick. He's just always been 'it' for me. The sexy southern boy with charm. However Rusty is now neck and neck with Trick. That ladies is saying something! ;)

Ladies, get ready to feel the Rusty love. Cause you are going to devour him like I did. 

5 Fabulous stars - *Sigh* still dreaming of Rusty...


M. Leighton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Wild Ones and The Bad Boys romance trilogies. She is a native of Ohio, relocated to the warmer climates of the South, where she lets her mind wander to romantic settings with sexy Southern guys much like the one she married and the ones you'll find in her latest books. When her thoughts aren't roaming in that direction, she'll be riding horses, swimming in ponds and experiencing life on a ranch, all without leaving the cozy comfort of her office.

For more about M. Leighton, visit her website or follow her on Twitter.






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Blog Tour: Schasm by Shari J. Ryan

Welcome to our stop on the Schasm blog tour.  We've got a guest post from Shari today and she's shared with us her inspiration for this story.




When reality utterly fails you, there is always the comfort of the land of dreams. Chloe Valcourt, a tormented nineteen-year-old young woman, has for twelve years hovered between a daily life dominated by an abusive mother and an imagined alternate world that exists only in her mind’s eye. Can she keep track of which is real—and whether or not she is real, too? Schasm is the mind-bending young adult romance by Shari J. Ryan that mines the heart of darkness, where one young woman seeks light in her own shimmering daydreams.

A psychological condition has captured the body, mind, and soul of Chloe, and thrust her into the hands of probing doctors at the continued mercy of her tyrannical mother. As she struggles to break free of the grim life into which she was born, she continues to suffer the daily assaults from her mother and the dispiriting weakness of her dejected father. When Chloe unexpectedly finds herself drawn into a new, warm life abundant in love and romance with a kindhearted man named Alex, the escape at last gives her a happiness that she's never been allowed to feel. However, when hidden truths reveal a life that she cannot remember, Chloe finds herself lost between what is real and what isn't.

Blending extreme daydreaming, alternating realities, and multiple personalities, Schasm is a gripping tale that treads the thin line between a harrowing reality and the captivating terrain of an imagined world. As Chloe plays too close to the edge of insanity, her multiple realities clash, leaving her to question everything, including her own existence. Anyone who relishes a flight of fancy with richly drawn characters and surprising twists of plot will be immersed in the strange new world of Schasm, where nothing is at it seems.



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The open snow-covered field is mesmerizing to look at, and as I stare at it while whizzing by, the snow begins to melt into a blur and turns into the texture of sand. The sand leads my eyes to a blue ocean, rather than the white sky, and the branches of pine trees curl outward as they turn into palm trees.

I experience a brief sense of excitement, thinking I’m heading to my happy place, but it quickly becomes overshadowed as I feel myself choking on water that’s now flooding through my mouth. With an attempt to clear my lungs and throat, I try to force myself to cough up the liquid, but instead of freeing my lungs I end up inhaling more, forcing me to choke even harder. I can’t breathe, and my vision is becoming so blurry that I’m unable to see anything other than some strange curvy lines. My once soothing thoughts are now turning into a panicked frenzy, and all I can do is try to breathe through the breaks of choking. But it seems useless since I just end up inhaling more water. I try to open my eyes again, but instead I become overwhelmed with a burning sensation similar to having soap in my eyes. This is ridiculous!


After what seems like an eternity with no air or sight, I regain some of my vision. I quickly try to focus on what’s going on around me, but before I can make anything out, the scorching sensation returns again. A feeling of impending blackness comes over me as I succumb to the sensation of drowning, and I feel weightless and numb. My body has stopped struggling, and I find some comfort lying on whatever soft surface I appear to be on. As the weakness continues to take over, lethargy begins to set in until I unexpectedly feel two arms underneath me. One arm slides under my legs and the other under my neck. I’m lifted up with ease and carried a few feet from where I was and then placed back down again.
By turns, pressure is being applied to my chest and air is being blown into my mouth as my lips are soothed by a smooth, dispassionate sensation. I feel the rush of trapped water racing up my lungs, through my esophagus, up through my throat, and out of my mouth. The movement fortunately allows me to gasp for air, and after a few free breaths, I feel it’s safe to open my eyes.
There’s a guy in front of me, and he’s dripping wet, kneeling over my body with a concerned look as he tries to catch his own breath.
“Are you okay?” he asks in a soft-spoken voice, his mouth still only inches from mine.I attempt to respond, but the only thing I can manage to do is cough up more water, right in his face.
He swiftly lifts my head up off of the ground, forcing my airway to open a bit more, and it thankfully seems to help with the choking. After another grueling minute of coughing up more water, I look around and see that I’m sitting just a few feet away from the ocean. I also notice a surrounding crowd of people gawking at me with alarmed looks.






What was the inspiration for Schasm?
I have two little boys who take up most of my time, causing my mind to have a constant focus on cleaning bottles, a baby’s butt, and mashed food off of the floor. One night after the kids went to bed, I decided to focus on something non-kid related to remind myself that my mind does more than translate baby gibberish. That was the day I decided to sit down and come up with an idea for my book.
The next afternoon during nap time  I was staring aimlessly out of the window at three feet of snow, thick grey clouds, and the streetlights flickering in the middle of the afternoon. It was a depressing New England winter day, and my mind only wanted to wander toward the golden sands of San Diego (One of my favorite places). My quick mind-drift lead me to the thought of what it might be like to daydream my way out of the cold. Then I began to wonder if people had that capability and if they did what they would do with it. It was at that moment that the story of Schasm began to flood my mind.
Inspiration began to pour out of every part of my life. People watching in supermarkets, restaurants and doctors offices helped me with the character development. The places I had traveled to in the past helped me with location research, but oddly enough, the biggest place I found inspiration was within the music I listened to.
When I was writing a sad or depressing scene, I listened to bands like Mogwai or Explosions In The Sky. That type of music is new to me, and I’ve only recently come across the particularly dark genre, but most of the songs are just haunting enough that they helped me connect with the pain that my characters were feeling in certain scenes.  And then for the upbeat adrenaline rushing scenes, I listened to fast classical orchestra and some Dubstep which seemed to get my mind moving a little faster. The list of emotions tied with different musical genres has been a huge asset throughout writing Schasm, and the other two books in the trilogy, as well.
I'm thankful for finding inspiration in unexpected places because my stories wouldn't be what they are without them.



Shari J. Ryan has always dreamt of becoming an author and finally decided it was time to pursue her lifelong aspiration by writing her debut young adult novel, Schasm. She has long nurtured a passion for art, reading, and writing, and those hobbies have become a mental escape from her busy life. In the past year, she has put her heart and soul into the creation of her novel, which has taught her that it is never too late and nothing is too hard. The author graduated with a bachelors of science degree from Johnson & Wales University and has written hundreds of articles for various online publications. She is married with two sons.




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Release Day Blitz: Sweet Surrendering by Chelsea M. Cameron

Today is Release Day for Sweet Surrendering by Chelsea M. Cameron and we're helping her celebrate!!  For a short time you can grab a copy of Sweet Surrendering for just 99c - be quick and save yourself $3!!





She’s his boss. He doesn’t care. This office isn’t big enough for the two of them…

When Rory Clarke ends up hiring the guy she spent one steamy night with to be her administrative assistant, she's determined to keep things professional.
Lucas Blaine has other plans for her. He wants Rory, and it’s hard to resist his stunning blue eyes, chin dimple and the way he fills out a suit. Everywhere she looks, there he is, giving her a panty-melting smile and pulling her away for the most amazing (and satisfying) sex she’s ever had in her life.

What starts off as one sexual encounter turns into multiple trysts in and out of the office and the lines she’d tried to draw so carefully are blurring. But the closer they get, the more Rory realizes that there are things about Lucas she doesn’t know, things he’s hiding from her. She’ll have to decide if she can surrender to her feelings or get out while she still can.



























Chelsea M. Cameron is a YA/NA New York Times/USA Today Best Selling author from Maine. Lover of things random and ridiculous, Jane Austen/Charlotte and Emily Bronte Fangirl, red velvet cake enthusiast, obsessive tea drinker, vegetarian, former cheerleader and world's worst video gamer. When not writing, she enjoys watching infomercials, singing in the car and tweeting (this one time, she was tweeted by Neil Gaiman). She has a degree in journalism from the University of Maine, Orono that she promptly abandoned to write about the people in her own head. More often than not, these people turn out to be just as weird as she is.

Her New Adult Contemporary Romance titles include My Favorite Mistake, which has been bought by Harlequin along with a sequel, Deeper We Fall and Faster We Burn (April 20, 2013)

Her Young Adult books include Nocturnal, Nightmare and Neither, the first three books in The Noctalis Chronicles. The fourth and final book, Neverend will be out in 2013. Whisper, the first in The Whisper Trilogy is also available, with the second book in the series, Silence and the final book, Listen coming out in 2014.



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Grand prize winner: Will get to name a character in a future book, win a signed inspiration collage, and a red shoe charm bracelet. 4 runners up will receive a red shoe charm bracelet. Contest is international.
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Blog Tour: Unspoken Memories by Gabbie S. Duran

Welcome to our stop on the blog tour for Unspoken Memories, the debut novel from Gabbie S. Duran.  We cannot wait to read this one!  The combination of the stunning cover and intriguing synopsis has definitely got us shuffling our reading schedule to fit it in!






She awoke with no memory of who she was, but one clue will lead her to him…

Abigail Adams had it all, she's a gorgeous supermodel, has a wealthy fiancé, and a career on the rise. But that quickly changes when she wakes up in the hospital not remembering anything. The only memories she does have are not her own, but of a total stranger.

When Abigail discovers that her fiancé has been cheating on her, she leaves him and runs to the arms of the one man she is hoping will give her the answers she seeks.

Matt Garcia is used to playing the field, keeping his heart guarded, but then Abigail Adams unexpectedly shows up at his door hoping he will be the answer she is looking for. Will he finally learn to take a break from his no strings attached lifestyle and show her that she doesn’t need her past, but the future he is willing to offer her?

With every unspoken memory she regains, will she learn to open up her heart to a total stranger, or will she keep it guarded like he does?





Gabbie is a Southern California native, who currently lives in Washington with her wonderful husband, two amazing kids and a senior citizen kitty. When she’s not writing you can find her reading or sneaking off for a run. Some might say it’s a crazy life, but she wouldn’t change anything about it.





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Cover Reveal: The Thrill of it by Lauren Blakeley

The Thrill of It is a sexy New Adult Contemporary Romance novel that will let you see Lauren Blakely’s writing as you have never seen it before.


Title: The Thrill of ItAuthor: Lauren BlakelyCover: Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations

A new adult story of Love. Sex. Addiction. Blackmail. And Power...

Some say love can be an addiction. Others say it's the thing that makes life worth living. Let me tell you everything I know about love...Love isn't patient, love isn't kind. Love is a game, a chase. A thrill. Love is wild and war-like, and every man and woman must fight for themselves. At least that's how it was for me. A high-priced virgin call girl by the time I started college, I was addicted to love and to sex. Even though I've never had either. I controlled love, played it, and held the world in the palm of my hands. Then I fell down from those highs, and I'm being blackmailed for all my mistakes, forced to keep secrets from everyone, except the only guy I don't regret.

Trey...

With all the other women, I knew what they were. They were temporary. They were pills, they were bottles, they took away all the pain, and numbed the awful memories that wore down my ragged, wasted heart. Until I met Harley. She's the only girl I ever missed when she walked away. But now she's back in my life, every day, and there are no guarantees for us, especially since I don't know how to tell her my secrets. What happened to my family. All I know is she's the closest I've ever come to something real, and I want to feel every second of it.

How can you love with no regrets when regret is all you know?



Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and her books have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. Like the heroine in FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. Her novels include Caught Up In Us, Pretending He’s Mine, Playing With Her Heart, and Trophy Husband. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney.



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The pre-order for The Thrill of It is being offered at a promotional price of $2.99. After the book is released it will be priced at $3.99 so grab yourself a copy now!
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Book Blitz: Riptides by Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt

Today is the official release day of Riptides: A Lengths Novella by Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt!
Riptides is a companion novella, meaning you don't have to read all of the books in the series (or in order). You can read any of them as a standalone, or skip around in the series!

Title: Riptides: A Lengths NovellaAuthors: Steph Campbell and Liz ReinhardtRelease Date: October 15, 2013


Enzo Rodriguez doesn't take much seriously--unless it involves waves, boards, or good beer.

When too-hot-to-handle Jessica Mills strolls into his life, Enzo is willing to forego all of those things for every second he can spend with her.

But Jessica has a huge secret--and when it’s revealed, it not only crushes Enzo, but has the last person he wants to ask a favor of--his brother-in-law Adam--bailing him out of jail.

Enzo is convinced that the only way to mend his bruised ego and heart, is to pack his bags and leave the turbulent waters of Silver Strand...for good.



Steph Campbell
Steph Campbell grew up in Southern California, but now calls the Northeast home. She has one husband, four children and a serious nail polish obsession. She's repped by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Steph's works include Delicate, Grounding Quinn and Beautiful Things Never Last; My Heart for Yours and My Fate for Yours (with Jolene Perry); A Toast to the Good Times (with Liz Reinhardt) and the bestselling new adult LENGTHS series with Liz Reinhardt: Lengths, Depths, Limits and coming soon: Ties & Riptides.


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Liz ReinhardtLiz Reinhardt was born and raised in the idyllic beauty of northwest NJ. A move to the subtropics of coastal Georgia with her daughter and husband left her with a newly realized taste for the beach and a bloated sunscreen budget. Right alongside these new loves is her old, steadfast affection and longing for bagels and the fast-talking foul mouths of her youth.

She loves Raisinettes, even if they aren't really candy, the Oxford comma, movies that are hilarious or feature zombies, any and all books, but especially romance (the smarter and hotter, the better), the sound of her daughter's incessantly wise and entertaining chatter, and watching her husband work on cars in the driveway.

She is the author of the Brenna Blixen series (Double Clutch, Junk Miles, Slow Twitch), the Youngblood series (Fall Guy, Perfectly Unmatched), and co-writes with the awesome Steph Campbell in the Lengths series (Lengths, Depths, Limits, Ties, Riptides).

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Blog Tour: The Tattoo Thief by Heidi Joy Tretheway

Welcome to our stop on the blog tour for Tattoo Thief by Heidi Joy Tretheway.  We got to chat with Heidi Joy about choosing character names in our guest post.


22-year-old Beryl doesn't know why Gavin Blakely trashed his penthouse, abandoned his dog and fled the country. But as his house sitter, she must pick up the pieces for the front man of the white-hot rock band Tattoo Thief. 

When ultra-responsible Beryl confronts the reckless rock star, she wants to know more than just what to do with his mess. Why is he running? What’s he searching for? And is he responsible for the death of his muse?

New York newbie Beryl must find her footing in Gavin’s world of the ultra-wealthy to discover her own direction and what can bring him back.

Steamy, sharp and heartfelt, Tattoo Thief is a story of love, redemption and escaping a comfort zone to find a second chance.


Deciding on Character Names
I know how hard it was choosing a name for my son - I can't imagine naming multiple book characters.
It’s tough! Not quite as tough as naming my kids (for the sake of marital harmony, my husband and I gave both of our kids two middle names), but still a challenge since every name is loaded with the reader’s own experience. My only rule is that I won’t name a main character for someone I know well. My friends’ names sometimes appear in my books as minor characters, but the main characters need a blank slate.
How do you go about picking a character's name?
The story drove me to name Beryl, the main character and narrator in Tattoo Thief. Her late father was a pilot and admired adventurous aviation pioneers, so he named his daughter after Beryl Markham, the first woman to cross the Atlantic solo from east to west.
There’s a personal connection for me there, too. My (very much alive) father is a pilot and gave me Beryl Markham’s memoir, West With the Night, when I was a teenager. He inscribed it, “Be safe, but have an adventure.” The longing for adventure is a key driver for my character Beryl.
The writing process and coincidence helped me name Gavin. I knew I wanted to Beryl to be a young woman who moves to New York from her small hometown to become a house sitter for New York’s elite, so I took a trip to New York to research Tattoo Thief. In the airport on the way there, I saw a guy with a tattoo just below his collarbone but I couldn’t read what it said.
My mind made the leap that maybe the tattoo was written backwards, as if it were meant for just the wearer to see in the morning when he looked in the mirror. I knew my main character would be a reckless rock star who trashed his penthouse and fled, leaving house sitter Beryl to pick up the pieces.
So, on my first day in New York, I wandered into a gastropub called The Spotted Pig while brainstorming ideas for the rock star’s tattoo and I chatted with the bartender there, who did his best to offer ideas. Although I left the pub still not knowing what the tattoo would say, I was charmed by the sweet bartender, so I used his name for my main character, Gavin.
How do you know you've got it right?
I knew Beryl was right from the very beginning because her name is so much a part of the story. Gavin’s name grew on me rapidly, and several minor characters’ names are nods to people who influenced me while I was writing Tattoo Thief.
You have full permission to laugh at me for the fact that Beryl’s best friend is named after my friend’s cat, and that cat was named after a beer. Stella’s a hard-partying, sometimes untrustworthy friend whose dating motto is, “a bad boy can’t break your heart.”
One of Stella’s boys has my favorite name: Blayde. That came from an article on truly awful baby names. The snarky commentary, “Who’s his brother? Knyfe?” made me laugh so hard I knew it had to go in a book.
Another favorite name is Kiki Kennedy, “a flavor-of-the-month actress with golden skin and platinum hair. She’s poured into a tight red dress and clomps across the stage in platform shoes—about as far from classy as Jacqueline Kennedy is from crass.”
Have you ever changed a character’s name?
Sadly, yes. When Tattoo Thief’s book blurb was released, some bloggers noticed a similarity between my main character Gavin’s original last name and the name of the main character in another series.
The author was gracious enough to alert me that the characters’ names were only two letters different. Yikes! I didn’t want to confuse or annoy her readers, so it took less than ten minutes to decide to change my Gavin’s last name prior to release.
I found Gavin’s original last name in a business magazine, but I crowd-sourced Gavin’s new last name, asking friends and readers on Facebook for suggestions. I think this is a great way to share the long and lonely writing process, so I often post questions about naming on Facebook.
I credit friends and readers with great ideas including the name of Beryl’s coffee shop, the Mug Shot Café, and Gavin’s rock band, Tattoo Thief. That’s what started my name-sourcing collective. Early in my early research, I found out that the first name I chose for Tattoo Thief was a real rock band, and I asked for ideas of a band name that wasn’t taken.
I’m writing the second book in the Tattoo Thief series now, and if you want to play along and help me name new people and places, I’d love it! I’m at www.facebook.com/author.heidi.


Heidi Joy lives in Happy Valley off Sunnyside Road. She swears she did not make that up.

Heidi’s obsessed with storytelling. Her career includes marketing, journalism, and a delicious few years as a food columnist. Media passes took her backstage with several rock bands, where she learned that sometimes a wardrobe malfunction is exactly what the rock star intends.

You’ll most often find Heidi Joy with her husband and two small kids cooking, fishing, exploring the Northwest, and building epic forts in their living room.

She loves to hear from readers via messages on Facebook.


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