Lynn
Lynn asked Kristen Ashley:

I L O V E your stories! They make me laugh, cry, feel, everything! I count down the days till your next book and reread your stories all the time! My question is: how do you find the names for all these awesome characters? Do they simply come to you? Are there people who fit the character so well you give them their name? Look up names on websites? I adore your more unique names :)

Kristen Ashley Characters get names a variety of ways. They could come to me named (like Lee Nightingale or Tatum Jackson).

I also have two HUGE name lists that I write down any name I hear/see that hits me. These have women's names, men's names, last names, nicknames, biker names, endearments and pet names (as in, for dogs and cats).

Last, sometimes I scour websites for names. Popular names. Cultural names. Foreign names. God/Goddess names. Etc.

Names, I think, are crucial for setting up a character with IMMEDIATE feels, giving a reader a sense of them. Even secondary character names. So I make sure in my mind they're perfect with the hope of making them the same for you.

Glad it works!
Kristen Ashley
39,408 followers

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