War hero Eric Montgomery returns from Iraq, hoping to revive his family’s Cape Cod marina and marry his childhood sweetheart. When his wife and unborn child die in a tragic auto accident Eric’s dreams are shattered. He spends long months grieving, losing himself in alcohol, isolation, and anger. Then Ashley Fitzhugh, a young woman he’s met only once, appears on his doorstep one stormy night. Eric is annoyed at first, but soon finds himself caring for his visitor and her young daughter–seeing in them a chance to rebuild the life he lost. When threatening phone calls, mysterious strangers, and covert agents invade their peaceful lives, Eric must decide: Is Ashley the answer to a prayer or part of the nightmare he can never escape?

Didn’t some sage on the 16^th Century say, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”… perhaps, but would it be as enticing, as interesting?

How would we view romantic fiction’s most popular and notorious heroine were her name Maude instead of Scarlett? And what if her long-suffering suitor was named Buddy instead of Rhett Butler would he have garnered the same swashbuckling bravado in our imaginations. And this works not only for the bold, the driven, and the beautiful. Let’s try and imagine a dark-hearted, morose old man named Fred instead of Ebenezer…not quite the same. And what about Alexandra Eyre? Somehow we find it hard to imagine Charlotte Bronte’s stubborn, small, plain (her words, BTW) heroine with such an illustrious name.

No, without a doubt, character names have a vital place in both historical and contemporary literature. How often do I here the ladies swoon when the name “Ranger” is mentioned in association with heroine Stephanie Plum. Somehow if Ms. Ivanovich had named him Bobby the macho element would definitely be lacking.

Convinced yet. Great!

We authors resort to a wide variety of devices, formulas, and even tricks to try to give their characters names our reading audiences will remember. I’ve never subscribed to one of the many services that offer names for sale. I have friends who do. Others search the news media. Some resort to the obituaries searching for names. My best writing friend seeks names that are not only distinctive but give an exotic flavor to her characters. I admit I’m more grass roots. I give my character’s names that I (and my beta readers) find appropriate not through formula or science but by the touch and feel method.

My debut novel featured a heroine named Courtney (Definition: of the court) who was the embodiment of a one-thousand year old Wiccan Goddess. Her hero was named Robert… a strong masculine name. I intentionally abbreviated his proper name by having his intimates call him Robbie, an indication of his naïveté and relative immaturity, at least when compared with his beautiful but ancient heroine. The other strongest character was Simon, an all powerful male witch who embodied both the mystery and strength contained in his name.

My latest novel features Eric, a strong monosyllabic name (definition: one strong who rules) suited for my strong, Special Forces veteran hero and Ashley-Jean (definition: one who sees, which we discover she is), a brilliant, technology savant; a frightened young woman seeking refuge from the evil that pursues her. As a young, southern woman the name seemed to fit perfectly and my test readers agreed.

Which brings up another point: the name must not only lend a visual to the character’s image in the readers mind but must symbolize their place in the story.

In a few hundred words it’s difficult to give a thorough explanation of how and why we authors chose certain methods and different strategies to breathe life into our characters not only with their thoughts and deeds but by what we call them.

I welcome input from readers and fellow authors alike why and how you choose to name your characters. Until next time…

Kevin Symmons is a successful author, college faculty member, and president of one of the Northeast’s most respected writing organizations. His paranormal novel, Rite of Passage, was a 2013 RomCon Reader’s Crown Award finalist and has been an Amazon Best Seller. His latest release, Out of the Storm, a contemporary romantic thriller set on Cape Cod, is already gathering 5 star reviews and will keep you turning pages late into the night. His novel Solo, a sweeping women’s fiction work that exposes the tragedy of domestic violence in America, will be released from his award-winning publisher, the Wild Rose Press, in 2014. Kevin has collaborated with award-winning Boston screenwriter and playwright Barry Brodsky in adapting one of his story ideas for the screen. He is a sought after public speaker who has appeared across New England.

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