August’s Birthstone
It’s inevitable that a writer’s life experiences sometimes find
their way into her stories. I have shamelessly used the names of my children
and grandchildren for many of my heroes and heroines.
That can be a challenge. Some 21st century names simply
don’t lend themselves to a medieval setting. For example, one of my grandsons
is named Bradley and I doubt there were many men of that name in the Middle
Ages.
My granddaughter Peri presented a challenge of a different sort.
You might think her parents named her for the Persian fairy, but
you’d be wrong. They were taken with the actress Peri Gilpin of Frasier
fame!
I decided the name of the heroine of Hearts and Crowns would
be Peridotte, after the green gemstone, peridot. I also gave her the family
name de Pontrouge, because my
son-in-law was originally from Redbridge in Ontario.
Peridotte de Pontrouge is as precious a jewel as her name implies,
but her husband’s previous experiences with women have made him mistrustful of
the fairer sex, and he refuses to acknowledge what a treasure he has in his new
wife.
When my Peri was a toddler she was badly scalded and spent several
weeks in Toronto Sick Kids Hospital. The medical team there worked miracles and
today she is a beautiful thirteen year old who’s into soccer big time!
In Hearts and Crowns, Gallien comes to realize how much he loves
Peri when she is badly scalded by the villain and her life hangs in the
balance.
Hearts and Crowns is Book One of a three book series. It’s
available as a stand-alone novel or as part of bundled set with Fatal
Truths and Sinful Passions. The series covers the twenty-year period of
civil war when Stephen and Maud vied for the throne of England in the twelfth
century.
BIO:
I enjoyed your post, Anna. Love the name of your granddaughter and your heroine. Your covers are great, and your stories sound great too. I name characters after my son and my nieces and nephews.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cara. Appreciate the compliments. I'm very happy with my cover designer, Steven Novak.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great story. I love that you use names of loved ones. I often use names of friends or my students. I wish you much success with your books.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good wishes, Melissa. Great to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Anna, so glad your granddaughter overcame her ordeal, a harrowing time for the entire family, I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteLove your books and wish you continued success,
Jacquie Biggar
Thanks for stopping by, Jacquie. Yes you would never know Peri had suffered such a devastating injury.
ReplyDeleteyour book covers are great, love the way you changed the names to fit the times. looking forward to reading your book
ReplyDeleteThank you, Laverne. I did end up using the name Bradley, but I changed it to Bradick! Too obvious?
ReplyDeleteLove the way you use your names. I consult lists on the web a lot, as my books range so many periods. Best wishes for a smashing success....
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good wishes, Jean. I do a lot of research into names as well. One problem is that many medieval women's names were either unpronounceable or ugly!
ReplyDelete