Another fascinating character, seems on the surface, to be a bad guy. Let's just say there have been some suspicious actions on his part which make me wonder. I've read both books (definitely 5 star reads and stories I can read more than once--oh yeah, that's my keeper shelf) and his actions make me wonder if someone has some sort of hold over him, or if he's protecting someone dear to him. Just a feeling, and I could be totally off base with this. I do know he has an agenda which is beyond what he appears to be. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series to see if I'm right or wrong...
And this is the thing I like about certain authors and Anita in particular. The characters are like icebergs. You see them clearly enough to identify who they are, but there's always a hint of what's below the surface.
Anita's topic is about building characters who aren't easy to forget.
It
takes several elements to make a good book. A great plot, intriguing
characters, strong writing. All of these are important, but I don’t think any
surpass the need for compelling characters. If the reader doesn’t connect with
your character, she won’t care if you have the most spectacular plot in the
world, or if you can string phrase together a paragraph in a way that makes her
sigh. Think about some of your favorite
books, those that have stuck with you throughout the years. I bet they had
great characters.
How
do we make memorable characters? Let’s start with something simple, but still
important. The name. A name is like a first impression. It defines who you are
until someone--the reader in this case--gets to know you. The name Reginald
gives an entirely different feel than Zeke or Bart. How about Faelan, Ronan,
and Cody? They’re all warriors in my Scottish paranormal series. Let’s meet
some of them.
THE WARRIORS
There’s Faelan, the only warrior who’s ever been assigned two
ancient demons. Born in the 19th century, Faelan was most powerful
warrior of his time. He was trapped in a time vault and slept for 150 years,
waking to a strange world filled with modern technology and even stranger…modern
females. Then there’s Ronan, 6’3 inches of raw, sexy warrior, better than Robin
Hood with his bow, and equally at home with a sword or a bonny lass. Cody, the
only other warrior who’s been assigned an ancient demon, might have pretended
to be the tough boy next door, and he’s good at hiding secrets, but his world
will never be the same after he finds out what’s been hidden from him. Shane is
quiet but the fastest with a sword, and Niall is a one-man army, with legs like
tree trunks. Tomas is a clan medic and Brodie’s the prankster of the bunch,
always getting into trouble. Duncan is brooding and frustrated, and Sorcha
likes flirting almost as much as killing demons. Anna, a stunning beauty, has
chosen to remain a warrior forever, but destiny has some surprises in store.
And my heroines Shay and Bree are more than just mates to these sexy warriors.
They have talents that will shock even them.
I
like my character’s names. They seem to fit their personalities. But sometimes
the “final” name doesn’t come to you until you’ve gotten deeper into the
character, seen his or her strengths and flaws. And if you have two
protagonists, make sure their names work well together. They need good cadence
just like the words in a book. Originally, Faelan and Bree were Faelan and
Erin. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I can tell you that by the time I
realized how horrible that sounded, she was Erin to me. I couldn’t think of her
as anything else. But I forced myself to change her name to Bree. Faelan and
Bree. Isn’t that much nicer? It took a while to get used it, and I had to do a “find and
replace” (Erin with Bree) before I submitted it to my editor, but now I can’t
imagine the character as anything but Bree.
- My question for you is, can you think of a character whose name perfectly fits?
EMBRACE THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR
When the powerful demon that left Shay for dead discovers her empty grave, he comes seeking retribution, believing she possesses an ancient book he has sought for centuries.
Knowing she can’t fight the demon alone, Shay returns to her clan and the Scottish Warrior who betrayed her…the only man she’s ever loved, where she discovers that betrayal isn’t always what it seems.
Sometimes it’s far worse. Excerpt
NY
Times and USA
Today bestselling author Anita Clenney writes paranormal romance and
romantic suspense. Before giving herself over to the writing bug, she worked in
a pickle factory and a preschool, booked shows for Aztec Fire Dancers, and has
been a secretary, executive assistant, and a real estate agent. She lives with
her husband and two children in suburban Virginia.
To find out more
information, please visit http://www.anitaclenney.com/, follow her on Twitter, or like her on Facebook
.
