A Character by Any Other Name by Laura Hunsaker

 Good Morning Readers! I have a book signing coming up next month, and wanted to share the whens and wheres. If you're in the Las Vegas area, I'll be at the Paseo Verde Library on May 17th. 

With that being said, I wanted to talk about character names. I was having a discussion on Facebook about how do authors name their characters. I mentioned that with my Time Travel romances, it's easier to choose names because I can pull up old censuses. When everyone is named William or Edward, it makes it easy. Finding a less commonly used name requires going into the census of which ever year you're using, and even then, you can still find some more unique names. In fact, did you know Tiffany (Tifanie) was first used in the 1200s? In fact there's a name for that example: The Tiffany Problem. It's where modern names sound out of place in Historical settings, but they are actually accurate. 

One thing I didn't see mentioned was are there any names authors stay away from? 

I do tend to steer clear of any trendy names. I love the fun names we are seeing in kids, but I don't love a thirty year old hero or heroine being named something that's trendy with the 5 year olds right now. I'm not saying that there aren't thirty year olds named Bryxxtonn, but I don't think it's super common among the men I know. 

I lean towards names like Kyle, Scott, Jason, Ryan...but not everyone is the same. What are some names you don't like seeing in books? And what are some names you've gotten from books that you love! Someone named their daughter after one of my characters and it was the most flattering thing I've ever heard! Have you ever done that? Let me know in the comments.

At my signing next month, I'll be selling paperbacks of the New York Empires series.

Hockey, Romance, werewolves...this series has it all!

Amazon

Memories

I forgot to post on my day this month--the 20th. I even told Joan Reeves that I forgot and would make it up, and then I forgot again. While this is disappointing, it's not at all unusual. Like my waistline, my hair color, and my wish (sarcasm) to cook every day of my life, my memory is just shot. 

But my memories themselves aren't. While I may repeat them too often, that is a small price to pay for having them. They are what made me who I am, and I'm glad for that. I'm also lucky that I have more good memories than bad ones. The gnarly things are still there and will jump out and cause pain from time to time, but mostly they stay locked away. The scar tissue over the wounds remains intact and something serves to remind me that Yes, I Can. 

Even if your hearing is compromised, you can still hear things from your past. We live over two miles from the school, but if we're outside on Friday nights in the fall, we can still hear the sound of the marching band on the football field. Every time I hear it, I can go back to the bleachers as both a student and a player's mom, bellowing the school song and the national anthem with all my might.

I remember Mom shouting NancyJoeTomDan! before she got to my name, the one she was trying to stop midflight in the first place. I reached a point where I didn't answer unless she called me by my right name. I doubt that that went particularly well, but I don't remember that. 😇

I remember the day Hilary Sares called me from Kensington and bought my first book, Always Annie, and so many days and moments from the year that followed. Although I take nothing away from indie-publishing, self-publishing, or any other kind of non-trad publishing, I will say there is nothing quite like getting The Call from an editor. 

In direct disagreement with what I said above about gnarly things, I do remember the days when losses were life-changing. I believe the Kennedys' and MLK's assassinations changed the person I was. So did my grandfather's death when I was 13. My parents' loss of a three-year-old child long before I was born imprinted sadness in a place I couldn't reach and still can't. What would Christine have been like? Would she have liked me? Would my parents have been happier if she'd lived? 

I remember finishing a book--in 83 days!--and knowing it was different. For years, I called it the book of my heart knowing it was more than that because, honestly, they all are that. It was a book that got me two agents, that I honestly thought would sell the first time it hit a publisher's desk. 

It took ten years. 

But One More Summer is still special to me in ways I can't even put into words. It has created more memories than any other book I've written. It gave me a writing bar that I too often don't reach, but ... oh, I remember. The writing at three in the morning before I left for work at four. Waking in the night realizing that no, Grace wouldn't say that. The array of rejections that led to its eventual publication. 

There is an old Elvis Presley song written by Mac Davis and Billy Strange with lyrics that refer to memories being pressed between the pages of your mind. I think that's where mine are, and I love that the word pages is part of that reference. The pages of my books and of hundreds of others have created memories I cherish. More than having just read about them, I remember Jo March in the attic, Anne Shirley in the orchard at Green Gables, Betsy on Putney Farm in Vermont with the kittens in the hayloft, Trixie Belden's mysteries with the Bob Whites of the Glen. 

Sometimes, it doesn't matter what I forget. I am so very blessed by what I remember. 

There are many memories included in the A New Season series. I loved writing about Syd, Riley, and Dinah and the men they come to love. They're older, formed by the lives they've lived, and eager for the ones ahead. I hope you like them, too. 

My Word Is My Bond by Joan Reeves

It's ten o'clock on a Tuesday night, and I just remembered I needed to write this post for my blog day tomorrow, the 16th.

I groaned and collapsed on the bed. Torn between going to bed—which I really, really wanted to do—and fulfilling my obligation, I next began bargaining with myself.

Here's how it went.

I can get up early in the morning and write it. I need a good night's sleep. I'm too tired. I'm all written out. I don't know what to write. My brain is empty of words.

The counter argument went this way.

No, you're no longer a morning person. You won't get up early. It takes you a while to get going what with the eye drops, vibration plate, IR and NIR treatment, eating something so you can take ibuprofen for your wrist joint.

Finally, I told the slacker me to just get up and do it. Thus, I find myself at the computer, pecking away, and I'm happy to be doing it. Getting over that initial inertia hump is difficult but always worthwhile. 

OBLIGATION TRUMPS ALL

I find the one sure way I'll do something, even if it's something I don't want to do, is to commit to it. I made a commitment to blog here on the 16th, and, come Hell or high water, I'll always do it. 

I'm that way about everything. If I say I'll do it, I will. I've missed blogging 2 or 3 times in the past, and I've always felt terrible about it.

I finally decided to use that "reluctance to break my word" to my own writing. 

I promised myself I would write 2K-3K words every day, Monday through Friday. That's about the length of a chapter for me. I did this because I haven't published a new book since 2022. Shock! Right? Time just kind of slipped away in the presence of loss and grief.

(Note. I did write 3 books, but I just didn't publish them. Yet. Even getting them ready to publish seemed like a monumental task.)

I made that writing promise. I put it on a graphic and use it as the image on my monitor display, I told it to my husband, and my daughter, and now I'm telling it to you.

Of course, it took me the first 3 months of this year to actually make that promise to myself. I spent those 3 months getting my ducks in a row.

I'm happy to report that I am actually keeping that promise to myself. My new book is Old Enough To Be Bold and is set for pre-order now. It will publish on or before May 30.

PROMISE KEEPER

The surest way to unhappiness in any part of life is to be a breaker of promises. In the past, people proudly proclaimed, "My word is my bond." It meant something. It meant that they could be trusted to do as they said. There's tremendous power and integrity in that.

In today's world, it's increasingly rare to find people who can be that person. If you want to succeed and have the respect and friendship of others, be that kind of person.

MY SALE BOOK THIS WEEK

99¢ SALE, Heat Lightning, "A real page turner." —NetGalley.

Amnesia. Desire. Passion. Tessa knows those three to be true, but she doesn't know David, the man who says he's her husband—her protector. Amnesia has stolen her memories. 

David is a stranger, but when he touches her, desire flashes between them like heat lightning on a summer night. He wants her, but he doesn't say he loves her. Has Fate offered her a second chance at life and love?

Secrets. Lies. Danger. Why does David seem to hate her even as he pulls her into his arms? What is he hiding? How can she trust him when her gut says, Trust no one? 

She can't help falling in love with David, but her feeling of foreboding grows, as if something awful is about to happen. Will Tessa's lost memories be the death of her?

Wishing you a great second half of April. I'll see you in May!

JOAN ONLINE

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Why Fantasy Books Are Flying Off the Shelves (and What That May Say About Us) ~Sherri Easley

 

My daughter has not read either of my books. She is into Fantasy genres and Dragons- so I have decided to write a fantasy novel, so she will read at least one of my writings. She said something though that got me to thinking and researching. 

“As messed up as the world is right now, people just need an escape.” ~ Lauren–my daughter

In 2024, fantasy fiction sales skyrocketed—adult fantasy alone grew by a staggering 85% in the first half of the year, with titles like Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros leading the charge. From romantasy to epic quests, fantasy stories are not just trending—they’re thriving.

According to reports from Circana BookScan and Publishers Weekly, fantasy is officially on fire. Adult fiction sales grew by 9.5 million units, with fantasy, thrillers, and romance topping the charts. Meanwhile, “romantasy”—the love child of fantasy and romance—has exploded in popularity thanks in part to BookTok and reader communities craving high emotion and high-stakes adventure.

Why is this happening? Well, the last few years have been... a lot.

War, climate disasters, political chaos, inflation, pandemics—we’ve had a front-row seat to a world that often feels like it’s cracking at the edges. And in response, readers aren’t just reaching for comfort food fiction. They’re reaching for escape—and empowerment.

Fantasy offers both.

In these stories, the stakes are often higher than our own reality: a kingdom on the brink, a war between realms, a magical bloodline in hiding. But there’s something cathartic in watching fictional characters face overwhelming odds, stand their ground, and win.

Even if they’re wielding a sword instead of a ballot

There’s also the irresistible pull of romantasy—where fierce heroines fall in love while saving their worlds. These books aren’t just about quests. They’re about intimacy, connection, and hope in the midst of battle.

In a time when we’re more digitally connected but emotionally exhausted, romantasy gives us something to feel—deeply.

What Fantasy Gives Us Right Now:

• Escape: A breath away from headlines and heartache.
• Empowerment: Ordinary girls discovering extraordinary strength.
• Justice: Villains get vanquished. Light wins.

To prepare for my writing quest, I listened to the Blood and Ash series from Jennifer L Armentrout. They were very long books and didn’t disappoint.

Has a fantasy book saved your sanity this year?

Drop your recommendations in the comments—I need more dragons in my life! 

This is Dylan- the soon to be 9 year old Grand daughter's cover for her book- Even she is in on the fantasy wagon! ;) 

 

 

YOU'RE THE GREATEST!

By Caroline Clemmons

Confession time—I can’t help comparing myself to other authors. Not the ones who quit, that would be too simple. No, I compare myself to the super-successful indie writers who make six and seven figure in royalties each year. Idiot. I started out in the writing business wanting to be the next Nora Roberts. Ha ha. To say I haven’t made it is an understatement.

This past Sunday, our minister said that comparing ourselves to others is a form of vanity. Ouch! It isn’t the fame or financial success I envy (although that would be wonderful), it’s the ability to sell books. We pour our hearts into the books we write. If they don’t sell well, the rejection stings. More than stings, it’s a knife to the heart of our creativity.

Recently, I released a new book which I was certain would be a success. It’s heroine is feisty and hero is strong and successful, and there's an HEA ending. But, it isn’t selling very well. I’ve done all the usual things to promote it, yet it still isn’t selling. How does this make me feel? I can’t help feeling like I’ve failed somehow. It’s personal.

The thing I (we) have to remember is that each of us is a unique being with special gifts. Not just one gift, but many. Perhaps one stands out most and/or brings us the most fulfillment, but we have many talents. And, we aren’t competing with others—we are in competition with ourselves to keep improving, to feel fulfilled, to accomplish our personal best.

I don’t like boxing, but I remember Mohamed Ali’s mantra, “I am the greatest!” If I’ve done my best and written the best book I can, then that is success, the greatest I can be. How can I do better than my best?

I challenge you to say the same to yourself: I am the greatest I can be!

By the way, my last release is Sidney and the Mail Order Bride, Book 6, Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides, a sweet western historical romance. Sidney Garton wrote a matchmaker and requested a bride who could cook, keep house, and help him in his mercantile store. Antoinette Fournier has been trained to be the wife of a wealthy man and knows only how to manage servants. She proves she’s made of tougher stuff than she or Sidney imagined when Sidney has a serious accident and she must take charge of the store. She’s able to confront a would-be robber, but the criminal has sworn revenge.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DNTP95FD 

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy our April showers.