Guest Post & Giveaway: Behind the Name by Shana Galen

Shana Galen is the author of numerous fast-paced adventurous Regency historical romances, including the Rita-nominated Blackthorne’s Bride. Her books have been sold worldwide, including Japan, Brazil, Russia, Spain, Turkey, and the Netherlands, and have been featured in the Rhapsody and Doubleday Book Clubs.

A former English teacher in Houston’s inner city, Shana now writes full time. She’s a wife, a mother, and an expert multi-tasker. She loves to hear from readers: visit her website at www.shanagalen.com or see what she’s up to daily on Facebook and Twitter.

Behind the Name

By Shana Galen

Thanks so much to Aislynn for having me today. I’m excited to be back!

I’ve never had a subscription to People or been one to pick up the National Enquirer, but I have to admit, I enjoy it when celebrities have kids. They come up with the craziest names—and as a former teacher, I’ve known some kids with crazy names!

Take Bob Geldof and Paula Yates. They named their kids Fifi Trixibelle, Peaches Honeyblossom, and Little Pixie. John Cougar Mellencamp named his sons Hud and Spec Wildhorse. Nicholas Cage named his son Kal-el. Um, isn’t that Superman’s real name? These names almost make Apple and Suri and Blue Ivy sound normal.

I write historical romance, and historically, people have not been so creative. They named their children after Biblical figures or after the father or a respected relative. So when I begin a book and introduce characters, I have to be careful about the names I choose. Women in the nineteenth century had names like Eugenia, Theodosia, Harriett, Jane, and Mary. These aren’t exactly names that make you think heroine. Men in the nineteenth century were typically named George, Obediah, Frederick, and Archibald. Hmm, “Oh, Archibald, yes! Yes, Archibald!” No, that’s just not going to work.

The job of an author, no matter what her setting, is to pick names for characters that are believable, authentic, and reflect the character’s personality. In my last novel, Lord and Lady Spy, I had originally named the heroine Bridget. My editor asked me to change it because Bridget is not commonly the name of an aristocratic woman. She was right, and even though I was quite attached to that name—and my editor and I still call that character Bridget when we talk about her—I renamed her Sophia.

The author also has to choose a name she can live with for six months. If my archenemy is named Gabrielle, I’m not going to want to write that name a dozen times a day. Another consideration is unusual pronunciations or spellings. My friend Ashley March has a hero named the Earl of Wriothesly. She told me she’d never pick a title like that again because it was long and difficult to spell.

The Marquess of Cholmondeley (pronounced chum-lee) is currently the Lord Great Chamberlain of England. His lineage goes back to the 1600s, but I would never use the title in a book. It throws readers off when they can’t figure out how to pronounce a name. I might use the courtesy title of his heir, who is the Earl of Rocksavage. Now that is a heroic name.

There have been many times I worked on character names for days, decided I was pleased with my choices, and then had to change them because three of the characters had names beginning with A. Too many similar names can also confuse a reader.

Bastien and Raeven are the names of my hero and heroine in my latest release, The Rogue Pirate’s Bride. Since this is the third book in a series, I knew Bastien’s name already. He’s named in the first book. His real name is Sebastien Harcourt, and I chose it for two reasons. First of all, I wanted a name that was French and English. Bastien was born in France but fled as a child to escape the French Revolution. He signed on as a cabin boy on a pirate ship and eventually moved up the ranks until he became the captain of his own ship, which is where my book begins.

I also chose the name Bastien because I’ve always wanted to write a character named Bastien. In my very first book, When Dashing Met Danger, I mention a character named Sebastian Middleton. In the back of my mind, I had an idea for Middleton’s book, but it never came to pass, and I still liked the name.

The heroine’s name is Raeven Russell. I honestly do not know where that name or the spelling came from. Sometimes naming characters is a bit like magic. The character sort of whispers his or her name to the author, and we have no choice but to comply. Raeven is pretty bossy, so it doesn’t surprise me that she was born insisting on a particular name. It did mean I had to make some explanation in the book for the non-standard spelling, though.

A non-standard name can often work for a heroine and not a hero. A name like Amber or Shanna can seem exotic and romantic to readers. Since Raeven does not come from an aristocratic family, and she is rather unconventional, I felt safe giving her an uncommon name.

That’s just a small peek into my process of creating a novel. I’d love to hear what you think about character names.

What are your pet peeves? What are your favorite names?

I’ll be checking in all day to read your comments.

I’m also pleased to offer copies of The Rogue Pirate’s Bride to two readers who comment (U.S. and Canadian residents only).


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