Hidden Names in the Stories #IWSG #CharacterNames #DarkShadows

The first Wednesday of every month is officially 

Insecure Writer's Support Group day.

The Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It's a safe have for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSG Asks: Writers have secrets! What are one or two of yours, something readers would never know from your work?

Yes, I have a secret. I mean, it's not really a secret, but it's something that I don't think any reader would pick up on without me telling them.

A few people know of my passion and obsession for certain TV shows, in particular, the 1960's soap opera, Dark Shadows. I credit Dark Shadows as being the inspiration for my writing career as well as the spark of my supernatural interest. If you've never heard of Dark Shadows, I've talked about it before on my blog. I fell completely in love with this show. Because I watched it when I was so young, the show introduced me to vampires, witches, werewolves, ghosts and all the other creatures that go bump in the night.

As homage to my favorite show, I always include a name from someone in the show, whether it's a cast member or a character, in my books. I use a name for one of the main characters or one of the minor characters, but somewhere in each of my stories there is a name from someone in Dark Shadows. 

Now, let me clarify, I'm only using simple names. Names you would find in any baby name book. The characters in my stories are of my own creation. They do not resemble anyone from the show, nor are they inspired from any particular character. I do not write fan fiction.

It started simply. Growing up, I always imagined naming my children Angelique and Quentin, two of my favorite characters from the show. I love these names! When I was pregnant with my first child, my husband wasn't too thrilled with my choices for baby names, so I never got to use those names for my children. 

So, I did the next best thing. I used them for characters in my stories (which are sort of like children, aren't they?). And it continued from there. Whenever I got stuck with choosing a name for a character, I'd think of a Dark Shadows name. Sometimes I pick names without even thinking about Dark Shadows and later I realize there was a character or actor with the same name in the show. Now, it's become almost like a game when I'm writing. I don't even know I'm doing it until later when I go back and look.

Some writers use phone books to pick names for their characters, I use the cast and crew from Dark Shadows. 

Now, it could just be coincidence. There are a lot of people in the show, so there are lots of names! But, I like to think of it as honoring a show that has meant so much to me. A way to honor the people who worked so hard to bring entertainment to generations of fans.

A few for example: 

• Julia Grey in The Witch's Thief was named in honor of Dr. Julia Hoffman. 
• Sebastian Collins in The Witch and the Vampire was named after the entire Collins Family.
• Laura Remington in Cupid's Arrow (A Wink and a Smile Anthology) was named after Laura Collins.
• Angelique DuBois in The Wolf's Bride (Guardian: A Collection of Alpha Wolves) was named after Angelique Bouchard.

And, yes, I'm using Quentin Collin's name in my upcoming book called Unleashed in Midsummer Night Shifts: A Limited Edition Summer Shifter Romance Collection.

For any Dark Shadows fan who reads my books, I consider these little secret Easter Eggs hidden in my stories, whether they know it or not. And when I run out of Dark Shadows names to pay tribute to, well... Supernatural has been airing for 15 seasons. Lots of names to pick there!

Be safe! Stay healthy! Keep writing!


~ Tricia 

Be sure to visit the other writers in the 

Insecure Writer's Support Group!

I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Become a VIP Reader by signing-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!

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