How do you pick the names and descriptions of the characters in your books?
Character names in my opinion are terribly important. Not just to set a tone for the reader, but they provide an emotional connection for the author. It’s important to choose names that will help each character stand out in a reader’s mind. Have you ever read a book with similar or similar-sounding character names? By chapter 10, it’s impossible to remember who they are or what they’re doing!
Of course, the very first name I had to dream up was that of my protagonist – Julia Bonatti. I chose ‘Julia’ because, first of all, I think it’s a lovely name and has a certain dignity. It’s also an ancient name that appears in many cultures. In imperial Rome it meant ‘Jove’s Child.’ And Jove is of course Jupiter, the planet of good fortune. Julia needs a lot of good fortune given all the trouble she gets into!
As for Julia’s last name – Bonatti – I had a bit of a struggle with that one. But inspiration came when I learned of Guido Bonatti, a famous 15th century astrologer. Now, unless you’re into reading ancient astrological texts, you might not have heard of him. But I knew right away that ‘Bonatti’ was perfect for Julia’s last name.
Gloria, Julia’s grandmother, is named after the mother of a very dear friend. It’s not a name you hear every day and I felt it was perfect to convey the sense of caring and ‘grandmother-hood’ for this character.
Julia’s good friends – Gale and Cheryl – well, I have had good friends with those names, so that seemed perfect. Julia’s friend and former investigating homicide officer is Paolo Ianello. That seemed appropriate too since North Beach has always traditionally been an Italian community and it made sense he would be named with the Italian version of Paul.
The characters of the Mystic Eye I have to confess are doppelgangers of people I have known. I only changed the names to protect the not-so-innocent. I have known the character I’ve called Zora, and Zora, mysterious and exotic, just seemed to suit her as a psychic. Nikolai is modeled on a Russian- American hypnotist I once knew, but I couldn’t of course use his real name. Those characters just came to life because I already knew them.
Julia’s fiancé is Michael. That’s a name that is classic, masculine but not macho. His last name, Sefton, came straight out of the phone book. And his sister is Maggie, what name could better conjure the ‘girl next door’ that everyone can relate to?
I could go on and on about the villains in the Zodiac Mysteries. Those choices are a little more complicated. But I can confess here to a big blooper. I discovered after I finished one book that I had named more than ten characters with a last name beginning with the letter ‘H.’ I have no idea how or why that happened. My only possible excuse was that I was madly writing and just didn’t notice. Needless to say, all those characters had to be renamed.
We all have hundreds of characters in the gallery of our mind(s). The trick for an author is just to pick and choose which ones will step forward for the book.
Connie di Marco
Thank you Connie di Marco for your wonderful insight into character name and description!
I also think that character names are incredibly important. Sometimes, a character name can make or break my relationship with them as the reader. I love how much symbolism there is behind your name choices, like Julia Bonatti which I have to agree is lovely, but it goes so much deeper than that! I enjoyed getting a behind the scenes look into all of the thought that went into choosing her name.
I always wonder, when reading, if the character I’m getting to know is actually a real person (identity protected of course) and I’m so pleased to learn that sometimes they are!!
Thank you so much for sharing, even down to the blooper which I found to be hilarious! I almost wish you had left it that was just to see if anyone noticed.
Read my full review of The Light Beside The Sea
So many deaths . . . An elusive shaman, a creature of the underworld, Here to unleash evil? Or bring justice to the wronged?
San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti has been haunted for years by the hit and run death of her fiancé, Michael Sefton. The driver of the vehicle was never apprehended. The lone witness to the accident spoke to no one and now is dead. Even the cold case detective assigned to the case died before any resolution was found. Every time Julia thought she might be getting close to an answer, each clue led only to a dead end.
Michael, a graduate student, had just returned from an archeological dig in Guatemala when he was killed. But why did he mail his journal to Julia for safekeeping before his return home? What was he afraid of? Why did another graduate student fall to his death on that trip? And now, another man connected with that journey has been murdered closer to home. And the murderer hasn’t finished.
When Julia finally finds the courage to delve into the journal Michael sent to her years before, she learns of the undercurrents, jealousies and anger between members of the group. She begins to understand the pressure and fear her fiancé was coping with and his suspicions of their University mentor who was most likely engaged in unethical and illegal behavior.
But events soon take a darker turn when Julia finds a likeness of the Maya god Hunhau, god of death and the underworld, on her doorstep. A strange man covered with markings and tattoos keeps appearing to her but no one else seems to see him. With guidance from another professor she’s introduced to a world she never knew existed.
Is the man she sees human? And is he under the sway of the Maya god of death?
Will he unleash evil or is he here to right a wrong done to his people?
Julia must move quickly or her death will be the next.
Read an excerpt:
Rafael was silent on the drive along Market Street. He turned south at Van Ness and followed that wide boulevard until we reached the corner of Folsom and 21st. We were away from the fog in the western part of the city and the sun had dipped below the horizon. The dash lights cast his face in long shadows. I was starting to regret accepting his invitation but his curiosity was contagious. I wanted to know as much as I could about this collection of tiny bones and what it could mean. Mostly, why it was dumped on my doorstep and why was I seeing things no one else could see. “You seem to really know your way around the city,” I remarked. “Angelenos usually hate driving in San Francisco.”
He turned his head and broke into a wide smile. “I grew up in the Mission. Long before it was a trendy place to live. It’s certainly changed a lot over the years, but I know the place like the back of my hand.” He pulled to the curb in front of a well-maintained rather plain two-story Victorian painted a soft blue. “This is the place. This lady’s name is Manuela. She has . . . certain talents.”
“Do you think she’ll see us now?”
“Yes,” he nodded. “I’ve known her most of my life. I planned to visit her on this trip to the city anyway.” He climbed out of the car and walked around to the passenger side, opening the door for me. I followed him up the long wooden stairway where he knocked and rang the bell. A lamp was lit at the front windows and through the curtain I could see a light burning at the end of a long hallway, a kitchen light. A few moments later, a figure appeared backlit by the light. The door opened to reveal a stout woman somewhere in her sixties, with a smiling round face and a mop of gray curly hair. She wore a long colorful dress with bright patterns of red, green and orange.
“Ay,” her smile became wider. “Mijo, how are you?” She spoke in heavily-accented English.
“I’m fine, Doña Manuelita.” He leaned over and gave her a warm hug. “I hope it’s okay, I brought a friend who has some questions. This is Julia,” he said. “I’m hoping you can help her.”
“Si, si, of course, of course, come in.” We stepped inside the entryway. Manuela turned to me and took my hands in hers. She closed her eyes for a few moments as she held tight to my hands. “Si, okay,” she said. I felt as if I had just passed an inspection. She turned and without another word led us through an archway into a central room where the windows were covered with heavy drapes. She switched on a small lamp at a side table and sat down. She waved a hand to indicate we should sit and Rafael and I sat on either side of her.
“Julia, show Manuela the talisman you received.”
I pulled the narrow box out of my purse and pulled the top off. I pulled back the cloth covering and left the figure of bones resting in its bed. I pushed it across the table to Manuela. She moved it closer and gazed at it for a long moment. She held a hand above the bones without touching them. A faraway look came into her eyes. She sighed deeply then stood and reached for a heavy candleholder from the credenza. She lit the candle and turned off the lamp. Other than the flickering flame, the room was completely dark. Rafael sat silently, watching her. She placed her fingertips gently on the bones and leaned back in the chair, her eyes closed. Her breathing became heavier. I was reminded of Zora and the way she appeared when going into a trance state.
“Aaahh,” she breathed a long sigh and began to tremble. She moaned and began to mumble in words I couldn’t make out. Then she uttered a long stream of words in a language I didn’t recognize, peppered with a few words in Spanish. After several minutes of this, she finally fell silent and opened her eyes, glancing first at Rafael and then at me. She spoke rapidly in Spanish to Rafael. He nodded in acknowledgment and turned to me.
“Manuela says there is great danger. That someone has come here from far away. He is human, like a shaman, and he is in the sway of terrible forces we cannot understand. No harm is aimed at you. He is here to cure something, to right a wrong, like . . . lancing a boil. She doesn’t know what he intends to do but it has something to do with his culture, with righting a wrong against that culture. You must be very careful that you are not near those who have done wrong otherwise you would not be safe. Your death could also result.
I took a deep breath. “Is that all she said?”
“That’s the gist of it.”
Manuela grasped my hand. “This,” she said, indicating the talisman, “is to tell you he is here. Bad things will happen.” She turned to Rafael. “You explain better to your friend.”
“I will,” his face was quite serious. He turned to Manuela, “I’ll come back for a real visit. Tomorrow?”
Her face lit up. “Si, come then.” She stood and turned the lamp back on, blowing out the candle. She made the sign of the cross on her breast and took my hands in hers once more. “Tenga cuidado, señorita.”
I had been present at psychic readings and seances, but there was something about this evening that chilled me to the bone. I followed Rafael out to the front door and turned to Manuela. “Gracias, Manuela.”
She smiled widely, “De nada.”
***
Excerpt from The Light Beside the Sea by Connie di Marco. Copyright 2024 by Connie di Marco. Reproduced with permission from Connie di Marco. All rights reserved.
Genre: Traditional mystery
Published by: Indie
Publication Date: May 6, 2024
Number of Pages: 370 est
Series: The Zodiac Mysteries, Book 5
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Tour Participants:
06/03 Review @ Country Mamas With Kids
06/04 Review @ Its All About the Book
06/05 Review @ ashmanda. k
06/05 Showcase @ Books, Ramblings, and Tea
06/07 Review @ Why Not? Because I Said So Book Reviews
06/11 Showcase @ Celticladys Reviews
06/12 Review @ Pat Fayo reviews
06/13 Interview @ darciahelle
06/14 Review @ Cozy Up With Kathy
06/15 Review @ Scrapping and playing
06/18 Review @ The AR Critique
06/21 Review @ Novels Alive
06/25 Interview @ Hott Books
06/26 Guest post @ Cozy Home Delight Book Reviews
06/27 Review @ Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
06/28 Review @ Melissa As Blog
11/29 Mysteries to Die For: Toe Tags Podcast
Connie di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries featuring San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti, a woman who never thought murder would be part of her practice. The Light Beside the Sea is the fifth novel in the series. Earlier books are The Madness of Mercury (Zodiac #1), All Signs Point to Murder (Zodiac #2), Tail of the Dragon (Zodiac #3), Enter a Wizard, Stage Left (an e-book prequel novella), and Serpent’s Doom (Zodiac #4).
Writing as Connie Archer, she is also the author of the national bestselling Soup Lover’s Mysteries from Penguin Random House: A Spoonful of Murder, A Broth of Betrayal, A Roux of Revenge, Ladle to the Grave and A Clue in the Stew. You can find her excerpts and recipes in The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. Visit her website at ConnieArcherMysteries.com. Facebook.com/ConnieArcherMysteries and X/Twitter@SnowflakeVT.
Connie is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers Association (UK) and Sisters in Crime.
You can learn more about the Zodiac Mysteries and read excerpts at:
ConniediMarco.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @Connie_di_Marco
Instagram – @Connie_di_Marco
Twitter/X – @AskZodia
Facebook – @connie.di.marco.author
The giveaway is for: TWO (2) $20 Bookshop.org Gift Cards, US ONLY
hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Connie di Marco.
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