Names!

Character names are key to developing their personality. I start with a shadowy idea of what sort of people the hero/ heroine are, and much like naming a baby, fish around until I find the name that fits them perfectly.

In ‘A Dead Man’s Debt’ the heroine is called Celeste Armitage. I heard the name Celeste in passing and it struck me as having both strength and ethereal quality. Her surname however has a less romantic origin: she’s named after Armitage-Shanks – a well known purveyor (in the UK) of porcelain products of…shall we say…a very convenient nature, such as toilet cisterns. Again, I loved the connotation of something very strong but immensely practical and it suites her character admirably!