Dangerous Dalliance by Valerie Massey Goree
Dangerous Dalliance
The Interesting “Task” of Choosing Character Names
I wrote the first rendition of Dangerous Dalliance many years ago. Obviously, it wasn’t published, so I put it aside and continued writing other novels. After publishing my ninth book, I decided to revise the story.
Choosing names for my characters, especially the hero and heroine, is a task I take seriously. I read through my lists and check online sites. I don’t go to that much trouble for my secondary characters, but I have a quirky way to choose their names.
I spent twenty-five years working in the public school system. Many students stand out in my memory for positive reasons. However, I remember a few kids or their parents less favorably. Any teacher will understand. Well, the names of those students or parents often play a role in my stories as secondary characters who don’t leave a positive impression.
The name of a major secondary character in my original Dangerous Dalliance was Brandon. From the first moment my student with that name entered my classroom as a four-year-old with severe allergies, a language delay, and behavioral issues until the day his family moved out of state, his behaviors and antics provided me with giggles and frustration.
Fast-forward several years. I live in a retirement community where we have 24/7 concierge services. When I moved here, the young man in charge was named Brandon. When I revised my original story, I frequently chatted with him. He was such a lovely person and treated us “older” folks with so much compassion.
Now, the name Brandon no longer conjured up images of my student but of the man I wanted to adopt as a grandson. (I found out many residents felt the same way.) I told him about my story and the reason I chose a different name for my guy.
Brandon left a few months later, and in a note he wrote me, he said, he would always remember that I changed the name of a character in my novel because of him, and he hoped he could live up to my high opinion of him.
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Valerie Goree Bio
American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award winner Valerie Massey Goree resides in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, northwest of San Antonio, Texas.
Her writing journey only began when her children were in high school. Attending workshops, and ACFW conferences helped propel her toward publication. She has ten romantic suspense novels published.
She was born in South Africa and grew up in Rhodesia—now Zimbabwe. Valerie met her husband, Glenn, at a Christian university in the USA. After they married, they served as missionaries in Rhodesia. When the family returned to Texas, Valerie began her teaching career. She served 25 years in the public school arena, focusing on children with special needs.
Valerie and her family traveled extensively throughout North America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. Now retired and widowed, she spends her time writing, reading, traveling, and spoiling her grandchildren.
Valerie loves to hear from her readers.
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