Wednesday, April 17, 2013

What's in a Name with Stephanie Amox Author of The Lumina Saga





How do you name your characters? This is a frequently asked question. Honestly it’s harder than you might think – almost like naming a child. The name defines your character. It is a huge part of their identity. Think about it – would you have a hard time identifying with a protagonist named Fluffy or a hero named Lucifer? Most people have preconceived notions about certain names. Books and movies play a huge part in that – take The Omen for example.  Many readers would automatically tie that name in with a dark character….even if your character was an angel.

Everyone has their own method for naming characters – how they do it and when. I am extremely particular about how I go about naming my characters. First I have to look at what I already know about my character – who are they, where are they from, what is their personality, are they good or bad? Once I’ve done that, then – and only then, can I start thinking about a name for my character. There are many authors who will write for quite some time without ever naming their character. I’m the opposite. I can’t write more than a couple of paragraphs before I simply HAVE to give them a name. I have an extremely hard connecting with them until they have a name. One of my favorite things to do is take a specific trait and look that word up in various languages – especially those that would fit the area they come from.

There are some times the names will come to you very quickly and other times I have to push the storyline aside until I can come up with the perfect name. It’s an extremely personal process. Once you have named the character, their personality wraps itself around the name – it’s virtually impossible to change.

In the end, you have to do what works best for you. You are the one who has to initially connect with them so you can keep the integrity of your story and the relationships between the various characters.




Painfully Ordinary
The Lumina Saga Book One
Stephanie Amox

Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: CENA

Date of Publication: Jan 2013             
ISBN: 148194780X

Number of pages: 225
Word Count: 86,175

Cover Artist: Photography by Nikki Nichols Photography

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Book Description:

Two teenager's lives become not so ordinary...

Caitlin and Leah are content with the slow and steady pace in their small Texan town. They have the typical challenges of any American high school - evil girl cliques and oppressive ex-boyfriends. They see themselves as painfully ordinary...but that soon changes. The arrival of two newcomers at school sets Caitlin and Leah on an explosive path of magic, betrayal, secrets and forbidden love. The discovery of Caitlin's true identity causes tremendous upheaval in her painfully ordinary life. Caitlin must learn to embrace her birthright and trust in her friends or she risks endangering them all.

Family Secrets
The Lumina Saga Book Two
Stephanie Amox

Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: CENA

Date of Publication: Jan 2013             
ISBN: 1481956841

Number of pages: 232
Word Count: 65,120


Book Description:

Wailea, Maui would be a paradise by just about anyone’s standards. Caitlin and Leah are no different. They are living like rock stars with Talon and Jace in one of the poshest hotels on the island. Just when they think things can’t possibly get any better—everything falls apart. Their short lived paradise is ripped out from under them. Once again, they are on the run.

A mysterious man appears and attempts to drive a wedge between Caitlin and Talon. He whisks her away to an ancient world where she is treated like a princess yet held completely against her will. She is shown events, consequences and affairs she never dreamed possible. Will the secrets of her family destroy her happiness, or will she rely on her instincts to find a way back to the life she found with Talon?


New Beginnings
The Lumina Saga Book Three
Stephanie Amox

Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: CENA

Date of Publication: Jan 2013             
ISBN: B00AX0L2L8
Number of pages: 312
Word Count: 83,740

Amazon   BN

Book Description:

What happens when the extraordinary fades into ordinary?

Caitlin awakens to find herself back in the normal life she shares with her best friend, Leah, in their small Texas town. Caitlin has no memory of the fantastic events of the last several months save a mystery man who haunts the shadows of her dreams. Constantly taken aback by strange occurrences: the sudden attention of the two most popular guys in school; Caitlin’s toe-to-toe showdown with Tami; and the constant coincidental run-ins with two mysterious strangers, keeps Caitlin’s nerves raw and on edge. Will she solve the mystery behind the strange events, or will the dreams be all that remains?

About the Author:

Stephanie Amox attended the University of Texas at Arlington, where she met her husband. Her life did an about-face in January 2009 and the future of her career looked bleak. Her husband encouraged her to follow her dream and finally write the story which had been buzzing around in her head for a number of years, thus The Lumina Saga was born.

These days she spends her time in Flower Mound, Texas with her husband, two children and a couple of crazy Jack Russell Terriers. When she's not writing she enjoys spending time watching her son play hockey or visiting her daughter at Oklahoma State University.




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