Thursday, February 17, 2011

Name That Character!

Thanks to everyone who came by yesterday to see my entry for Nicole's blogfest!

If you have 'liked' my Facebook page, you may have seen that I'm holding a contest to name one of the characters in my upcoming novel, Watching Willow Watts. I've had some fantastic suggestions so far and I thought I'd give my blogging buds a chance to get involved! If your suggestion is chosen, you'll get a signed copy of The Hating Game and my undying gratitude!

The character: an old, rather crotchety woman who is a former UK film star. She fled the industry years ago to live in the peace of the countryside, and she's now a recluse.

Any and all suggestions welcome! Have a great Thursday, everyone.



59 comments:

  1. "Justine Beiber." You have to like how it rolls off the tongue...

    Okay, I'm going to give this some real thought -- and some additional thought as to the fact that I broke my "no more Beiber jokes" resolution -- and will be back with something even better!

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  2. Bernadette, that’s an old lady name, isn’t it.

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  3. Meredith Cadbury. Dunno...just popped in my head. Made me think of an old school film star. And it sounds like she could be a bit of a snob too.

    :)

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  4. Sounds like 'Estelle Starr' to me! oh, hot news while I'm here, Bound to Love just bouncing around in the top 100 of amazon romance bestsellers on DAY 3! so thanks for the interview Talli!

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  5. Oh I love making up names. Some suggestions:

    Ethel Primm
    Tilla Sword
    Beatrice Pritty
    Heddy Halliday

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  6. HHMM this is fun.

    Jacqueline Alexis Duchene

    But now she's a recluse maybe she goes by Jack Duchene to throw people off who she is.

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  7. Whatever you choose, a play on words would be fun. Something hinting at her former film star status, or some other secret from her past ...

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  8. Thanks for all the great suggestions! Except for Justine Beiber - LOL! :)

    And Sally, congrats! That's fantastic news!

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  9. Agatha Finch
    Maud Cratchett
    Martha Pimm
    Ursula Montgomery
    Leonora Gatsby
    Elsie Archer

    I LOVE thinking of names :o)

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  10. I love the name Drucilla for some reason. (Maybe I watch too many soap operas! lol) Hmmmmm... My official suggestion is: Drucilla Devon. That was fun! :)

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  11. "Beatrix Renee Potter" inspired by the Peter Rabbit tails, the movie about the author, and the actress who played her.

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  12. Greta Garbo (no wait that one's already been used)

    Adele Durand
    Madeline LeClaire
    Joan Darling
    Anna Keith
    Amelia Kent
    Doris Clive

    I could go on and on!

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  13. You know, I really like L.A. Colvin's answer...

    (Ugh, I'm not feeling particularly creative today.)

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  14. Wow, so many great ideas so far. Ethel primm is pretty good. How about Gwendolyn Givens or Victoria Vickers. Good luck with this. Names are so much fun until you find them already taken. Ugh. Happy weekend.

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  15. I've always liked Beryl (pronounced differently in England than the States) and Ina.

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  16. Hi Talli .. great idea ..

    'Sapphire-eyed' Elizabeth de Morgan

    You've got a good few choices .. I'll be so interested to see you who you choose .. cheers Hilary

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  17. In the silver age of British cinema, names were quite important. They had to sound like stars' names : distinctive and unique.

    How about : Tierney Blake?

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  18. JM's suggestion is great!
    How about Mrs. Gorilla? No? Guess I've watched too much Monty Python...

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  19. Judith Douglas
    Katherine Cole
    Audrey Burnett
    Hailey Jones
    What fun this is.

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  20. Marsha Roland!

    I'm kidding!!!!:-)

    Erm.....

    Joan Moore
    Barbara Mansion
    Betty Robertson
    Cecilia Gordon-Smith

    GOOD LUCK everyone!!! Take care
    x

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  21. How exciting!

    Romilda Archer popped into my head; a sort of exotic celeb type name that suggests she's an older woman. :O)

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  22. Great challenge! How about...

    Gracie Starr
    Nellie Woodstock
    Katherine Hart

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  23. Hmmm... I like Hortense for crotchety old British women. Or Gladys is good. Camille? :-)

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  24. Caitlin Mulleary

    Why not a name from the Emerald Isle...

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  25. You're going to have a really hard time choosing.
    Does it even work to use others suggestions? I always feel the name of a character in a way. Only sometimes do I construct it with reasoning.
    Let's try: Penny Greengrass
    (the last name was an actual actress name, good hidden reference; I like Penny, because it's the name of the mother from Charmed)

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  26. Deirdre Hall popped into my head at first, but I also like Deirdre McKnight.

    I want to WIN your signed copy!!!!!


    Michael

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  27. Ooo I do love Diedre (But I'm wanting to win so forget it!!!!) This is an all out war!!!

    You already got my choices (right?) from facebook?

    I'm tired. That's why this comment is weird. I will not apologize (because I know you'll forgive me).

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  28. This is a cool idea!

    Real name: Mazie Birch
    Stage name: Melody Shyne

    Have fun picking your name!!!

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  29. Hetty Stanhope
    Millie Thornton
    (or mix and match!)

    Genevieve Langford

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  30. Charmant Sorcière - lovely and french and pretentious, means 'charming witch'.
    Now, I just came nowhere on naming a baby giraffe for a Dublin zoo competition so I might be a bad bet.

    or you can borrow 'Penelope Smythe' one of the characters from my magpies.

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  31. Too fun! Some great suggestions already. I'll add to the pot:

    Hedda Byrne
    Eva Grand
    Elizabeth Brighton (Lizzy Bright)

    Good luck! :)

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  32. Ooh, one more! Etta Strang(e). :)

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  33. Francis Tremaine. Sounds good, and thirtyish! Good luck with choosing your name.

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  34. What a fun idea!!! I like some people's suggestions here (tho I haven't checked the other linky), and WHAT a great prize. *drools*

    My suggestions:
    Amelia Dewhurst, Madeline Poynter, Angela Manley, Aster Woodbury, Audrey Moss, Avery Mackintosh, Berenice Windsor, Delphine Riddell, Dorothea Edgerton, Eleanor Warren, Evelyn Cowden, Eydie Yorkshire, Esme Ryerson, Fiona Toulson, Fleta Carbury, Glennis Campbell, Gelsey Middleton, Hazelle Davies, Irene Hoesly, Jenessa Walkford, Jocelyn Myre, Philomena Dreyfus, Phillida Masterson, Rosamund Winchester, Ruby Redwine, Selina Manchester,
    Tamar Wilkins, Victoria Watson, Zillah Pennywater.

    Names are so fun! Whatever name you decide on from your adoring fans, you may want to Google. In combining some of mine, I haven't checked--subconsciously, I may be channeling the name of a real person! And I chose from real British first names but I totally winged most of the last names so they may be French or German for all I know. LOL

    Have fun!

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  35. Wow, this is fun! Maybe Madge, or Petunia. I suck at last names, but maybe something like Hightower?

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  36. Great idea!

    Hmmm... how about Clarissa Carrington?

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  37. Dorcas Devlin
    Penelope Vanderwild

    Okay I keep trying.

    Pamela Jo
    http://theresjustlifeyaliveit.blogspot.com

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  38. I gave my suggestion as Cheeky McGrouchy the other day on FB. Think about it. It might take a few days to sink in.

    If you don't like it, try Nanny McFearsom.

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  39. I subbed my name through Facebook, and I am looking forward to seeing what name wins - such a great idea.

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  40. Her parents had the audacity to name her Mildred (Butterfield) at her birth. When taking to film, her agent renamed her Esme Diamond, which unfortunately led to jokes in her old age because her initials are E.D.

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  41. Something old and elegant. I don't know, maybe Victoria Deboroux?

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  42. Actually I thought of this first name this morning and just had to tell you about it.

    Adele Tremaine.

    Love it. And I looked up the meaning and it means noble. So there you go!

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  43. Letitia Brown

    Obviously, when she was in films, she was called 'Letty de Bruin'

    :-)

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  44. Pearl Agnes Humstead is her real name, though few who know her now could match her crusty demeanor and piercing blue eyes with the fallen star of another era. Once she was the buxom darling of the 'in' crowd and wife to Randolph Gates. Now, her past so far from attention, and that nasty business finally at rest, she is given little notice unless she is displeased with service or challenged by the city for her unkempt garden or contibution to the feral cat population.
    Pearl Gates is long gone, a blip of light and grace upon a rotting and forgotton black and white world. She was once perfection, but even the perfect must find truth. Truth can be cruel to even the shadows of beauty.
    Pearl is no longer beautiful or kind and her smile is no longer easy, charming or white. All that grace was ripped from her with the keen edge of love. Her charming prince was a prince of hell, and he lay the lovely star at the alter and took her light with his whispers and his hateful truth.
    she has learned to accept the darkness and the smell of hate.

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  45. Marjorie Stone
    Deborah Piers
    Beulah St. James
    Maisie Gold

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  46. Over at facebook I suggested Maeve Marlowe and Mildred Garrington.

    There's also Viola Hayden...

    @jm neeb: Justine Bieber? Oh, you're just trying to get Talli into trouble...

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  47. What a fun contest, and an amazing prize!

    How about Agnes Pendergast?

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  48. I thought of this one last night.

    She was born Valentina Nelson after her mother's favorite actor.
    She changed it to Valentina LaMor when she started acting herself.

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  49. Brilliant contest, I loved reading all the names! I have a very definite favourite, but will throw these into the ring:

    Madeleine Wickham
    Eliza Hetherington
    Amanda Aungier (the surname is pronounced ain-jer. It's a street in Dublin!)

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  50. I like Grace Sterling; a bit of an air to it, but she is now tarnished and not so graceful, as she once use to be.
    Another pic would be Katherine Kelley
    or maybe Vivian Moore or Sylvia Hayes...
    I like the idea of Grace being so opposite of her name and tarnished! lol

    Fun game~

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  51. Myrtice Rogers Sinclair.

    First time commenter here. I found a link to you at Grumpy Old Ken's blog.

    I haven't looked at all the other suggestions, but f someone already suggested Myrtice Rogers Sinclair, I am definitely psychic.

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  52. Bertie Levitt-Thompson

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Coffee and wine for all!