KATIE REUS-Guest Post with the author

Thank you so much for having me here today!

People often ask me questions about my writing process including how I come up with character names or I how I keep everything straight in a series. Coming up with character names is one of my favorite things to do in the writing process. I have a couple baby books I’ll browse and there are three or four baby naming websites I like to check out for inspiration. Usually I know my character’s heritage so if they’re Irish, Greek, Native American, Jamaican, etc. it’s much easier to narrow down names and their meanings as there are also genealogy sites I can utilize.

In my Moon Shifter series the Cordona females in the pack are all originally from Spain. Most were actually born there, but some of them were born in the States. So when picking names I took into account their heritage, which is very important to their pack. It was a lot of fun naming so many people and after a while I realized I needed to create something to keep track of things. So, I created my ‘character keeper’. It helps me stay organized and keep track of who’s mated/married to whom, names of parents, siblings, children, and what the individual looks like in human and wolf form, etc. Right now I’m working on the fourth book in the series and I’m afraid I would have gone mad a long time ago without my ‘bible’ to keep me on track.

A little over a week ago LOVER’S INSTINCT, a novella in my Moon Shifter series, released. My heroine’s name is Esperanze and it means ‘hope’. My hero’s name is Nikan, which means ‘loyal friend’ or ‘my friend’. It fits both their personalities perfect. I hope you enjoyed reading a little about what goes on during my writing process!

Do you know what the meaning of your name is? If so please share and be entered to win a print copy of Primal Possession, the second book in my Moon Shifter series (US only), which is releasing in a couple weeks. If you’d just like to leave a comment, that’s cool too! You’ll still be entered.

About Lover’s Instinct:

Lupine shifter Nikan Lawless has it bad for Esperanze Cordona, the sweet and curvy woman who only views him as a friend. But when Nikan is assigned to act as Esperanze’s bodyguard during a weekend education conference, he knows it’s the perfect opportunity to seduce her off her feet—away from the pack.

To put his plan into motion Nikan cancels one of their hotel rooms, giving them time to get to know one another in a whole different way. But when a man from Esperanze’s past shows up in need of help, Nikan must shield her from a group of dangerous rogue shifters, all while trying to prove that they’re destined to be mates.

Purchase info: Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, iTunes

A little about Katie: I’ve been reading romance since a young age—ever since I discovered my mom’s hidden stash. Luckily the addiction stayed with me into adulthood. I write paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense for Carina Press, Harlequin Nocturne, and NAL Signet Eclipse/Penguin. To learn more about me please visit Website, My Blog, Facebook or find me on twitter @katiereus.

Katie Reus is offering a paper copy of her September release PRIMAL POSSESSION to ONE lucky member of The Reading Cafe.

1.  You must be a member at The Reading Cafe.  If you are not a member, please register using the log-in at the top of the page or by using one of the social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in such as Twitter, please post your email address with your comment, as Twitter does not allow for an email addres.

3.  The giveaway is open to continental USA only.

4. The giveaway runs from August 17-19, 2012