Some readers have commented upon, been distracted by, and generally put off by the similarity of names in my characters. I cannot dispute that, nor can I change it. Akira, Aiden, Asura, Arla, and all the other A’s, appeared in my writer’s brain with their own names. It was the same with Eron, Celina, Gralla, and all the other non-A citizens of Caldala.

And then there’s Kilronan, Osharon, Corcoran, Maronan … well you get the picture. As with many people, short forms and nicknames come into being: Kil, Shara, Mar. This often helps, unless it creates another type of confusion.

I accept responsibility for using their names and risking alienating readers and fans. It’s a big risk, to be sure. However, I soon came to understand that there was an underlying reason for the names, having to do with the hereditary Psyche lineage.

If you’ve read The Black Spirit, you understand what I mean by Psyche. If not, please follow along.

The Psyche race goes back to the first settlers of Caldala. Fleeing from persecution in other lands, these Force Benders—people with extraordinary psychic ability, who could channel natural elements of air, fire, water, etc—concentrated in the more isolated land of Caldala. Other gifted individuals with psychic abilities also found refuge there.

Of the pure Psyches, there were a limited number of families who survived purges in other countries to escape into Caldala. They were the origin of the common surname endings: -ronan, -ran, -den, -ron, and so on. Most had first names beginning with A.

A Psyche tradition was to take a part of the mother’s name and a part of the father’s name for the first name of their child. This could come from a first or last name, and even from an older relative’s name. For example, Aiden Kilronan’s parents are Ara and Miden Kilronan. They took the A from Ara and the -iden from Miden to name their son Aiden. Their daughter’s name is Mara—M from Miden, -ara from Ara. See?

Over time, the population of Caldala grew, with each generation building on the abilities and skills of all, from those without paranormal abilities to the most powerful of the Psyches. As races intermingled, naming conventions were not as rigidly adhered to. Children might be named for a respected public figure or a friend. Psyches intermarried with non-psyches and the surnames spread into less-gifted populations.

So. What about the central figure, Akira Muro? Hmm … Muro is not a hereditary Psyche name, yet Akira is the most powerful Psyche in Caldalan history.

Interested in the answer? You’ll find it in the sequel, Beyond the Veil, which is written and planned to be available by Summer of 2017.

I’ll be posting more insight into the world of Caldala. If anyone has a thought or question you’d like answered, ask it here, or to lerspirit@gmail.com. I’ll try to answer, unless it results in a spoiler.

Thanks for reading!

Laurie