July 13, 2006 What's In A Name? Part Three...

WRITING JOURNAL: CHARACTER’S NAMES--finding the RIGHT one!

Hi Everyone!

Names have magic, as you already know from my other two blogs, part one and two. I wanted, from a writer’s standpoint, to delve into why and how I choose names for my characters.


Copyright Eileen Nauman 2006
Here is a pot of Caladiums--white and green with just a touch of pink. They provide bright color even in 100F+ heat around here.


I wanted to start with my most famous one: Morgan Trayhern...patriarch of the now 30+ saga-series and Morgan’s Mercenaries.

If you want to know how I figured out the numbers on his name, go to part two and it tells you how to do this, step-by-step in case you didn’t read it first before coming to part three, here.

Morgan comes out to be a 14/5 name. His last name, Trayhern, is a ‘1’ name. When you add these two numbers together, you come up with a ‘6’ name. And, borrowing from Karen David’s quickie guide to number descriptions, let’s see what is says about a ‘Six Person,’ i.e., Morgan Trayhern:

NUMBERS AND THEIR MEANING by Karen David
Copyright 2000 Karen David
All Rights Reserved



“SIX: Home-oriented. Child-oriented. Children can be center of their
universe. Parent type. Haus frau type. Chef. Humanitarian. Service oriented. Counseling. Teaching. Can be an Animal lover. Fighter for under dogs. Sacrifice for others or for a goal/vision. Putting people on pedestals. Hero worship. Disappointment in your heroes. Smother mother or father. Smothering others. Needs to be financially secure. Romantic. In love with the idealism of "love." Emotionally picky, perfecting. Home is where the heart lies. Protective. Adjustments. Acceptance.”

Doesn’t this just FIT Morgan? As a reader, I’m sure you can quickly identify with these quickie adjectives Karen has provided and say, yes, Morgan is definitely service oriented. After all, he built Perseus, a mercenary organization, to help people in trouble around the world--when no one else or a government, would step in to help them! Further, Morgan is the epitome of patriotism. He was a captain in the Marine Corps during the final days of the Vietnam War. His company was over run and only two people survived--one being Morgan--and he had amnesia for years and didn’t know who he was. At that time,Morgan recovered and joined the French Foreign Legion, with no memory of his past; only his present and his possible future as he saw it.

The US Government was a bad guy in all of this, too, because they blamed Morgan for the loss of his entire company of Marines. So, they let him continue to think he had no family and did not help him. Not until Morgan got his memory back! And then he found out that the government had branded him a traitor and his family, who had a proud 200+ year military tradition, had been smeared. How Morgan fought back with the woman who he fell in love with, Laura, is chronicled in “Return of a Hero,” Silhouette Special Edition, 1989.


Copyright Eileen Nauman 2006
Here is a very rare plant and in of all places--Arizona! This is an Alpine Clematis....I brought seeds from Switzerland and they grew! Who would think that a true Alp mountain plant would grow here, in hot, dry Arizona. This is a vine. And this is the second time this year it has bloomed. Just amazing!

Morgan being a ‘6’ means he deeply loves his family, and he yearns for children and for being a father. He also loves his country. And so, Morgan’s ‘6 energy’ is manifesting continually through him and in all the ways that he sees to run his life on a daily basis.

To look at Morgan from a name definition stand point, one book says, “Born of the Sea.” I liked that idea about the name for Morgan’s character. I wanted him deeply emotional and holding to his beliefs no matter how rough life got. His emotions fuel him completely and his vision of Perseus being there to rescue others who needed help. He saw in his own life he never got any help from his own government and because of this emotionally branding experience, he swore that he would do something to help others caught in a similar trap as he had been. And so, the super-secret Perseus was born, with Morgan at the helm of his ‘ship.’

In another baby name book it says that Morgan is WELSH. I liked that idea of the family’s roots coming from Wales. There is a deep spirituality and mysticism to the Welsh, to this day. And I wanted their past to influence and hold them on course with that tough, enduring Welsh blood that ran through their veins. This particular book also said the name meant, “by the sea” or “from the sea.” Either way, the picture it painted for me was that Morgan was like the ocean; deep, unfathomable, powerful and emotional. His belief in helping and serving others was a part of his soul journey this lifetime. And he did devote his life to rescue once he got his own life back on track and he married devoted Laura.

In another book it says of Morgan, “Old Welsh; “White Sea.” “Dweller by the majestic, foamy breakers.” I saw, as a writer, that Morgan had the power to crush his enemies like a tsunami, if warranted. He had the heart, the endurance, the focus and knew how to handle power to eradicate evil. It was in his blood, his heritage, to have such a deep, emotional well to draw from in order to serve others who were in dire trouble. Not to mention, successfully rescuing them out of their particular dilemma.


Copyright Eileen Nauman 2006
Here is a close up of the very shy Alpine Clematis.

Now, if we look at TRAYHERN, we get another perspective on this admirable character! In one book,it says of this name that it, too, is Old Welsh. And, “Super-iron”, super strength. A man with unusual physical endurance.” Wow! That was my Morgan! I saw him as a man carrying so many loads that would break most men--he could do it and survive. And so, when he awoke from his brain trauma and could not remember who he was, his parents or anything about his past, it would take a person of super human strength to never give up hope of someday finding out the truth and reconnecting with those he loved in his past. Trayhern was the perfect last name that I wanted as a family standard or flag, for all of them. Each of the children: Aly, the daughter, Noah, the youngest son and Morgan, the oldest son, would each be put through a hell that would test their ‘metal’ on every level of themselves.

When I wrote “Love and Glory” back in June (A Question of Honor--Noah Trayhern’s story) 1988, then, July (No Surrender--Aly Trayhern’s tory), and finally, August, (Return of a Hero--Morgan Trayhern’s story), the readers met a family with a lot of guts and a heart that would never quit--no matter WHAT was thrown at them! Consider that the Trayhern Dynasty had a honorable and heroic 200+ years of military service with the USA, and then to have one son, Captain Morgan Trayhern, branded a traitor to his country--well, you can imagine the shock waves this sent through the family, one and all.


Copyright Eileen Nauman 2006
We have a lot of Canna Lily's around; mostly orange. They are tenacious growers and are a rhizome. They also are good at holding soil in place in flooded areas--which is where we grow them and why we grow them!

So, “Trayhern” was a wonderful name and as soon as I read this definition about it--I wanted it. But then, I did do the ‘numbers’ on it with Karen David’s invaluable help and guidance. And I was convinced that Trayhern, which by itself turns out to be a ‘1’ energy, would be a perfect last name for all the family that I wanted to write about. And just to compare here, check out Karen’s definition of the ‘1’ and see if you don’t agree it sure sounds like the Trayhern kids!


Copyright Eileen Nauman 2006
Take a look at this Hedgehog cactus--it began growing from seed up on top of this basalt/lava rock along the road about four years ago. I've marveled at its utter tenacity. Considering it doesn't get much rain, it has toughed it out. And also consider the blistering 100F+ heat boiling down on this BLACK rock and you begin to appreciate this tough little cactus' even more. Just an amazing lesson here through our plant people....

Let’s look at Karen David’s quickie number profile again:

“ONE: Beginnings. Becoming a leader. Pioneering. Seed being planted.
New ideas. Forging ahead. Impulsive. Decisive. Restless. Temper.
Independence. Works alone. Bossy. Arrogant. Aggressive.
Warrior. Take-charge. Narrow minded. Focused. Intensity of focus or
vision. Original. Self-reliance. Direct.”

Using definitions and numerology to figure out names of characters is but one of the foundations that I work with when creating a book. I want that number energy to exude through each character, reach out and touch the reader as much as possible. It also helps me, as the writer, to keep the characters in character--because I know their number energy expression. I know that Morgan, for example, being a ‘6’ is a pushover for children, for being a father and having a family. What better challenges for him than to have a son who he can’t get along with, then? Jason Trayhern, his oldest son, was always at odds with Morgan. When you know the number energy, you also know where the wounds can be in that character as well. If you want to hurt Morgan--hurt his family.

And that’s exactly what I did. I wrote a second series of books about Morgan and his wife Laura being kidnapped by a drug cartel. Not only was Morgan taken, so was Laura,and Jason, their oldest son. Their daughter, Cathy, was left behind. The series of books chronically each one’s rescue, then ensued. And finally, a fourth book where Morgan and Laura must try and save their marriage, is the final stroke in that series. The readers loved it! I loved writing it, but I cried a lot too...because these characters are real to me then, as they are today. I really hated putting them through such suffering and agony. But then,that’s what life is about--overcoming obstacles, pain and misery--and being victorious.

Readers who do not have these books are lucky! If you run over to Harlequin then, in the SEARCH box, you can type in: Morgan’s Honor and Morgan’s Legacy and you’ll have all four books. They have been recently reprinted and are available for sale at my publisher’s web site.

On every book, I also looked at the energy of the TITLE of it, as well. But, that’s another blog! Remember, names broadcast out energy--the ‘call’ certain people who are sensitive to that frequency--and they are the ones who will be interested in your books and how you write what you write.


Copyright Eileen Nauman 2006
Tonight's sunset without the smoke from the Southern California fires 7.13.06

In Spirit....