Dark Waters and Deadly Pursuits

DARK WATERSWelcome today to the new website! I hope you like it and would love to hear from you about it. To celebrate there are lots of fun things going in, including the chance to win a $5.00 gift card for helping to pick the name of a new hero. Just choose one of the names below and leave your vote as a comment.

Also take a moment to visit with me at two blogs that I’m doing today!

Join me for a discussion of Deadly Pursuits at Cynthia’s Eden’s My Deadly Valentine blog tour! Then also join me at Ester Lopez’s wonderful blog where a chat about writing and STRONGER THAN SIN.

And now, please welcome my great friend and wonderful author, Gabriella Hewitt who is going to share DARK WATERS with us as well as chat about her new releases. I read DARK WATERS and it was fabulous!! I highly recommend it. Rico was a fascinating hero and the heroine, Frankie Montalvo, could definitely hold her own with the best kick-butt heroines out there.

DARK WATERS

A predator stalks paradise and she’s next.

On a tropical isle, Frankie Montalvo discovers roots to a past she never knew. Tales of witchcraft, missing girls and el chupacabra surround her, but it will take more than superstitions to scare her away. Determined to create her own home, she enlists the help of an enigmatic beach bum.

Special Agent Rico Lopez has been to the depths of hell and back. He returns to his native island of Vieques to forget an ICE mission gone wrong only to find himself caught up in the search for a neighbor’s daughter—a victim of the legendary el chupacabra. Paradise has a predator and all leads point to a dilapidated old plantation and one sexy as sin owner. Lying to Frankie is the only way to do his job, but is he protecting her or himself?

Does this name make my butt look big?

Seriously, finding the right name for a character is like finding jeans that fit. I agonize for days trying to find the perfect fit, trying on one pair after another. Some are too flamboyant, some too old-fashioned, some too ridiculous to contemplate that I have to wonder if they make my butt look big.

When I began Dark Waters, I spent a lot of time thinking up the perfect name. Not any name would do. I knew my heroine was a tough, feisty New Yorker who’d been knocked down by life more than once, but always got back on her feet. I wanted a name that captured that hard shell on the outside that hid a soft vulnerability inside. That’s when I hit on Francesca, a classic, elegant name that spoke to who my heroine could be in an ideal world. Shorten it to Frankie and it fit the reality of a woman who fought to hold on to everything she had.

My hero had to stand up to Frankie in every way because he was the one man who could see beneath that exterior armor she wore so carefully. But he wasn’t going to take her by storm. He’d charm his way inside until she never knew what happened. Rico was a name that conjured up washboard abs and a sexy grin and Frankie didn’t stand a chance. This guy was sex on a stick, yet when it came to danger he protected his own…and that included Frankie.

My other method of madness is to find someone, a person I know or a relative to name other secondary characters after. My neighbor Karla got bumped off in Dark Waters (She thought it was hysterical and what better way to thank her for editing my Spanish) Frankie’s last name, Montalvo, comes from my best friend in elementary school (She thinks it is so awesome because she is married now and her last name is changed). Yes, I pay homage to those I love by immortalizing them in books. HEHEHEHE (evil laugh)

Currently, I’m working on my Shadow Warrior series, which is loosely based around Aztec mythology. They are contemporary paranormal romances that include a mix of suspense and plenty of intrigue from the gods. The first of the novellas, tentatively titled Out of the Shadows, has sold to Samhain Publishing. The second novella is in the final stages of editing and ready for submission to the editor and I’m ready to bang out the third. As I planned out the fourth novella, I realized that once again I was stuck. I needed the perfect name for my heroine.

So I mentioned this dilemma to my family and my cousin said she would love it if I used her name in a book. (Victoria is sweet and loving and beautifully blonde, which is exactly the opposite of the character I am contemplating). Then it dawned on me. Eureka! What better way to get the heroine’s name than to ask my friends and family to pick the name for me?

I put out a call for others to name the 4th heroine in the Shadow Warrior series. I got some wonderful entries and found a winner. A Celtic word that means “fire” –Enya!

You might be thinking, “This name is not ancient Aztec. Blasphemy!” True, but Zyanya is and it means “always, forever” and I thought this name fit perfectly. Since the story is a contemporary paranormal romance and she is an immortal firecracker, I figured she would want to blend into modern society, so I named her Enya.

Well guess what? I need a hero’s name!

Description: He is an immortal warrior who has battled demons, Aztec gods, and bad styles of the 1770’s, 1880’s and 1990’s. He’s tall, dark, and shaven (bald is beautiful). He is strong, ruthless and has a soft spot for damsels in distress (and kittens too but don’t let anyone know). He has the ability to shift into a black jaguar and with one look he can make you do bad, bad things.

I’m going to help you out a bit. Below are some names I am considering. Vote for your pick in the comment section and be entered to win a $5.00 gift card.

Mateo – short for MATLAL: Nahuatl name meaning “dark green; or net.”
Teo – short for TEOXIHUITL: Nahuatl unisex name meaning “turquoise” or “precious and divine.”
Alan – short for ACHCAUHTLI: Nahuatl unisex name meaning “leader.”

¡Buena suerte! Good luck!

Gabriella Hewitt
www.GabriellaHewitt.com
Excitement. Suspense. Passion.
Dark Waters ~ Available Now ~
Order at Amazon

Visit Gabriella Hewitt!

19 Replies to “Dark Waters and Deadly Pursuits”

  1. This was so much fun. Thank you again to everyone that voted. Here are the results: (drum roll)

    Mateo: 3
    Teo: 7
    Alan: 0

    The new name of the shadow warrior is Teo!

    And the winner of the $5.00 Gift Card is Robin. Congratulations!

  2. Wow, I must say, I’m a fan of the Shadow Warriors – and for this one, I think I like Mateo – especially if you give the ethnic hunk some fantastic, dark green eyes I can drown in!

    Robin

  3. I have Dark Waters on my Kindle and I can’t wait to read it! I love the fact that you use names from your friends and family in your books! How fun! I actually picked my sons name from a book I was reading at the time.
    I think Teo stands out to me as a Warrior’s name. The other’s remind me of modern names.

  4. Ooooo I love the new look It’s so mysterious & sexy…
    I am going with Mateo,
    have a good one Ann.

  5. Thank you all for stopping by and voting.

    Fannie, I dont think it is an age thing. Change for me is hard too. Ut sometimes it is a good thing.

    Kaye, Jeans are my nemesis! That and bras but I won’t go into details 😳

    Angel – the meaning of names for me is a biggie.

    Fedora ~~waves~~

  6. I like the new look and will eventually find everything. LOL. I don’t take changes as easily as I used to. Could it be an age thing? Maybe. Any way, I like the sound of your book Gabriella. I will be looking for it when I go shopping again. As for the names, they are all good. Any of them would work for me.I am glad you came to visit. I hope everyone is having a great day. Hugs to all. Take care and God bless.

  7. 😉 Great new look Caridad,
    AndI have to vote for Mateo, one of my SIL’s friends is named Mateo and they’re from Brazil.
    Zina

  8. I am enjoying the new look! 😀
    Teo gets my vote… and thanks for introducing another new to me author!!!

  9. Caridad!! I so love this new look! No, I didn’t go away forever.

    Dark Waters sounds fantastic, Gabriella. And I love the way you relate to character names- like finding a great pair of jeans! So true.

  10. Wow, Caridad–GORGEOUS new look!

    And Gabriella, I’m liking Teo–I like the sounds of it, and the meaning 🙂 Yum! Glad you’re working on this next story!

  11. I like Teo for the sound as well as the “precious and divine” meaning, but I must say that Alan’s meaning is great also. But truly I find the meaning and sound of Teo to be best. I think the name fits the image. I hope this helps somewhat. I know how hard it is to name characters and am glad for some other writer looking up the name meanings!!!!

  12. OMG! Cari, this is a beautiful new look. I love it! Very mysterious and alluring.
    Thank you so much for having me on today.

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