First item of business: The 2nd winner of the Random Things Giveaway is californiameaghan!
Email me at readbree(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll send you list of your choices from the Random Prize Grab-Bag.
Last week's Random Things winner, Taschima Cullen, chose a signed copy of WINGS by Aprilynne Pike.
(The Random Things Contest is now closed.)
Okay, on with the post:
So does anyone know how it got to be the 22nd again already? Seriously, the time is ticking away until the release of THE DARK DIVINE. We're down to 5 months already!!! The weirdest part about getting closer to the release date (December 22nd, btw) is knowing that advanced copies of my book are being sent out to reviewers, and people--real people, not just my writer friends--are possibly reading my book right at this very moment.
Exciting!!
Thrilling!!
Horrifying!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, primal scream moment over. *Shaking it off*
Back to the post . . .What was I saying? Oh yeah. Reviewers and other such super awesome people are reading my book. In fact, I recently got my first written review on GoodReads. In honor of it being the first, I thought I would share it with you all.
This was written by Sarah Steele, one of the fabulous winners from last month's Countdown To The Dark Divine Contest ARC Giveaway:
"Okay I was SUPER excited to read this book and when I won and ARC from the author's blog, I absolutely was not disappointed!!!! (Apologies to the author for comparing her great novel to "Twilight." I don't mean it as an insult.) Basically if you loved "Twilight," you'll also love this book. And if you despised "Twilight," you'll probably also love this book and after reading it you'll think, "Wow, Stephenie Meyer could stand to learn a few things from Bree Despain." Seriously. Read this book."
How sweet is that?! Thanks, Sarah!
Sarah's review put me in such a good mood, I've decided to give away another one of my ARCs as part of this month's Countdown To The Dark Divine Contest.
(Note to new readers: The CTTDDC is a special contest I run on the 22nd of each month leading up to the release of my book on 12/22/09. So be sure to come back each 22nd for you chance to win a neat prize.)
However, there's no such thing as a free lunch. You've got to do a little work for me in order to get an entry in the contest.
So here's the deal. I'm working on the sequel for TDD, and I've dreamed up a new character. He's hot, cocky, has paranormal superpowers (sorry, can't tell you what kind), and is possibly going to be British. He's the kind of guy you LOVE to hate, and hate yourself for loving. But, sadly, he still doesn't have a name. This where I need a little help from my friends. Which of the following names do you think is best for the hot paranormal jerk:
A. Nathan
B. Talbot
C. Ramses
Cast your vote in the comments, and I'll enter you in the contest to win a signed ARC of THE DARK DIVINE. Our second place winner will get a signed copy of Shannon Hale's THE ACTOR AND THE HOUSEWIFE. Contest ends at 11:59 pm on July 29th.
Disclaimer: I'm leaning toward one of the names already, so I may or may not go with the outcome of this contest . . .but my decision will probably be swayed if enough of you agree on a different choice.
(Note: This contest is only open to blog followers, so if you're not a follower . . .um, start following ;) )
Oh, and one more thing. YA author James Dashner gave me a shout-out on his blog, so I'm returning the favor. He's giving away an ARC of his awesome upcoming YA novel, THE MAZE RUNNER, on his blog, so you should pop over there and check it out. (After you leave a comment here, of course.)
85 comments:
I vote for Nathan. :)
Well, first of all, my mind instantly struck Ramses out, because it's a variant of Rameses ("son of Ra") which is an Egyptian name with very very Egyptian connotations (what with being the name of several famous pharaohs and all). If I saw a character with that name and there were no Egyptian ties I'd feel a bit thrown out by it all, to be perfectly honest. (Of course, if there are Egyptian ties... vote goes the other way).
So my vote is now between Nathan and Talbot. And since it's "hot, cocky and has paranormal superpowers" in his case, I'm voting Talbot. It's a little dark, not very common (but still English)... my definite favourite of the three.
catherine@amynta.org
Whoops, wrong account, sorry. Catherine@amynta.org here, but this is the account I follow with.
Nathan.
I vote Nathan as well :D I love that name!
(though if he is british how about Arthur Kirkland? yes/yes? Hetalia fans anywhere at all?)
Lexie.Cenni@gmail.com
You know I want to read your ARC, and I'm still working on the banana bread idea (the bananas are speckled but not yet brown, and who knows when I'll find gluten-free flour), so maybe this contest thing will pan out for me instead. My youngest son is named Nate (Nathan), and we picked it because we've never known a Nate we didn't like. They all seem very good-natured, easy-going, and not at all like you're describing this character. ;)
So I'd go with Talbot, of the 3 choices.
Thanks Bree! I'm honored. How did the planets line up that we'd both be giving away ARCs of our book on the same day. Downright eerie.
As for the names, I'd have to go with Ramses. Then people can call him The Ram.
Talbot :-)
Man, I used to like Talbot, but then I read a really bad book and the main character had that name, and I think it ruined me for life. I vote Nathan! :)
I personally like the name Nathan the most, but it doesn't sound like a hot jerk name to me. So I vote for Talbot. It just sounds sexy.
- Alex
I vote for Nathan.
bacchus76 at myself dot com
I like Talbot but not for a jerk...
so I'm gonna say Nathan.
Wow, gotta go with the majority here, while the other names are super awesome and original, Nathan just popped for me. He sounds like the kind of guy I would LOVE! XP Eep, must read! hehe
I'm going with Talbot on this one.
Although I've had a stroke of genius and really think you should go with the name Brach - yummy like the candy.
But that's just me. That and the memory of lips and clove cigarettes... well.. that's my secret there. Hehe. Shhhhhh!
But yes, Talbot is the best of those three, or at least my favorite.
Hot paranormal jerk? Definitely Ramses. Ramses is a name that makes you think as a reader that it means something... what with the whole Egyptian pharaoh thing and all. And knowing what a clever woman you are, I am going to guess that if you named a character that it would have more significance than just sounding cool.
I also like Talbot, but that sounds a bit more like a dapper, boarding school attendee.
And Nathan well that just sounds sweet, but maybe the sweetness is masking something dark and dangerous...you never know.
C. Ramses
I don't know why but I like it :)
I vote Nathan. Ramses would be cool if he was Egyptian like Catherine says, and I just don't think you can swoon over a Talbot.
tashiluvsu@live.com
I have to vote for Nathan. It is simple yet still has a spark of the unknown...I still like your other two ideas but Nathan seems to fit the profile better, in my opinion.
btw- so happy to learn of your 22nd of each month contest! SO fun!
Um... Talbot. Nate for short.
Talbot because it reminds me of a Mr. Joey Talbot or as I still call him "tough guy". Is this guy tough? If so, I think you have your answer right there!
I like Talbot--rare enough to be interesting, but normal enough to be plausible. ;)
Um, but will you sign my books for me even if I don't win? Yes, I said bookS. My soon-to-be-14-year-old nieces will love the book, I'm sure!
Talbot's what first came to mind! :)
Sounds hot!
(And of course I follow you!)
bunnybx at gmail . com
Nathan :)
D) Quinn!!! and change him to HOT PARANORMAL and super cool and funny and the best, instead of a jerk. thanks, your great!! just like your new character Quinn.
Absolutely Nathan! I mean, come on the guy's a hot bad boy! Ramses and Talbot are just too whiney and weird.
I think Nathan would be great. :)
I think my voto goes for Nathan, I think it is the one that best goes with the description you gave us.
I just read a book with a character named Nathan who has to be the sweetest thing on Earth. So no, I won't go for Nathan. For me, it's Talbot. It's smexy, and fits the description perfectly:)
prodhi(at)live(dot)com
I vote for Ramses! Thanks for the contest!
I vote Talbot - Nathan is too predictable for a jerk!
mj.coward[at]gmail.com
I don't think Nathan sounds at all cocky, but Talbot sounds very un British (actually, Nathan doesn't sound that British either)...so I'm torn.
If pressed, I would say Talbot.
But how about Domenic?
Ramses! Sounds very dark & exotic. :D
I like Ramses but Brenner, Joren or Terek would be great too:)
talbot - it's very british/sexy. love it!
The first name that came to mind with your description was Jace Lightwood from the Mortal Instuments series. He's super hot. ;)
I say that Ramses would be good. Talbot reminds me too much of Tybalt from Romeo and Juliet, and Nathan sounds to sweet to be a name for a cocky guy.
At my house, Nathan is the name of a soft, fuzzy hamster who's not cocky or sexy. Also, it's the name of my 10-year-old nephew, who's a sweet kid. I'd have to nix Nathan anyway, because it doesn't sound the least bit exotic.
I have to vote Ramses. The original Rameses was a cocky, exotic jerk, so it evokes all the right stuff. Even if your audience has no inkling who the real Rameses was, it's still unusual, which I like for a character with unusual abilities.
Talbot's unique, and I can definitely imagine him being handsome, cocky, and British. :) I think Nathan's a bit too... plain, and Ramses a little too... out there--among the choices, anyway.
I would have to say that Nathan sounds the Hottest so go with that name :)
4Sage@optonline.net
I've read too many books with Nathan so I'm tainted...I like Talbot but I always have to imagine a name being whispered (or screamed) in an intimate moment to decide if it awkward or not. Talbot and Ramses are good names for the character but if he is going to become a beloved hunk...Nathan feels better.
Hows that for being wishy washy and not very helpful???
Nathan
Talbot!
I really love the name Nathan. It's a cute name, seems like it would be good fo a British boy (and even if he's not) and yeah. That's my vote. :)
-Lauren
Hi Bree, I just started officially following your blog.
I love the name Talbot...it has a sense of being the bad boy with an attitude but still love him. The name fits especially if he is going to be British.
Hey Bree =)
I don't know if you remember but I got in contact with you for a ARC for review purpose but I still haven't heard from your publisher =(
As for name for your next caracter my favorite out of the 3 names in Nathan. But If you take suggestions I like the name Jace a lot.
Best of luck with the writing process!
I vote Nathan! With Talbot as a close second.
Wow, this thread exploded since the last time I checked it last night. I wish it were possible to respond to everyone . . .but I've got a deadline :).
I love how passionate you guys are about the names. It's making it hard to choose.
Michelle- I also had Mr. Joey Talbot in mind when I picked the name. So did Brick.
Anisa- I might steal Terek for a different book I'm working on.
Rachie- Of course I'll sign your books. You are officially invited to all of my signings.
Tynga- I sent your request to my marketing director. Unfortunately, she has all the contorll over who gets as arc for review :(. Probably because I'd hand out free copies to everyone I ever met.
I also love the name Jace. But I'm already using it in another book . . .and it fits that character perfectly.
Okay all, keep the votes coming!! I'm hoping one of the names will pull into the lead.
Talbot, definitely!
Out of the three I personally like Nathan the best. Mostly because Ramses always reminds me of the old, evil butler from The Haunted Mansion movie.
Even though it's not on the list I'd also suggest Finn. To me it sounds like an overconfident, jerky, British boy.
I'd definitely vote for Nathan. It's a little more common than the other two, but that's actually a good thing in my opinion- puts the emphasis on having your character's actions and personality speak for themselves, rather than having a special name mark his special status in (metaphorical) neon lights ;)
Plus, I just like the name! :)
i say talbot...i like uncommon names...
I really like Ramses or Nathan. Hmmm, I think Nathan!
I like Nathan... out of the three, it's the one that stands out for me... like the one that 'clicks',lol :)
Why choose? I think you should name him Nathan Talbot Ramses III. You know--because you have to add the "the third" to it--because you can't have 3 names and not end with "the third." Don't ask me how you get to be the third if you can't have three names without it....
OR - and I really like this idea - you should name him Nathan Talbot and everybody calls him Talbot except Grace, because she thinks its totally stupid that he goes by his last name, and so she's the only one who calls him Nathan. That'd be cool, because then you get to use both.
I like Nathan, but that seems like a character name of someone who I would fall for, a good cute guy. Talbot would be my second choice if you're going for dark and mysterious.
Well, I love the name Devlin but since it's not in the list, I'll go with Talbot.
I love the name Nathan, but it sounds like such a nice name. Too nice for a jerk. I vote Ramses. It sounds kind of exotic for the paranormal side of him, and I could definitely see it as the name of a jerk. Talbot sounds kind of stuffy to me and makes me think "Halibut." That doesn't sound very hot to me. But whatever you choose, I'm sure your character will decide how I feel about the name. You're good like that.
I like the name Nathan (and Talbot, but I think in this case, Nathan fits the guy better)! :)
~Breezy
breezysea23@hotmail.com
Nathan, definitely! I'm just imagining right now how "swoon-worthy" it will sound when said with a British accent!! aahhh!!:)
sylvia_uy4@yahoo.com
I would have to go with Talbot. While I like Nathan every time I hear it I think of the one from One Tree Hill. Plus Talbot is totes unique and fun!
koriannespeaks@gmail.com
Oh, my favorite kind of guy! :)
Though it's probably a bit of a common name, I'd still pick Nathan! There's just something about it that's soooo hot! NATHAN. Just think of how that word seems to flow out of your lips oh so sexily!
Okay, I'm getting way way into this. LOL.
Immediately love Ramses, and as always my mind is having second thoughts. *Isn't Nathan better?* its whispering...No, initial vote, Ramses!
lilibethramos@live.com
I vote for Talbot, though I'm not partial to any of the names.
Something like:
Alistair
-Joel
definately Ramses. to me that name just screams gorgeous jerk!
:) Erica
thebookcellar@wi.rr.com
I think the name Ramses would be great if the character was from a more exotic locale than Britain. The choice between Nathan and Talbot is a tough one - they both lend themselves well to a cocky persona. I'm going to go with Nathan though because I'm finding it hard to reconcile the snooty sounding Talbot with the word "sexy".
I can't decide the first name; but "Pennington" or "Chesterfield" should definitely be in the last name. Definitely.
I like the name Talbot yep that's the one!!!
Shawna Lewis
weloveourdogs@juno.com
I vote for Nathan
throuthehaze at gmail dot com
I like Talbot :)
I vote for:
C. Ramses
That's such a dark, naughty name! Love it! Talbot was my second but I love Ramses!
Nathan just seems too normal and kind of a sweet name. I couldn't see a jerk w/ that name.
I hope to win! Can't wait to read and review your book!
I vote for:
Ramses
I just love it. Plus, I think it sounds like a name that a paranormal jerk would be called.
laurenscrammedbookshelf@gmail.com
Ok I'm leaning toward Nathan or Talbot. I think I'm going to pick Nathan (because I know an attractive jerk-type guy named Nathan).
Cornucopiaofreviews@gmail.com
Out of the 3 I think Ramses would be best. But, if you are loking for a great character name, ive always wanted to write about a cool character names billy lake. I dont know why i just shared that, but i did! i actually found your blog on DASHNER'S site. Hes one of my favorite authors and if he says your a friend, then i come to your site. Id love to read a copy of your book. Please enter me. As well, My family has a review blog site (which James PROMISED me an interview prob in october or november, YEAH!!), so if you still need more people to review your book, let me know. Thanks
Dave
mrlatts@gmail.com
Nathan
meldavis@ucdavis.edu
I'm thinking Nathan.
jedigeorge64(at)aol(dot)com
Nathan seems too nice of a name, so I'm going with Talbot.
Christy
Hum, well none of the names are very British... Ramses is a bit Egyptian, but seems like it might have been popular in Victorian times. Talbot is old world-y (Edwardian sounding!), the kind of name Hex would have used (Brit supernatural tv series). Quite sexy, but also sort of stuffy. Nathan is bad boy but wayy too relaxed (sort of American! lol), reminds me also of Nathaniel on GG [Gossip Girl] and he's a bit um soft/witless. So, my vote is for Talbot, but really a longer multi-syllable (or 'hard' - like K vs C) name would suit someone with presence ( Vincent/Edgar/William). The ultimate non-bad boy name for me would be Peter! (Sorry Ms Potter!) Good luck in naming your mystery man! :-)
wsrannieATyahooDOTcoDOTuk
Talbot for sure - that just plain sounds like everything you described.
Thanks for the votes, everyone. Sorry to have been so silent over the last few days. I was away on on a retreat over the weekend, without internet access.
Nathan!!!!
Can't wait for your book!!
Since we gave both of our boys names in common I think I need to win this contest.
That being said I am conflicted over which one to pick.
Ramses is powerful and romantic and maybe a little too supernatural sounding. Almost a little too good to be true. But that may fit your character well- it's just a lot to live up to.
Talbot is too staccato sounding for me and reminds me of the stuffy lady's clothing store- Talbots. It brings to my mind shoulderpads and nautical themed clothing.
Nathan is the name of my cute golden cherub of a nephew(he's 1). It's hard to imagine him being much of a bad boy but he is definitely a charmer and a flirt.
So of the three... I choose Nathan. Though I do think Ramses might work if you change it to Ramsey- which sounds more British to me.
I've liked the suggestions of Quinn and Jace. I'd also like to throw out the suggestions of Gage and Kade. They just sound smooth to me. And also Thomas. That sounds British and potentially mischievous as well. :)
I'll be on a road trip for the next couple days so if I do win give me time to respond. I REALLY want to read your book and add my review to Sarah's. :)
I like Nathan and Talbot. But I vote for Talbot! With Nathan I picture nice, but Talbot I picture mysterious. So excited for your book to come out!!
Casey
paranormalfanatic@gmail.com
I vote for Nathan!
Talbot sounds like it would be better as a last name, and Ramses is too exotic.
paradoxrevealed (at) aim (dot) com
My choice of the three would be Talbot.
Although I like the idea that someone suggested; naming him Nathan Talbot and he goes by Talbot.
I liked some of the other suggestions too, like Quinn. If he is British my first thought would be Liam.
I'd love to read your book before December!
out of those three I'd definitely pick Nathan. I think it sounds the best.
nathan, definately
Post a Comment