| So you've got your plot outlined, a title
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| | fiction, time travel and fantasy books
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| lined up and the research is done. You're
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| | are good for names as well.
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| ready to start writing your novel. But
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| | 2) Walk of Fame - Hollywood actors and
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| wait. Now comes the fun part: creating
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| | actresses may have been born with common
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| names for your characters. One of the
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| | names like Julia and Brad, but that
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| best things about being a writer-besides
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| | doesn't mean their offspring have to
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| the innate ability to create imaginary
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| | suffer the same fate. Will and Jada
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| worlds-is giving birth to a character and
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| | Smith's children: Willow and Jaden; Demi
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| then bestowing a name upon him or her.
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| | Moore's girls: Scout LaRue, Rumer Glen
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| True, you didn't carry the character in
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| | and Tallulah Belle; Gwenyth Paltrow's
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| your womb for nine months (especially if
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| | daughter: Apple Blythe; John Travolta and
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| you're male). But he or she could've been
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| | Kelly Preston's son: Jett; Uma Thurman
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| in your head for nine months...or nine
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| | and Ethan Hawke's son: Ronin. Singer
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| years. So choosing a name for your
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| | Brandi's daughter: Sy'rai; Thomas Jane
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| characters seems almost as important as
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| | (The Punisher) and Rosanna Arquette's
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| the one you would give your own child.
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| | daughter: Harlow.
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| The name you decide on will dictate the
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| | Even some famous faces were lucky enough
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| reader's perception of that character, so
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| | to have been born with one-of-a-kind
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| select wisely. If your character is an
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| | names: Keanu Reeves, Jude Law, Jada
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| agoraphobic scientist, he or she should
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| | Pinkett-Smith, Macaulay Culkin, Kiefer
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| not be named Brittany or Rick. Does this
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| | Sutherland, Oprah Winfrey.
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| bunch of hoo-hah sound familiar to you?
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| | 3) Movies and Television Shows - This
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| Raise your hand now, don't be shy. I
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| | avenue isn't as unorthodox as you might
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| thought so. Now let me remove the
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| | think. I guarantee someone out there
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| rose-colored sunglasses so you all can
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| | could come forward and claim, "I was
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| see the harsh light of reality. The
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| | named after some character on a soap
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| reality being that having a common name
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| | opera." Ridge and Thorne Forrester, The
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| conjures up a stereotypical image. What
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| | Bold and The Beautiful; Topanga Morris,
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| picture forms in your head when you hear
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| | Boy Meets World; Teal'c, Stargate SG-1;
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| the name Tiffany? Pretty, popular,
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| | Leelou, The Fifth Element (my favorite
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| blonde-haired cheerleader? What about the
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| | movie of all time); Blade, Ellora Danan,
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| name Melvin? Skinny guy with glasses and
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| | Willow; Teela, He-Man cartoons. Need I
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| a pocket protector? Now what comes to
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| | say more?
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| mind when you hear something unique like
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| | 4) Daily Life - For almost two years, I
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| Lyric? Or Dax?
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| | worked the night shift, keying medical
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| We as writers have been blessed with a
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| | claims. Due to that job, I now have a
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| wonderful gift. We are a rare species
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| | nice long two-paged list of boys and
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| unto ourselves in such a way that we can
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| | girls names. You would not believe how
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| build alternate realities for the public
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| | many wonderfully unusual names I came
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| to enter. We are storytellers that pull
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| | across every time I flipped a page:
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| ideas out of our bu-that is-minds, invent
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| | Princess, Precious, Treasure, Oreo,
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| our own language even, and the only names
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| | Malachi, Ashanti, Treyvon, Diabolique
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| we can come up with for our characters
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| | (for real!), Natividad...the list goes on
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| are Johns, Susans, Kathleens, and Sams?
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| | and on. Just think. You could be sitting
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| Unacceptable. These are perfectly good
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| | at your desk, standing in line at the
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| names, don't get me wrong, but they're
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| | grocery store/coffee shop/fast food
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| safe names. I used to be in an online
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| | joint, listening to a song on the radio,
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| critique group and someone said that if
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| | eavesdropping on a conversation, or
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| your main character has an unusual name,
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| | talking to your neighbor and the next
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| the secondary characters should have more
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| | thing you know, you're bombarded with
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| common names; that way, it won't be so
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| | names for your characters. Being a
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| confusing to the reader. My initial
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| | writer, one can only hope that you're
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| response wasn't printable, but I can tell
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| | aware of your surroundings at all times
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| you that it sort of went a little like
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| | and can see a potential story in
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| this: "Who died and made you Ruler of the
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| | everything that goes on around you.
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| Writing World? Heaven forbid we throw our
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| | 5) Character Naming Contest/Vote - I did
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| readers a curve ball every once in a
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| | this for my third book, which will be
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| while."
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| | Book One in a teen series I'm creating. I
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| It's called variety, folks. In the
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| | had about four different combinations of
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| Dictionary, this word is defined as "the
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| | a name I was trying to come up with for
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| quality or condition of being various or
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| | my main character. I sent an email out to
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| varied; diversity." If you don't step
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| | my co-workers, close friends and family,
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| outside your comfort zone and offer your
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| | asking them to vote on the name they
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| readers some different flavors, you're
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| | liked best. The name that got the most
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| not going to sell any books. I decided
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| | votes became the name for my character.
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| from the get-go that all the characters
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| | In return, I'll be including a special
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| in my books were going to have unique
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| | thank-you on the Dedication Page of the
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| names. I wanted to stand out from the
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| | book. Although there are too many names
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| pack and dance my own little jig. So here
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| | to print, if they buy the book, they'll
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| are some suggestions on finding primo
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| | know they had a hand in choosing the name
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| names for your characters:
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| | of the character. If you go the contest
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| 1) Books, Magazines, and Newspapers -
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| | route, offer the winner a free copy of
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| These are wonderful sources. In magazines
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| | the book, a special gift, etc. If
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| and newspapers, a story, a self-help
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| | anything, you'll get plenty of names for
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| column or even a product ad could house a
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| | future books.
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| name that would be worth writing down.
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| | I attended a book festival in Prescott,
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| People use baby books to choose names for
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| | AZ last year. A mother and daughter came
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| their children, so why not do the same
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| | up to my table, read the back covers of
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| for your characters? These books can be
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| | both books, then walked away. A half hour
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| very in-depth, stating the meaning of the
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| | later, they came back and purchased my
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| name as well as its origin. I've used The
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| | first book (Secrets and Kisses) because
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| Writer's Digest Character Naming
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| | the female character's name was Skylar.
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| Sourcebook (1994, Sherrilyn Kenyon with
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| | For whatever reason, the name meant
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| Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet). It
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| | something to that young girl. It could've
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| features more than 20,000 first and last
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| | been her name, the name of her friend, a
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| names and their meanings from around the
| |
| | relative...who knows? The point is, your
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| world: Norse, Slavic, Teutonic, Arthurian
| |
| | readers are going to appreciate an
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| Legend Names, and more.
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| | "anomalous, exceptional, extraordinary,
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| I've also discovered the hidden cache of
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| | far out, incomparable, inimitable,
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| names in other people's books. I'm
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| | special, standout, strange, uncommon"
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| severely addicted to the adult romance
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| | name. Now, you are ready to begin writing
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| books that come out every month:
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| | your novel. Your character has been born,
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| Harlequin Blaze and Temptation, and
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| | breathing passages cleared (nice set of
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| Silhouette Desire. And my favorite
| |
| | lungs there), weighed, measured...and
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| authors are Janelle Denison, Kristine
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| | awaiting a name. Get creative, step
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| Grayson, Carly Phillips, and Julie
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| | outside the box and remember... a rose by
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| Kenner. Every once in a while, I'll find
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| | any other name should be something
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| a name in their books that I can add to
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| | besides Tom, Dick, Harry and Jane.
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| my continually growing list. Science
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| |
|
