It’s funny how real-life things work their way into a story. No matter how wild or bizarre a path my imagination leads me down, something personal always pops up along the way. It could be a thought that inspires me or makes me smile. Or, it could be something that ends up as part of the journey.

If you’ve read Gambit, then you’ve unknowingly been exposed to quite a few of my personal thoughts and experiences. Here are a few favorites:

Naming a book character is sort of like naming your unborn child. Oh, the possibilities. You could pick a derivative of your own name, or go with one of your relatives. Maybe there's a religious meaning behind the name you like. Or a city you love (Dallas, Austin, Brooklyn).

It usually takes me a while to come up with a character name. Occasionally, I'll change it. Some are names I simply like, while others have deep personal meaning. Many are nods to fictional characters. Here's how I came up with a few of the names in Gambit:

There are so many cool things about being an author. You get to enjoy the beauty of seeing a passion and a career come together. You get the privilege of working with incredibly talented people in the publishing industry. And when people ask what you do, you get to say “I’m an author” and experience the brief endorphin rush that follows. :)

One of the coolest things about blogging is the search for images. That feeling you get when you pair your latest outpouring with the perfect meme? Or find a quote that totally drives home the point you were trying to make? Yeah, that’s hard to beat.

And sometimes, as I’m rifling through the treasure trove of images that Bing or Google has to offer, I’ll stumble across a keeper. Like this one:

Pop into the Fair Maiden tavern for a chat with Temsik Storm...Willow's best friend and a shining example of just how good-hearted a "normal" citizen of the Outlying Lands can be.