FOR FUN
Get a behind-the-pages look at my paranormal gay romance series The Amsel Clan, and discover the etymology of names, visual inspirations, and more!
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
THE ETYMOLOGY OF THE AMSEL CLAN
CARTER — I chose Carter because of my love of Egyptology. Howard Carter was the archaeologist who discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun.
FREYR — (pronounced FRAYR) This is the name of the Nordic god of virility and prosperity. He's typically shown with a huge, erect phallus which, I have to admit, amused me a great deal.
AMSEL — derivative of the name "Anselm." St. Anselm was Archbishop of Canterbury (AD 1093-1109). Interestingly, his infamous "dilecto dilectori" (love letters) lead some scholars to believe that Anselm was a homosexual.
SECUNDUS — from the Latin for "second," referring to the second brother.
ALDER — from the Old Norse "Eald" (old) and "Here" (army), referring to the older, more violent brother.
DRUBICH — A figment of my imagination. There is no town in Germany named Drubich. At least I don't think so.
STEFAN (pronounce Stef-in) GEBHART — from "Stephen" (crowned) because of his bright blond hair; "Geb" (gift) and "Hard" (hard), referring to Stefan's...virility, to put it mildly.
SAMAD ALEFFENDI — Samad is an Arabic name meaning "eternal"; Aleffendi is a derivative of "Al" and "Effendi", which means "the master". As you read into NOT HUMAN ENOUGH, you'll understand this reference.
LYULF — a compound the Old English words for "flame" and "wolf".
ERZABET — Erzsébet Báthory (1560-1614) was a Hungarian countess who is considered by some to be the first female vampire.
THE AMSEL DOGS
In REMEMBER HIM, I introduce four Great Dane puppies. Here's a bit of an explanation of the names. Again, because of my love of Egyptology, some of the dogs' names are borrowed Pharaohs, Queens, and gods of Egypt.
1ST GENERATION
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RAMESSES THE GREAT — (Ramesses II) Pharaoh, 19th Dynasty, 1279-1213 BC.
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NEFERTARI — Wife of Ramesses II; means "beautiful companion".
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TITUS — Emperor of Rome, AD 79-81, who completed the Colosseum; a nod to my study of Classical Art.
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POPPY — Chosen for its whimsical sound, mirroring Greta's vibrant, outstanding personality.
2ND GENERATION
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AMENHOTEP — (Amenhotep III) Pharaoh, 18th Dynasty, c. 1390-1350 BC.
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HATSHEPSUT — Pharaoh, 18th Dynasty, c. 1479-1458 BC. Though she was female, she is regarded as one of the most successful pharaohs.
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HATHOR — Egyptian goddess of fertility, music and feminine love.
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CLYDE — As ridiculous as it sounds, I named him after a Looney Tunes character.
3RD GENERATION
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MERITAMEN — 13th century BC. Daughter of Ramesses II and Nefertari; her name means "Beloved of Amun".
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AMUN-HER-KHEPESHEF — 13th century BC. First-born son of Ramesses II and Nefertari
CHOCOLATE LAB (BOOK 4)
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HERSHEY — Simply because I love the stuff.
eye candy
I am obsessed with male models. And if you're on my site, I'm sure you
like them, too. They are wonderful inspiration for my characters and are of course, extremely nice to look at. Since I believe strongly in giving credit when due, I have provided names of models, photographers, and campaigns/editorials whenever possible. Hover or click on each image to view credits.
Images may be subject to copyright.
My Favorite Reads
FICTION
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Amelia Peabody Series by Elizabeth Peters
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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
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Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence, by Nick Bantock
GAY ROMANCE
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Nothing Special Series, by Ae Via
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The Edge Series, by LM Somerton
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Stroke Rate, by LM Somerton
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Make a Wish Series, by MA Church
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The Harvest, by MA Church
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Timing Series, by Mary Calmes
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The Marshals Series, by Mary Calmes
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The Sinners Series, by Rhys Ford
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Timberpack Chronicles, by Rob Colton
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Forbidden Desires Series, by Piper Scott & Virginia Kelly
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VRC (Vampire Related Crimes) Series, by Alice Winters
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Party Boy’s Guide to Dating a Geek, by Piper Vaughn and Xara X. Xanakas
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Collars and Cuffs Series, by Parker Williams and KC Wells
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Maine Men Series, by KC Wells
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Theta Alpha Gamma Series, by Anne Tenino
Pet Peeves
DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF...
UNLESS YOU'RE ME.
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People who ask questions, but don’t listen to your answers.
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Driving through Connecticut. No offense, Connecticut, but really…
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People who use the word “them” when he/she should use “they”.
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people who type with no capitilzation spell cheeck or punctuation so you never no what they meen when the send u an email
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When people use CAPITAL LETTERS to emphasize a word. Italics, people. Italics!
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When I tell people that I write about vampires, and they say, “Oh, another Twilight.”
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Hotel shower curtains that cling to you.
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Carpeted bathroom floors.
Eccentricities
IT'S OKAY TO BE STRANGE.
TRUST ME, I'M AN EXPERT.
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I’m a language geek. I’ve studied Spanish, French, Danish, German, Italian, and Ancient Greek.
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I write books about vampires, but I pass out when I get blood drawn.
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I never finish an entire beverage. There’s always about half an inch of liquid left in the glass.
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There are several words that give me the creeps, and I can’t stand it when I hear them. The worst are: slacks, lap, and coin.
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I’m allergic to raw fruits and veggies.
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Foghorn Leghorn is my hero.
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I like to dip french fries into chocolate milkshakes.
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I can’t pronounce the words “squirrel” or “walrus” unless I really concentrate.