People often ask me where I find the names and characters for my stories. The answer is that many of them were part of my life long before they appeared on a page.
Some names come from the people I love. Others come from books and stories that have stayed with me over the years. Many of the characters themselves began as favorite chainsaw carvings—animals shaped from wood that seemed to develop personalities of their own.
The meaning behind Melly
Melly was named after my granddaughter, Melody.
When I began imagining the little owl who would become Brin’s unexpected friend, “Melly” felt like the perfect name. It carried a personal connection, but it also matched the character’s warm, curious, and sometimes sassy personality.
Giving Melly a name connected to my granddaughter made the story even more meaningful to me. It allowed someone I love to become part of the world I was creating—not as an exact copy, but as an inspiration that gave the character additional heart.
Where the name Brin came from
Brin’s name has a different beginning.
One of my favorite fantasy series is Terry Brooks’s Shannara series, beginning with The Sword of Shannara. The name Brin stayed with me because of Brin Ohmsford, a character from that world.
I have always liked names that sound strong, memorable, and a little mysterious. When I began developing the character of a lonely grizzly bear learning about friendship, courage, and belonging, Brin felt like the right name.
That is one of the things I enjoy about storytelling. A name can remain in your imagination for years before eventually finding the character it was meant for.
Ari’s family connection
Ari, the clever raven who joins Brin and Melly’s adventures, was named after one of my nephews.
Ari brings a different kind of energy to the series. He is intelligent, curious, resourceful, and especially interested in shiny objects. His personality adds humor and another perspective to the friendship between Brin and Melly.
Using my nephew’s name gave Ari an immediate personal connection. It is another way my family has quietly become part of the forest and the stories growing within it.
When a carving becomes a character
The names are only part of the story. Many of my characters also begin as chainsaw carvings.
When I start carving an animal, I may have a general picture in my mind, but the personality often appears as I work. The position of the head, the expression in the eyes, or the way an owl sits on a branch can make the piece feel alive.
Some carvings remain especially important to me. I continue thinking about them after the saws are quiet and the carving is complete. I begin wondering what the animal might say, what kind of personality it might have, and what adventures it could experience.
My favorite carvings become more than finished pieces of art. They become characters with new stories to tell.
Brin and Melly grew from carvings of a bear and an owl created during my time in China. What began in wood eventually became a friendship and a larger world filled with courage, discovery, and unexpected companions.
A dragon from Foshan
Even the dragon that Brin and Melly will encounter in The Guardian of the Hidden Valley, the third book in the series, has roots in one of my carvings.
The character was inspired by a dragon I carved while living in Foshan, China. It became one of those creations that stayed in my imagination long after the carving was finished. I knew it belonged somewhere in the world of Brin and Melly.
I will not reveal too much about what happens when they discover it in the Hidden Valley. For now, I will simply say that the carving found a new life—and a new purpose—inside the continuing story.
Pieces of my life inside every story
The Brin and Melly books bring together many parts of my life: my family, my love of reading, the places I have lived, and the art I have created with my own hands.
Melly carries the name of my granddaughter Melody. Ari carries the name of my nephew. Brin’s name reflects a fantasy series that helped inspire my imagination. The bear, owl, raven, and dragon all have connections to carvings that became important to me.
Each character carries a small piece of someone, someplace, or something I value.
That may be what I love most about creating these books. A carving does not have to stop being alive when it leaves my workshop. A meaningful name does not have to remain only a memory. Through storytelling, both can begin a completely new adventure.
And somewhere in the forest, another character may already be waiting to be discovered.