A few things about writing the people of Taken

A few funny and interesting things about creating the people for "Taken":

I only knew that I wanted Ava and Gabriel to be the Eternal Love for the other... a love at first sight (sort of) romance.  

Ava and Gabriel were also the only people who didn't go too astray from what I had originally seen for them.

It took me forever to figure out Gabriel's name which gave me the idea to keep his name from Ava for the first few chapters.  (It was my first book and I found naming the characters as hard as naming my children.)

Lisa was supposed to become Ava's best friend after Ava was Taken.

Lisa was supposed to be Gabriel's sister.

Jake was not going to be as pivotal of a person.  He just had a few parts when I began, but as I continued writing, he just kind of wouldn't let himself disappear.

Will...  well, Will ended up not being who I expected either.  I mean I knew he was the bad guy, but I did not understand what really drove him until closer to then end of the second book.

Ava's, umm, Alter Ego (I guess you could say), Rage, was not an inkling of a thought.  It was in a revision that I realized it had been created.  (Always a joy when that happens and you have to figure out how to write it in properly both before and after the realization of the existence... especially the first time.)

Naliak was written just to be an Elder, however he became so much more.  He really took on the idea of ageless wisdom.  (The wisdom of the old with a young face.)