What’s in a name?

Part 2

International names.  Those are always a challenge.  I like writing foreign characters into my stories because in today’s global society, people of every nation and culture are found anywhere in the world.

Choosing a name for a recurring non-English character is a bit trickier as far as I’m concerned.  I feel the name has to be authentic, definitely no Anglicized nicknames, but it must also be easy for English-speaking readers to pronounce.  I have a hard time relating to characters whose name I cannot pronounce and I don’t think I’m alone.

What nationalities have I used?  I frequently write characters that are from Central or South America since JoyBoy Island is located in the Caribbean.  I’ve also incorporated Chinese, Japanese, European, and Indian characters in my story as well as a few from more unusual locations like Papua New Guinea!