N= Naming Characters Behind the Story #AtoZChallenge

I love names, but sometime it takes me a while to find or invent a name. I spend time on name sites, I look up surnames common to unusual ethnic backgrounds. Sometimes I have a story half written and decide that one of my main characters names doesn't work. In upcoming Neon Orchid, heroine Brielle's name was originally Flavia. Hmm. My twin daughters were four days old before we settled on names!

Melisse Aires is a pen name. I spent quite a bit of time searching google to find a name that wasn't very common. Melisse is the name of a French herb, called bee balm in English. Melisse/Melissa means honey.

I pronounce Melisse:  Ma leese'.

On real life my given name is Victorian, my maiden name means 'pig farmer,' and my married name is straight from County Cork. Even better, my given name and married name rhyme, so cute.