WhimbreI

Congratulations on The Bridge Partner film getting funded! It's one of my favorites of your short stories, in large part because of the wonderful supporting characters, Pat & Babs. Is there any chance the two of them might find their way into future stories, the way some of your Folk of the Air and Innkeeper's World characters have already done?

A general question first: how do you come up with your characters' names? Does the name generally come to you before the personality, or the other way around?

And a very specific question I've been wondering for the better part of fifteen years: how do you pronounce Nyateneri?

Music seems to play as important a role as magic in your writing -- I was wondering what musicians are you listening to these days? Any recommendations?

Thank you!

I love the way the various animals in your stories (particularly cats) are individuals with their own personalities, and yet very much still animals. Are they usually based on your own/other people's pets, or invented to suit the needs of the story?