Behind the Story: the Uncles

Snow White had seven dwarves, but I have my story set in the real world. So, I needed seven male figures to be an influence in Kari's life. At the end of Rendersella, we see Kari receive a note from her uncles in Georgia. As soon as my fingers typed those words, I knew there were seven of them. And that she was a Snow White character.
That said, I had no idea what I was getting into by creating seven different characters who all had to be differentiated enough you could tell who was whom. I ended up having AI create the picture above so I could have something to look at and remind myself what each of them looked like instead of trying to remember it all in my head. My editor definitely made me go back and add more details several places, but I love how they turned out. And to make it more fun, they're all named after apples.

At first, I gave them all the last name Apple, but had given them other names--sillier ones. Then, I realized it would be way more fun to name them after actual types of apples. So, down the rabbit hole of research I went, finding hundreds of different names to choose from. It took me way too long to decide what they were going to be called, but above you can see from right to left, MacIntosh, Everard, Braeburn, Spencer, Pendragon, Jazz, and Crispin. And of course, their sister's name was Opal. 
The Apples own an inn in Brunswick, Georgia, but they're getting older and it's fallen into disrepair. They sent out a letter to their niece and nephew begging for their help, knowing they have already refreshed one hotel. Each has his own personality and quirk. Every one of them is stubborn, but full of love. And once I really got into it, I think you'll enjoy the way they turned out.
Do you love when an author has so many different characters in a book? Does it help if the author tells you one or two things about them every few chapters so you can remember who is who? What's an apple name you think would've worked as well as the ones I chose?

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Fairest Inn All (Real-life Fairy Tales #2)

A queen, seven uncles, and an apple tart … real life is no fairy tale.

When Kari White's seven uncles beg her and her brother Jake to come to Georgia and revamp their inn, she isn't happy about it. She doesn’t remember them nor does she want to leave West Virginia. But family comes first, and the Apple Inn has a lot of potential, despite the deadlines they’re up against … not to mention the land-hungry Queenie Ville, who has her eye on buying the Apple Inn.
 
Royal Barrett loves Brunswick, Georgia, and wants to help preserve its heritage. That’s why he convinces the Chamber of Commerce to start a Fairest Inn All contest to encourage inns across the town to refresh without becoming too modern. But when he meets the gorgeous Kari White, he discovers some other aspirations—like winning her over to a happily ever after with him.
 
Driven together by goals and weather, Kari can’t help the attraction between them. But she’s rejected a happy ending for so long, it’s going to take more than a few walks under Spanish moss-covered oaks to win her heart.

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