And here are the hidden meanings behind the names in The Beast Curse…

The heroine is Lady Juliet, the royal witch of Calatini. Born Giuliettanna Camilla Sabine, Juliet never uses her Varkhoran name to prevent her parents (Varkhora’s Duke and Duchess of Appenninos) and her now-deceased cousin King Cesare of Varkhora (her once betrothed) from finding her, so everyone in Calatini simply knows her as Lady Juliet. Her first name is a combination of Giulietta and Anna. Giulietta means youthful, beautiful, and daughter of the powerful sky god Jove, and Anna means favor and grace. Camilla means perfect and young helper. Sabine means woman of the Sabine people, an ancient Italian tribe from the Apennine Mountains known for their protective nature and resilience in battle. Her name suits her—she embodies the meaning of her first two names, and Varkhora is a mountain kingdom of fierce warriors.

The hero is the Duke of Oakmoor. He was born Mordred Thyme Tremblay, but no one calls him by his name (most not even remembering it) since he became the duke at age four when his father committed suicide after his mother died in a carriage accident. Oakmoor is a combination of oak and moor, describing the duchy’s picturesque hills nested against the D’vark Mountains. Mordred means brave and controlled, and it is associated with Arthurian legend. Thyme means courageous, and it a homophone for time as well as an herb with healing properties that symbolizes strength, power, courage, and sacrifice. Tremblay is a surname meaning someone who lives near aspen trees. Oakmoor being known by his title and his name’s layered meanings reveal how he conceals his true self—he’s charming and talkative, but he doesn’t trust anyone enough to let them truly get to know him, and he’s more (and different) than he appears.

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