Hi ho, MMMLogerinos!

I was just scrolling through my Outlook Express delete file to make sure my overzealous SPAM parser hadn't sucked a message in that it shouldn't have, which it often does. After I check the file I delete the whole thing.

Perhaps you've received those emails from spammers who've gotten really tricky to get around your filtering program. The subject line is full of nonsensical words and misspellings that you could never filter. And the names, wow, they sound like someone you might actually know--Tara Neal, Shanna Campos, Demetrius Pool--okay, so I don't actually know anyone with a name like that, but I might have met him somewhere. Now he's writing to tell me how much he loves my books and I'll never know unless I open that email, but I don't. Because I've learned from experience that ole Demetrius is just trying to sell me Viagra while he refinances my mortgage.

Then today, I skimmed through all those name and it hit me. These clever spammers are a wonderful source for character names. How many times have you needed a name for a walk-on or other character in your book and couldn't think of one? I've used combinations of author names from nearly all the books on my shelves. Hey! I just got an email from Aldo Holland. Now doesn't he sound like spy or maybe an silent film actor? Nope, Aldo is selling Golden Apple Natural Gas stocks. What fool would buy stock from a guy named Aldo off the internet? Ah well, each to his own.

Next time I need a quick name for a character I'm going though the delete file before I dump it, looking for unintended value from those spammers.

Ciao, ciao, mmmmmmmmmmmelinda