A couple years ago – 2014 I think – I had a regency romance come out. The title was Queen. And the funniest thing happened. When I went to Amazon and searched for “Heather Gray Queen” I did not find my book. Instead, I found a boatload of bedding. It was all queen-sized, of course. And the color was…yeah, heather gray.
The funny thing is that, when I’m choosing book titles, I often go to Amazon or Goodreads and look to see how many other books have that same title. Queen was a safe one. There weren’t a million other books by that name. Queen, along with my name, though, was completely lost as a book. In fact, one reader messaged me to tell me I hadn’t written a book – I’d written a bed set instead.
I, of course, shared this funny story with my husband. He just looked at me. “I don’t get it.”
I stared at him. “What’s not to get? My name. It’s a color.”
“Huh?”
There are some fundamental differences between men and women. This is one of them.
Women see a color, like the color, and learn the name of the color. Men see a color, might or might not have an opinion about the color, and never bother to learn the name of the color. At least that’s been my experience.
So as I explained to my husband that my name – Heather Gray – is indeed a color, I got this idea for a series…and Rainbow Falls was born.
Now fast-forward a few years. Why so long? I had other writing commitments that I needed to keep, and this series idea needed time to percolate. We (the series and I) are both better off for the wait.
The first book in the series, Skye, is complete. The first draft is, anyway. Technically, I suppose the second draft is done, too. Some people write their story, and it’s amazing and ready for the editor. I write my story, edit my story, edit my story some more, think about my story, edit it again, and then again, and then reach out to an editor and see if they can fit me in…and hope I’ll have enough time for one more round of edits before I send it to them. It makes for a slow editing process, but the end story is always worth the effort. Because nobody wants to read my first draft. Trust me on that. *wink*
Anyway…Skye’s is the first book in the Rainbow Falls series. Can you guess her last name?
Blue, of course.
****
Skye Blue is the unwilling owner and CEO of a company she never wanted to inherit. She’s running from her responsibilities, from memories that haunt her, and from what she sees as her greatest failing in life. And who should she meet while she’s on the run? A man who – sort of – works with runaways.
Sam Madison is a former Marine with battle scars, tattoos, and a heart for serving God. He ends up in the seat next to Skye as she flees to Rainbow Falls. Sam started a homeless shelter for military vets, men who are often running away from themselves while battling their own demons. There’s no way the woman sitting next to him is a vet, but her eyes carry the same shadows as so many of the men he works with at Samaritan’s Reach.
Sam looks like he’d be more at home in a prison yard than on an airplane headed to Rainbow Falls. Skye, who battles anxiety and fear on a daily basis, struggles to find the courage to look past his exterior to the loving heart within. How will God use the town of Rainbow Falls to touch the hearts of two mismatched people who need each other more than either of them realizes?
****
Rainbow Falls is still a work in progress, but I can’t wait to continue building this community and getting to know the people who call it home. I’ve had so much fun coming up with character names, too! While they’re not all *strictly* colors, they’re still fun. (Skye Blue, for example – the color is sky blue. My red characters’ last name is spelled Rhed.)
And never fear – there’s a reason so many people have color names. It all ties back to Rainbow Falls and a speech Emmaline White gave many years before…
I’ll be sure to let you know when Skye is available for purchase in the spring.
In the meantime, let’s have a giveaway!
One winner will receive a $5 Amazon gift card.
To enter, comment below and tell me what your favorite color is and why.
***This giveaway is now closed. The winner has received her prize.***
Wemble says
Looking forward to the new series- how fun, colour names:) It sounds like some serious themes will be tackled which is great.
I love blue- I find it restful and it matches my eyes so I love wearing blue clothes.
Renate says
Hi Heather! Delightful blog on what is to be another gloomy drizzly day in SW Michigan. I love the name Heather, which makes me think of Lueneburg Heath in Germany with its field of wildflowers. My favorite color is lavender or lilac (love the flowers). Softer in color than purple.
Looking forward to reading Rainbow Falls romances. One idea for a story, especially the color red or green, is to have a suitor who is color blind. Usually only men are color blind. The gene is carried by the mother (just like baldness). Very few women are color blind, but one of my friends is. Now a funny story. On one of my first dates with my husband of 44 years, he said, “Look at those two cars parked next to each other – same color.” Really, it was seven in the morning and the sun was glaring, I thought I was seeing things. So I looked again and finally said “Nope, NOT the same color – one is red and one is copper.” So he told me he was color blind. Usually not something a guy admits at the beginning of a relationship.
Thanks for taking the time to share, not only info on your next series, but your writing process. As a retired English and creative writing teacher, I know writing is hard work. Takes time and dedication. Thanks for your commitment to your craft. You are inspirational.
Jill Weatherholt says
Hi Heather! Great post! “In fact, one reader messaged me to tell me I hadn’t written a book – I’d written a bed set instead.” This made me laugh. I look forward to reading the Rainbow Falls series. It’s hard for me to pick one favorite color, but probably green because it reminds me of spring.
Colleen says
Enjoyed reading your post. Sounds like the series is going to be quite interesting and colorful.
Amy Johnson says
Amusing tale, and sounds like a lovely start to the series.
Priscila says
Rainbow Falls sound like a wonderful series. I’m looking forward to the release of Skye.
I used to love everything blue when I was a teen… then I’ve got a glimpse of red and been in love ever since. (Even had a red car in college.) Being a blonde, red and I get along pretty well.
Jenny Berlin says
I can identify with your point about colors and husbands. When my Prince Charming and I were dating, I asked him what his favorite color was and (after much thought) he said, “netural.” He didn’t know what it meant; he just heard the term on some TV show when he was flipping channels one day. I, on the other hand, have always had a favorite color: blue, because who hasn’t stood on a beach or pier, and looked out to where the water meets the sky and thought, “Wow!”?
Cassandra M says
Have a name suggestion for you Lily White. Anywho my favorite color is Purple, all shades really not sure why, I just love it. My hair is even purple right now.
Gail Hollingsworth says
Pink is my favorite color. Has been since 2011 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. But thankful to God that I’m a survivor!
Julianne Archer says
Thanks for the excerpt! I’m looking forward to reading this series :) My favorite color – definitely Blue! I appreciate all the time you put into your writing and I enjoy reading you finished product.
Valerie Comer says
Me too. And I should NOT have just had a sip of coffee…
Valerie Comer says
To the annoyance of my young granddaughters, I don’t have a favorite color. I love green, blue, purple, and pink… as my wardrobe will attest! About the only place I like yellow is sunshine and daffodils, and I really like it there A LOT!
There’s a little girl in the story I’m currently writing named Violet, but she is not the usual shrinking Violet. Quite the opposite. She entertains me — but only because she’s not my kid/grandkid! LOL
Marylin Furumasu says
Heather this new series sounds really fun and interesting! I love all the color references. Great choice in words. I can’t wait until it comes out!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
I was very glad I didn’t have a mouthful myself when I got there.
mimionlife says
I love the color pink. In 2005, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. People started giving me presents that were pink. Pink hats, scarves, notepads, stationary, pencils, stickers, and many more things. Ever since then, pink is my favorite. :-)
Merrillee Whren says
Heather, I have a hard time picking out a favorite color. I think it depends on my mood. Your series sound interesting. I loved the story about your name being a color.
Heather Gray says
Blue is my husband’s favorite color! And you’re right, in the right shade, blue is a very restful color. (In fact, our bedroom is blue. I had it painted as a surprise for my husband a few years ago.)
Melynda says
My favorite color is blue. I don’t really have a reason for it, I just like it navy blue is my favorite, university of Kentucky is second. I also love navy blue stripes with white/grey/red, and sometimes yellow.
The Rainbow Falls series sounds like it’ll be fun to read!
Kathryn Schultz says
Heather, I love finding new Christian authors to read, so thanks for writing this post. Your name, Heather, is one of my favorite colors. It is so soft and lovely, and it reminds me of Scotland. Another favorite, and a color I wear very often, is aquamarine, softly combining blue and green, the colors of the sea.
Heather Gray says
Thank you so much for stopping by today Renate – and for your kind words. I’ve never thought of introducing a color blind character – but wow – that would be fun. Especially in Rainbow Falls! I do have some male characters planned out, too. Forrest Green and Cole Black for starters… I’ll play with that idea a bit and see where it takes me. Thanks for the suggestion! Lavender is my mom’s favorite color, too. :)
Heather Gray says
Ha. Glad I could make you laugh! :) One time several years ago, my son was in Children’s Church, and they were having all the kids make gifts for the moms for Mother’s Day. The gifts were mugs, and the kids got to draw designs on the mugs with these special markers, and then the color was sealed on, and the mugs were complete. They were supposed to draw something their mom loved and use her favorite color. My son used a black marker and drew coffee beans on my mug. His teacher asked him if I wouldn’t prefer some color on there, and he told her no. Then the teacher asked him if I had a favorite color, and he told her I didn’t. This is the same teacher to whom my son had previously explained that I only liked pepperoni pizza and wouldn’t eat any other flavors (which was not true – pepperoni was his favorite) and that my favorite candy was Reese’s peanut butter cups (also not true – those were his favorite) & a couple of other far-off-the-mark “favorites” he told her about me. So you can understand the teacher’s skepticism. She approached me in church and kind of sidled up next to me and whispered, “Do you have a favorite color?” The truth is, I don’t. I like all the colors. I like color in general. There are some colors I won’t wear because they don’t look good on me, but that doesn’t ‘mean I don’t love the color itself. My son’s teacher STILL laughs about that because she was so sure he had no idea what he was talking about. And I still have that mug, too, although some of the coffee beans have since worn off. And all that has almost nothing to do with your comment, except that you said you have a hard time picking a favorite color. ^_^
Heather Gray says
Haha! You made me chuckle. Yes, I plan on having many colorful characters. ^_^ (And great pun, by the way!!!)
Heather Gray says
Thank you for stopping by today Amy! I hope you have a wonderful day! :)
Heather Gray says
I’m here to help with your cardiovascular health. Or…whatever part of your health is assisted by spitting out and/or choking on hot coffee. ^_^
Heather Gray says
I love red! And it comes in so many different shades and moods. Much as I enjoy the color, it’s not one I can ever pull off. I can wear the deeper brick-type reds, but if I dress in a bright red, I end up looking like a tomato. ^_^
Heather Gray says
Ha! What a hoot! I used to say – years ago – that my favorite color was white, and I’d explain it by saying that when something’s white, you can color it any color you want. It’s a blank canvas, and the possibilities are limitless. Eventually, my philosophical answer got too long-winded, though, and I switched to just saying that I don’t have a favorite color. It’s easier that way. But your Prince Charming’s answer – how funny! At least he gave it some thought before answering, right? ^_^ And as for blue – I love, love, love your reason for it being your favorite. I was describing a shade of blue to someone recently, and I explained is as “blue like the sky that’s over the ocean in the early afternoon.” There’s just something about the ocean and the sky – the colors are brighter, more vibrant, full of layers and life and the endlessness of God.
Heather Gray says
Purple is a great color! And I love that name! It wasn’t on my list. I’ll add it and see if I can work it into the fabric of the town. :)
Heather Gray says
Pink is a good color for a million different reasons, and yours is definitely one of them! God is so good!
Heather Gray says
I’m glad you could stop by today Julianne – and thank you for the kind words! Blue is a great color. It can be peaceful, bold, and so many other things all at the same time.
joeym11 says
Loved your blog. I love blue !!! To me is calming!!. Now my husband is a gray person he loves it. This book sounds awesome. A must read.
Blessings
Diana
Nancy K. says
Looking forward to the release of Skye in your new Rainbow Falls series. I love the color green. I have green eyes so that has made me partial to green. I also love yellow which is a fun bright color but it is not a color that I would wear. I really love yellow flowers especially yellow roses and daisies.
Autumn Macarthur says
Fun! I love how your mind works!
Catherine Graham says
My favourite colour is blue! My kids joke that I have an exclusive blue eyed club … They are all part of the brown eyed club!
Looking forward to reading your new book.
Suzie Quebedeaux says
I’m not even joking when I say Heather Gray is my favorite color. I am re-decorating my bedroom in Heather Gray and yellow. I have a thing for birds and I found the perfect comforter for my bedroom. It is Heather Gray with little yellow birds.
Suzie Quebedeaux says
https://www.athome.com/gray-and-yellow-forest-bird-comforter-set-king–8-piece/124129534.html#start=1 Here is the Comforter
Nancy Burgess says
Sounds like a fun series.Looking forward to reading it.My favorite color is pink .
Heather Gray says
Haha! Other people’s children/grandchildren (or our fictional ones) do tend to be so much more entertaining than our own! ^_^ I love yellow. It’s a bright, happy, cheerful color. But you find me wearing it, and you won’t find it in my home. Other than in the Minion pajama pants someone (not me) is currently wearing… ;)
Heather Gray says
Thanks for stopping by today Marilyn! I hope you enjoy a color-filled day! ^_^
Heather Gray says
Someone else mentioned pink as their favorite color for that very same reason. Isn’t it interesting how a color has come to represent something so profoundly in that way? If I were a sociologist, I’d probably think it was worth researching. Thank goodness I’m not, though, because I’m already busy enough! :)
Heather Gray says
You’re so right! Colors reflect mood, and even within a single color, there are so many different and varied shades that communicate different moods, emotions, and attitudes.
Margaret Nelson says
Rainbow Falls sounds interesting! My favorite color is blue, and it’s also my husband’s favorite. So we both have lots of blue clothes – just have to make sure our blues don’t clash :-) The interesting thing is that I get more compliments when I wear pink/burgundy clothes :-)
Heather Gray says
I’m glad you could stop by today Melynda! You cracked me up with your University of Kentucky blue. When I was doing some initial research for Rainbow Falls, I came across this color chart that lists Carolina Blue as an official color. I’ve since seen it several other places. It’s the official color of the University of North Carolina – but it’s apparently so distinct that it’s become recognized as its own shade of blue. So you need to position that color-powers-that-be and see if you can get Kentucky Blue recognized as an official color. ^_^
Heather Gray says
Thanks for visiting us today Kathryn! And I love that I’m one of your favorite colors. ^_^ Aquamarine’s not a bad pick either. :)
Heather Gray says
One of the funny things about being named Heather Gray is that whenever I talk about the color, I now spell it w/ the British spelling. So in all my books, even though all the grammar is 100% American, I spell grey with the “ey” instead of “ay.” I might be a *bit* of a rebel. ;) Enjoy something wonderful and blue today!
Heather Gray says
My son’s favorite color is green. He prefers dark over light, but there are a lot of in-between shades that he enjoys, too. And I agree! Yellow is a bright and cheerful color that brightens everything around it, but it’s not a color I can wear. Earlier I said that when I wear bright red, I look like a tomato. When I wear bright yellow, I look a bit like a tomato dressed in yellow… ;)
Heather Gray says
Thanks for stopping by today Autumn!!
Heather Gray says
Ha! There’s a line of people in my family that all have gorgeous blue eyes. They’re a distinct shade, and they all have big eyes, too, so the color just pops when you see them. I’ve always been the teeniest bit envious. But I’m told I have a nice smile, so that almost makes up for it… ;)
Heather Gray says
You made my day. ^_^ So what is it about the color heather gray that you like so much? (And honest, I’m not fishing for compliments here.) ;)
Heather Gray says
That is an adorable comforter! When you said gray with yellow birds, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it’s nice and elegant, sophisticated yet cheerful. Good call!!
Heather Gray says
Pink was my daughter’s favorite color. (Purple was second, but pink won hands-down. Half that girl’s wardrobe was pink!) What is it about the color that you most enjoy?
Heather Gray says
Isn’t it funny how the colors we like aren’t always the colors that like us? ^_^ And good job on the not clashing! I still haven’t mastered that, and that’s just with my own clothes – forget worrying about whether or not I’m going to clash with anybody else! (Today: blue jeans, black t-shirt with red tank underneath, and pink & purple socks.) ^_^
Barbara Scott says
Your Amazon “adventure” made me giggle. I would love some great advice to make a book stand out among the other books and merchandise they carry.
Also love the Rainbow Falls idea. I’ll look for it when you publish. Are you going indie? I’m considering taking that path too.
Blessings on your career!
Lucie Ulrich says
The color thing made me laugh. My husband and I argue about colors all the time. What I call beige or cream, he calls white. I have to keep telling him he does not own any white pants. Lol. I love the idea of your new series. Looking forward to reading the books when they come out.
Diana says
Your series sounds like fun! My favorite color is pink,I’m not sure why.
Winnie Thomas says
This sounds like a fun series. It will be interesting to see the other characters evolve. I love blue and tend to gravitate toward jewel tone colors in my clothing.
Heather Gray says
Hi Barbara! I’m glad you could stop by today. :) Standing out amid the hundreds of thousands of choices out there is hard, that’s for sure! Rainbow Falls will be indie. While it’s not the right path for everybody, it’s the direction God has taken me for this series, and I’m excited about it. Blessings to you as well!
Heather Gray says
My husband and I once had this big discussion over the color chartreuse. I don’t even remember why we discussed it, just that it was a lengthy conversation and that, to this day, he doesn’t know what the color actually looks like. Green is green. Yellow is yellow. Pink is pink. ^_^
Heather Gray says
Pink’s a great color! Good enough, in fact, that it’s okay for you not to have a reason. ^_^
Heather Gray says
Hi Winnie! Blue’s our top winner today. It’s gotten more favorite votes than anything else. (Pink has come in second in case you wanted to know. ^_^ )
Renate says
Thanks Heather for this intriguing and interactive blog. After watching grandkids finally had time to read them all. Love that blue won! It is my husband’s favorite color, because he is color blinfpd and it is a color he can see. Still would love to see a color blind character.
Priscila says
Your tomato comment reminded me of my high school uniform. School colors were dark red and dark yellow, so the uniform was a combination of those shades which of course prompted other schools’ students to labels us “ketchup and mustard.” Eventually the school changed the uniform to (boring) gray even though the school colors are still the same. I guess they heard about bullying… (i do appreciate gray now more than in school because I ended up wearing gray for my entire school life, which can be quite boring for a kid).
Heather Gray says
Ketchup and mustard – oh dear! I have to wonder what the mascot was. My mascot was a frog, so our colors were a nice, ordinary green and white. I can’t think of any red and yellow animals. Oh please tell me your mascot wasn’t a hamburger or hot dog! ^_^
Trixi says
I love green! Don’t ask me why, it’s one of those questions that next to impossible to answer. Who knows why some people are attracted to one color or another…or anything really? I especially love emerald green, as in the gemstone. Or a crushed velvet green dress in a historical novel. Or pure green sparkling eyes of a handsome Irish gentleman. Or perhaps even the vivid green of new grass on a Spring morning. My birthstone is Peridot, which is a pale green gemstone. See so many places the color green appears! :-)
Happy writing to you Heather! I think that’s funny when you went to find your book on Amazon and you found bedding instead…lol!! I’m pretty clueless when it comes to fancy named colors, so I can sympathize with your husband. When it comes to car colors, there’s some oddball names….my husband owns a Kia Soul and one color they have out there is actually called “Alien Green”…lol! I mean did they run out of green color names ;-)
What a fun post!!
Linda says
The excerpt sounded interesting.
I love the color purple and all fall colors.
I love mixing and matching.
Priscila says
Fortunately (or not), we didn’t have a mascot. So no worries there. It was a small high school and we focused a lot on basic academics and not much on sports and arts (though I was part of the volleyball team, but we mostly played friendly games).
Jill Weatherholt says
LOL! I enjoyed the story, Heather.
Heather Gray says
Ha! Alien green. Hm…. Maybe they know something the rest of us don’t know. ;) I once saw a car color that was “guava on a sunny morning” and I thought, “Wow. That’s a sentence, not a color…” ^_^
Heather Gray says
Ooh – I love fall colors too! They’re rich, layered, and complex. And depending on how you pair them together, they convey completely different meanings/moods.
helloworld373 says
Your blog is really cute, Heather. I love a sense of humor. I also like the sound of your new series in Rainbow Falls. Can’t wait for the first book to be available! I love most colors so will enjoy finding out what you’ve named your characters.
Heather Gray says
I’m glad you could stop by today!! And thank you – I like people who like humor. They make like more fun. ^_^