Winters’ Day In

Spilling the tea since 2006. Wanna cuppa?

Conversations on life, faith, stories, and creativity from author and songwriter (and aspiring mermaid) Talena Winters.

Blog Archives

Talena Winters 10/23/25 Talena Winters 10/23/25

Behind the Name 2: How I Name Characters in my Mermaid Fantasy Series

Ever wonder how authors choose names for their characters? In this post, I’m pulling back the curtain on the naming process for some of the key characters in my clean epic mermaid fantasy series Rise of the Grigori—from Calandra’s songbird-inspired origins to Zale’s sea-strong rebrand, Narcissa’s perfectly “on the nose” moniker, and more. You’ll get a peek at how meaning, culture, sound, and story all come together to shape name choices for the perfect fit.

Talena Winters 12/14/22 Talena Winters 12/14/22

The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad

In Part Four of the Rise of the Grigori Beneath-the-Surface series, Narcissa kor’Adonia, Opal Princess of the undine Island of Sirenia tells us what her cousin Calandra is really like…

Talena Winters 11/23/22 Talena Winters 11/23/22

Introducing the Rise of the Grigori Beneath-the-Surface Blog Series

The first of a series of behind-the-scenes posts for the Rise of the Grigori series. First up: What’s the series about?

Talena Winters 9/16/22 Talena Winters 9/16/22

This Train Track Goes Both Ways

Taking a moment to look back at how far I’ve come before looking to the immediate future again.