Romanian research: What’s in a name?

I wanted to have the novel take place in someplace that could be real, so I researched how towns might be named. I eventually chose Liniste Sat, which means quiet village in Romanian. This is a great name because it evokes the feel of a real Romanian name, while having an underlying meaning of what the place is supposed to be: a quite, backwater village, tucked away in the Carpathian mountains.

For Lord Vayne’s castle, I chose the name Castle Scapare. Most castles in Romania follow the nomenclature of Castle + Name. I chose Scapare because it means “oversight.” Lord Vayne oversees the land of Liniste, watching over its people, many of whom are his descendents. And, another meaning of “oversight” is “an unintentional failure to notice or do something.” This happens a lot in Lord Vayne’s life and in this novel, so I’m making use of the double meaning!