Obviously, she needed a food-related name (like so many of the other characters). But originally she was Daisy Cook; the publisher asked me to change her name, because they already had a series of books about a Daisy.
Varaminta le Bone I knew I wanted her to have a name beginning with 'V', but I also knew that she was not a Vanessa, or a Veronica, or indeed any other 'V' name I could think of. So I decided to invent one, and when 'Araminta' popped into my head, I stuck a 'V' on the front of it, and hey presto! She's 'le Bone' because of course she's very skinny, permanently on a diet.
PoochieAt first glance, Varaminta's dog appears to have a deeply unimaginative name, but it is in fact pronounced the same way as 'Pucci', a famous Italian designer label. This also rhymes with Gucci, another famous Italian designer label (hence Lulu's musings on how Varaminta's dog rhymes with her clothes). But I didn't want to write 'Pucci' because I thought readers might pronounce it 'Pucky' in their heads.
Cassandra In Greek legend, Cassandra was the daughter of Priam, the king of Troy. Cassandra had the gift of prophecy, but after she had scorned Apollo, he put a curse on her; from that day forth, nothing she predicted would ever be believed. So when she foresaw danger in the shape of a certain wooden horse, nobody believed her!
When you read Chocolate Wishes, it will become clear why I gave my character that name.
Mister OShort for Otto Lunch. I wanted to call him Mr Lunch, but there is already a dog character with that name, created by one J Otto Seibold. It is a great name, but I wouldn't dream of stealing it! There are lots of literary names I wish I'd dreamt up; Verruca Salt is one. Also just about any Dickensian name, but especially Uriah Heep. And I think Douglas Adams was a genius: Slartibartfast is the funniest name EVER.
Basil's surname is ONOMATOPOEIC. In other words, it imitates the sound he makes when he's talking pompously about himself.
Glynnie GudvitsaGlynnie's full name, Galinda Gudvitsa, is an Indian play on 'Glinda the Good Witch', from The Wizard of Oz. For no more sophisticated reason other than that she is a good sort, as well as being very pretty.
Well, Zena's a sour individual. She has a very snappy name, so I thought it would be good for her sidekick to have a long, 
grandiose-sounding one. Chanterelle and Portobello are two kinds of mushroom. Put 'Cara' and 'Mel' together, and you get 'caramel' - which is 
logical, as they stick together at all times and are about as spineless as a mass of gooey candy.
Some ingredients and the origins of their names:Asha Vahishta Nut (Truth Cookies)
True or false? In Zoroastrian belief, Asha Vahishta is the divine attribute of truth. (The answer is: true!)
Idzumo Honey (Truth Cookies)
In Japanese mythology, Idzumo was 'The Central Land of the Reed Plains', the first part of the earth to be inhabited. Back in those days, so the legend goes, trees and flowers were able to speak but have long since been silenced.
Dum'zani corn (Cupid Cakes)
I love this one! If you have read Cupid Cakes, you will know that Lulu has to fertilise this plant using her own tears. It is named after Dumuzi, the ancient Sumerian god of fertility and vegetation. Every June, large groups of women would get together for a good old blub as the fields dried up in the blazing sun because Dumuzi had descended into the underworld. He would be retrieved each autumn by his wife Inanna. (this is seriously ancient stuff, by the way, going back nearly 3,000 years B.C.E.!)
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The quote, 'they that sow in tears shall reap in joy', is from the Book of Prayer.
Lada flour (Cupid Cakes). Lada is the Slavic goddess of love and beauty. In Russia, when a couple is happily married, it is said they "live in lada", in love. Aah.
Osun plantain flakes (Cupid Cakes). Osun (pictured right) is a Yoruba goddess of water and fertility.
Honeydew (Chocolate Wishes). This is not made up, I promise! The hardened blobs of clear syrup were long thought to be the weeping sap of the tamarisk tree, until in 1927 it was discovered that they were excreted by the female scale insect Coccus manniparus. Altogether: eeeeyew!
Wormwood seed (Nuggets of Information). Wormwood is a bitter herb and not, as it sounds, a wormy kind of wood. In Chocolate Wishes, I mention a dance the Aztec women did with it on their heads in honour of their goddess of salt, but I don't tell you the goddess' name. Do you want to know what it is? Huixtocihuatl. There. You know now. So next time someone asks you, 'hey, what's the name of the Aztec goddess of salt?' (like they do), you'll be able to tell them: Huixtocihuatl. And then they'll say, 'bless you!'
