The Forsythes
| David | Bishop, Cottonwood Estates Second Ward (a lay position); systems analyst, Zions Bank. |
| Rachel | Schoolteacher and housewife; first counselor, Relief Society. |
| Laura | Jennifer's older sister. |
| Jennifer | Laura's younger sister. |
The Daranyi Clan
| Milada | Chief Investment Officer, Daranyi Enterprises International. |
The similiaries between Milada and the Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who was related to several Princes of Transylvania and was "possibly the most prolific serial killer in history," are intriguing. Alas, I must confess to having discovered them after the fact.
| Kamilla | M.D., Ph.D.; research fellow, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; visiting professor, University of Utah School of Medicine. |
| Zoë | Youngest sister of Milada and Kamilla. |
| Michael (Mihaly) | President & CEO, DEI; stepfather to Milada, Kamilla and Zoë. |
| Francis Xavier | "Uncle Frank." |
The Master
| Stefan Rakosi | Sire of Milada, Kamilla and Zoë. |
In the first edition of the book, I used the name Rakoczi, inspired by Sigismund Rakoczi, who reigned briefly as Prince of Transylvania from 1607 to 1608. A reader who was born and raised in Hungary sent me the following historical clarification:
I appreciated you weaving my Vaterland into the story, but on a gut level I was disturbed by the choice of name for the vampire sire, Rakoczi. That name evokes one of the most revered figures in Hungarian history, Prince Francis Rakoczi II, who led an uprising against the Habsburg empire between 1703 and 1711. The uprising (like most Hungarian ones) was crushed and he spent the rest of his life as an exile to Turkey. His figure is one deeply respected by most Hungarians.
My correspondent helpfully provided a list of infamous Hungarian villains. Topping the list was Matyas Rakosi, the brutal dictator who ruled Hungary from 1945 to 1956 and described himself as "Stalin's best Hungarian disciple."
Family Friends
| Garrick Burke | DEI's broker and financial advisor. |
| Jane Rabinowski | Milada's executive assistant. |
Significant Others
| Darren Wylde | President & CEO, Wylde Medical Informatics. |
| Dr. Ingebretsen | Jennifer's oncologist, Deseret Children's Hospital. |
| Troy Ellis | Elder's quorum president, Cottonwood Estates Second Ward (a lay position). |
| Karen Talbot | Milada's secretary at Loveridge & Associates. |
