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February 12, 2005

Friday Writer’s Corner on Saturday

Alesia, from her writing computer...

Happy almost Valentine’s Day! If you’re in the mood to find out your Valentine’s Day Style (ok, this quiz is really for my teen and tween readers, but come on, be a little silly!), check out my quiz at the Smoochya website!

Question for the day: Since I just pointed you to my Jax Abbott quiz, I thought I’d tackle the ever-popular ‘Why take a pseudonym?’

It it’s good enough for Mark Twain . . .

I took a pseudonym (also known as a pen name) for the books I write for teens for a very specific reason. My chick lit novels – the ones I write under my real name -- are generally R-rated. I’m the kind of reader who, when I find a writer I like, wants to buy that author’s entire back list and future books. I sure didn’t want any twelve-year old girls who loved Super Jessie to go out and buy AMERICAN IDLE!

My pen name is an open secret – I link back and forth to/from my different websites and use my real name on the copyright pages. But I wanted to establish a very different look and feel for my young adult books, so that was my reasoning.

Also, some authors use different names for different writing sub-genres, like my friend who writes romantic comedies as Beverly Brandt and romantic suspense as Jacey Ford. She says her readers have different expectations; even the act of sitting down to write a Jacey book feels different.

I know other authors who want to keep their real identies secret; like Zane who writes erotica but is a suburban Mom in real life, and Mary Bly, college professor who just finally came out with the secret that she is NY Times best-selling author of historical romance Eloisa James.

If I’d continued to practice law, I may have done the same. Would have been tough to voir dire a jury panel if my prospective jurors were asking me questions about that adult toys in the airport scene. . .

Hugs and happy weekending,
Alesia Holliday/Jax Abbott/Mommy, depending on the time of day

Posted by Alesia at 9:09 PM