Recently I was listening to a Radio 4 programme about this phenomenon which is increasingly widespread. Often if a writer changes genres he/she will re-invent himself as someone else, for example Norah Roberts has become J.D.Robb as a crime writer. Martyn Waites the british crime writer has re-invented himself as female - Tania Carver - because the publishers wanted a phenomenon in the UK like Karin Slaughter. Note that the surnames are increasingly violent - Robb, Carver, Slaughter, and I have just finished a crime thriller by Ann Cleeves! I think if I was to write historical crime I would have to be Jane Rapier. How about you?
As far as historical fiction goes, many people might not know that Victoria Holt is also Philippa Carr, is also Jean Plaidy. Her real name? Eleanor Hibbert.
The record as far as I know for number of names is Jayne Ann Krentz who has no less than seven!
When she isn’t writing contemporary fiction as Jayne Ann Krentz, she publishes historicals under Amanda Quick. On top of that she is in print under the names Jayne Bentley, Jayne Castle, Jayne Taylor, Amanda Glass, and Stephanie James.
So, I write under my real name, and one of the thrills for me when The Lady's Slipper was published was to see my name in print, and on my bookshelf alongside other famous writers. How many of the historical belles and beaus use their own name? If you don't, what made you choose another name?
http://www.deborahswift.blogspot.com/
http://www.deborahswift.blogspot.com/