So I'm posting for her.
Lately I've been wondering about pen names. Some of them can be pretty outlandish and make us giggle. Others seem to match the genre the authors write. Have you noticed that?
A friend of mine was trying to decide on a pen name the other day. She has started writing romance that is a bit hotter than she used to and thinks it's time to shed the other name. She said it wasn't sexy enough. And I'm afraid I had to agree.
Did you ever notice how some names just sound sexier than others? How some sound bold and strong while others just give you "wuss" visions or "school marm" thoughts? Let's use an example.
Margaret Frost. Uhhh...Nope. Not if you write erotic romance anyway. How about
Gwendolyn Cain?. Uhhh...there goes that school marm image again. So what if I throw out there Cassie Marin? (hey, I'm just thinking these up as I go along, don't shoot me. lol) Anyway, see the difference? Cassie Marin sounds like a name, at least to me, of a woman who has been stroked and knows how!
Some names sound stronger than others too. AnneMarie Roberts, my own name is a combination of family name and something I just liked. I thought it sounded strong, at least in so far as Roberts is concerned and AnneMarie is sexy, but not slutty.
Now my friend Tess MacKall chose her name because Tess is her nick name and she chose MacKall because she saw a street named MacKall and thought it just went together. I guess I have to agree. So is her name sexy? Strong?
Have you seen any pen names that make you go YUK? Or just plain make you laugh? Are there any names out there you are envious of?
How did you choose your pen name? I'd love to hear from you.
8 comments:
Nice choice of topic AnneMarie. My name was really easy to come up with. I couldn't imagine using a name that wasn't at least in part my own. So Tess, being my real nickname, was quite obvious. And I like MacKall.
I think it is strong and sexy. And easy to remember. Maybe some people will comment and tell me differently. I'd love to know though. I really would.
Hugs,
Tess
AHHHH, Tess, I love your name. Strong and sexy...it fits. LOL. My REAL name is Rita Thedford and my non-erotica-but-really-close stuff is written under it. COming up with a pen name was quite a bit harder. I chose the first name of someone I love...my sister. The last name came from a hotel receipt with the spelling changed slightly...hence Regina Carlysle. I was determined not to have a "stripper name". Nope. Not for me. Fifi LaRue just didn't cut it. SNORT.
oh yes i have seen some names and LOL...
it's interesting how people come up with them....i wont say who but i have heard some funny ones....
My name is a combinations of two of my fave names.....
I love the names you all come up with.
It adds to the mystery to you as an author.
*grin*
Deb
Great blog, AnneMarie! And I totally agree about Tess McKall's name, and love how Savannah and you and Tess all picked your names! Strong, bold, and sexy.
Ours has a story too. For starters, as a husband-wife team, we wanted a female pen name. We'd just met someone named Adriana and really liked her name and the way it rolls off a tongue, so the first name was easy. The last name had to do both with the craft of writing and with being crafty, but we thought Kraft would be a more common spelling of a crafty last name. We chose the pen name before we sold our first book, so we'd lived with it a while before I went on line and started "being" Adriana, a task I'm thoroughly enjoying!
Adriana
http://www.adrianakraft.com
My husband actually thought of my pen name. I wanted to use my middle name and maiden name, but there is already an erotica author going by that name (what are the odds?!?).
I was tossing out alternatives in the car one day when the hubby said "Cassandra Gold." I loved it and I've been Cassandra ever since!
Well, AnneMarie, I always did like being called darlin'. ;)
On a funny note, one of my RWA chapter mates suggested my tagline could be "Peter makes me fly!" :D
Wendi Darlin
so AnneMarie phoned this one in huh?
*snicker* WHere did you get your name AnneMarie?
I chose the name AnneMarie MacKall for one of my characters in a seminar that I'll be hosting in May...why?
Cause I CAN TORTURE two authors with one blooregard!
*snicker*
The story behind my name is boring so we'll skip it. Great post AnneMarie ;)
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