: reading the favorites :

Jayne Krentz has made her pseudonyms work for her. Even now, when many of her books’ themes are starting to overlap–contemporaries with psychic elements, historicals with paranormal leanings, and futuristics with both paranormal, science-fiction, and psychic turns–she has a distinct use for each pseudonym. I’m not sure how many other authors have followed her lead with the use of pseudonyms, but I can name several who have done the same, years after Jayne Krentz split herself into three different authors.

Nora Roberts began writing futuristic romance/mystery under the name J.D. Robb. Sherrilyn Kenyon writes paranormal romance, but using the pseudonym Kinley MacGregor, she writes historical romance novels.

I’m not taking real names into consideration, because I’m most interested in why authors’ write books under different names, not why they don’t choose to use their real names on their books.

Heather Graham Pozzessere used Heather Graham Pozzessere for her category romance novels. She branched out into single title romance and suspense with Heather Graham. She writes historical and paranormal romance as Shannon Drake, but she also used to write historical romance under the name Heather Graham, and she did write some single title suspense as Heather Graham Pozzessere. So how does one differentiate between Heather Graham’s pseudonyms? To me, this isn’t nearly as efficient and artful as Jayne Krentz’s use of pseudonyms.

Jayne Krentz differentiates her books by time period with her pseudonyms. She continues to publish contemporary romance novels under her Jayne Ann Krentz name. She publishes paranormal/science-fiction romance set in the future on worlds other than Earth under her Jayne Castle name. Using Amanda Quick, she publishes historical romance fiction, mostly set in the Regency or Victorian era, but she’s also published several medieval era romance novels as Amanda Quick.

There was a time when the delineation between her books was stronger. Her contemporaries weren’t very paranormal, but now, with the Arcane Society series, she’s blurred the lines between her style of books. This isn’t a bad thing. She’s able to use her strengths from each type of book and combine them into one strong series.

Some authors don’t see the need to separate their books. L.E. Modesitt Jr. writes both fantasy and science fiction under his one author name. I haven’t read any of his science fiction, and I’ve never been surprised by picking up a book that I thought fit into his fantasy worlds but was in fact a science fiction story.

I wonder sometimes how much of Jayne Krentz’s decision to go forward with the Arcane Society series was simply a decision to find a good way to cross-promote her different books. Maybe at this point she wishes she were using only one name. I can’t say and I shouldn’t speculate, because I can’t know the answer without asking, and I probably won’t do that. 

I think if an author chooses to use a pseudonym, the way Jayne Krentz has used them is a great way to do so.

What do you think about it? I don’t mind when authors write different types of books under one name, even if those books are very different, although I do like consistency too. What about you?

I’m very much looking forward to this particular book. After reading and loving White Lies, I’m ready for another contemporary setting in the Arcane Society books. I’ve been seriously considering going to all ebooks so that my library won’t be quite so large, but I don’t know if I can do that with Jayne Krentz’s books. I really like her covers, and I have to say, I LOVE the cover for Running Hot.

Running Hot (Arcane Society, Book 5)

Dark Light was so good. Although it wasn’t directly an addition to the Arcane Society series, it definitely made mention of it and it even had a pretty significant role as far as the heroine of the book was concerned. However, Dark Light has been out a while now, and I’m ready for another book from my favorite romance author!

Running Hot is set in Maui, in the 21st century and is book 5 in the Arcane Society series. The book also ties in with the Eclipse Bay trilogy.

Cover Copy:

Ex-cop Luther Malone, lifelong member of the secretive paranormal organization known as the Arcane Society, is waiting to meet Grace Renquist. Hired as an aura-reading consultant in the quest for a murder suspect, she’s got zero field experience. She’s from tiny Eclipse Bay, Oregon. She’s a librarian, for heaven’s sake. As for Grace, she’s not expecting much either from Malone, who walks with a cane and isn’t so good with a gun. Nice résumé for a bodyguard . . .

But even before they reach their hotel in Maui–where they’ll be posing as honeymooners–Grace and Luther feel the electric charge between them. Problem is, they need to remain vigilant day and night, because it soon becomes clear there’s more going on here. Rogue sensitives–operatives for the underground group Nightshade–are pouring into the luxury resort like there’s a convention. Grace recognizes those dark spikes in their auras. She saw the same pattern in someone else in another life–a life she hasn’t revealed to Luther or anyone else. And she understands how dangerous these people can be . . . especially with those para-hunters at their sides.

While the pair’s employers at Jones & Jones scramble to get them backup, Luther and Grace have to think on their feet. The criminals in their midst aren’t just high-level sensitives: They’ve enhanced their talents with a potent–and unpredictable–drug. And as Grace knows all too well, if you don’t control your powers, your powers will control you. . . .

I’ll soon be adding pages for another favorite writer of mine, one who has recently turned to writing series also. Dean Koontz has been a favorite for many years. Sometime between 1996 and 2006 I fell away from reading his books, but only because I wasn’t reading a lot during that time that wasn’t strictly romance. Over the last year, I’ve taken to reading more of his stuff.

For Christmas last year, I asked for the Odd Thomas series but I wasn’t specific about the order so I ended up with Brother Odd–but neither Odd Thomas or Forever Odd, books number 1 and 2. Can’t very well read a series out of order like that, now could I? So, I didn’t. I read other stuff, until a few days ago when I ran across a bargain priced hardback copy of Odd Thomas, and couldn’t believe my good luck!

I bought the book and read it right away.

Odd Thomas is a fry cook working at the Pico Mundo Grille. He sees dead people, but they don’t talk to him. He also sees shades, or bodachs, as he calls them. They always seem to be hanging around whenever violence is near, and Odd is afraid this time is no different. He has only a day to discover what’s going on and try to stop it.

I enjoyed Odd Thomas. The tone was different than what I was used to from Dean Koontz, although the subject matter is exactly what I’m used to.

I have to say the story touched me and at the end I was torn as to whether I should be happy or sad.

I’m going to get a copy of Forever Odd from the library (which I couldn’t do with Odd Thomas, because someone had never returned the library’s only copy). Then I’ll be able to read Brother Odd, which certainly has to be tired of waiting on me!

The books

• Odd Thomas (Odd Thomas book 1)
• Forever Odd (Odd Thomas book 2)
• Brother Odd (Odd Thomas book3)
• Odd Hours (Odd Thomas book 4)

Related

• In Odd We Trust (Odd Thomas graphic novel)

Writing as Jayne Castle, bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz is able to explore paranormal worlds where extra-sensory perception and interaction with Alien Ruins is the norm. These books take place in her Ghost Hunters universe, the most recent being Dark Light.

I liked Dark Light a lot. I thought it was a great new chapter in the series and offered a tantalizing look into the different spectrums of the paranormal plane from which the ghost hunters are able to pull energy and ghost light.

I admit Elvis was one of my favorites from the book. I’ve enjoyed seeing the interactions of the people with these “pets” that are native to the world of Harmony. I don’t think for a minute that they’re insignificant. When I’m reading these books and enjoying the antics of the dust bunnies, I can’t help but think there’s a lot more to these guys and gals than what appears on the surface. There have been hints galore that the dust bunnies have a psychic connection to the planet and the alien ruins. I look forward to the day when I’ll learn more about them.

This is what series are all about. The opportunity to see a universe grow. It’s a fascinating and fun experience and I love it!

I have a friend who’s just put up a great site about her favorite author Nora Roberts. The site is truly a fan site, since I know personally that this girl has over 200 books on her shelves that she won’t part with because they’re Nora Roberts books. She has more than two hundred books, but these are her babies! Anyway, you should check out this site.

Okay, so I have this site that I wanted to share with you.  I’m a bit fond of it as I run it.   But there’s just about anything you can want to find that Nora’s written there and more getting added every day. Nora Roberts-Books.com

—Quote from WeWriteRomance.com