Why You Don’t Know My Name

You don’t know my name. And there are a few reasons for it.

The first, and most obvious, is we’ve never met. As I prepare to release my debut novel, I am very much at the bottom of the mountain squinting up at its white peak. I have no reader following, a shamefully low amount of “friends” on social media, and no proven track record.

So, please allow me to introduce myself. Hi. I’m Deana. I like wine on Fridays, jasmine green tea every morning, and a ridiculous quantity of melted cheese. And all that works very well because I live in Switzerland—where cheese is abundant—in the middle of a vineyard. It’s nice to meet you.

Name still not ringing a bell? Oh… right. That’s because it’s not actually my name. It’s a pen name. Nom de plume, if you want to get fancy.

Choosing a pen name, in itself a daunting task, has nothing to do with the fact that I’m not proud of my writing or my stories. If that was the case, I wouldn’t bother spending the energy to get them out into the world.

It does, however, have a lot to do with what I write. Romance and Erotica. Two highly read genres of literature but still frowned upon by the masses. Even distribution of steamy love stories has taken a recent hit, which further proves my point.

And just as a sidebar, it’s a shame. Romance and all of its sub-genres are as much of an escape as any good book. And for me, personally, that initial spark of why two people fall in love is so random that when it’s done well, can be truly magical to witness from a reader / voyeuristic perspective.

Back to the name. As part of my ongoing writer climb as a writer, I submitted my manuscript to agents along the way. One fantastic woman in the UK basically said to me, “I really like this. But I can’t sell Romance. Get a pen name and self-publish. Send me anything else you write that’s not Romance.” Best rejection ever? Maybe.

But that still left me at the bottom wondering how to put my right foot in front of my left. Mission number one was to think of a pen name. I tried various versions of my mother’s maiden name, grandmothers’ first names, I even scrambled the letters of my legal name a few times. What I landed on, Deana Birch, is a baked cake using all the ingredients and I really hope no one gags on it. But it’s a little bit like putting your story out there. Some people will love the chocolate cake and others would rather eat dirt than try the lemon.

So, like it or not, Deana Birch is the name I settled on. Please associate it with your favorite flavor.

And there was a bigger reason for creating Deana. My stories, while not all of them, lean on the spicier side of life. Again, not a flavor for every reader on the planet. Certainly not for some members of my family. Like my young daughters. Or my sweet elderly mother.

My feisty father, on the other hand, after I told him about my book, said, “I need a copy of that immediately.” My parents are proof that opposites attract and what brings you together can tear you apart.

I’ve also chosen, for the reasons mentioned above, to use a logo instead of a headshot. It’s a provocative little thing, using my initials.

Now Deana Birch has a website, an email address, and several social media accounts. And I have two identities to balance. But as did adding the roles of mother, wife, teacher, writer, and all the other hats I wear to protect me from the shining sun of life, it’s come naturally. It’s brought challenges and rewards. Nerves and calm. Fear and pride.

I’m Deana Birch, and it’s been lovely to meet you.

—

Deana’s Rock and Roll Romance, FASTER, releases June 26, 2018. She is a Mid-Western girl transplanted to Europe where she lives with her own happily-ever-after and two daughters.

Follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/DeanaBirch

Find out more about her on her website https://deanabirch.com/

 

About FASTER

After a quick but memorable fling, Louana Higgins leaves the drummer for The Spades exactly where he belongs: a tour bus.

The junior producer knows she’s dodged a bullet. Because, despite his melt-your-heart chocolate eyes and rising fame, Jake Riley is not boyfriend material. And those messages he sends in the middle of the night get filed under, “drunk text, best to ignore,” without delay.

Twelve grueling years of paying dues has finally resulted in a hit song for Jake. But, knowing the new zeroes in his bank account come with as many ways to blow it, he craves stability. So, stocked with an arsenal of charm, and a reminder of what happened against her front door, he persuades Louana to see him again the next time he’s in town.

Now, certain he’s found the calm to his storm, he asks her for the previously unthinkable: Monogamy.

 

Tags: featured, pseudonymn

Category: On Writing