Well multiple might be an exaggeration…but I have started writing under a pen name.
I wasn’t going to tell you…at least not for a while…because the books I’m co-authoring as my alter ego are really quite different from everything else I’ve written. Hence the choice to write under a pen name. They are romance novellas in a series—sexier, hotter, and more dramatic. Also more f-bombs, more soap-opera-esque, and not always representative of what I believe healthy relationships should be.
Turns out, though, that they are a blast to dream up and write. :-) I’m absolutely LOVING working on these books. Like crazy loving it. The stories are so much fun, the drama so freaking entertaining, and the sex…well, it’s HOT. Who knew? :-)
Why the leap? Honestly, it’s because I want to make a living as a writer, so I’m going where the money is. Writing is an art to me, but it’s equally a business. I spend a ridiculous amount of time working on these books while neglecting my family, and I really need a financial payoff to make it worthwhile. Maybe that sounds terrible, but it’s true. This is my reality with 4 young kids who’d rather they had my attention than watch me write any more books.
Writing makes me feel like a terrible mother because my focus is so often on my computer screen as I write, research, design, or handle business stuff. Or I’m completely lost in my own head, working out story problems rather than focusing on the people in front of me. I try really hard to find balance—and sometimes I get it, sometimes I don’t. It’s hard. And it sucks because there are times that I’m choosing writing over my family. It’s my choice, and I own that. And I make that choice in part because I freaking LOVE creating these characters and telling their stories. Writing novels feeds my creative soul. But I recognize that my writing is a sacrifice to my family. And I need to make sure it’s not a sacrifice in vain. So I’m trying my hand at writing the kind of books that tend to sell really well.
Why am I telling you this now? Well, I’ve decided to move my romance titles all under the one name because it makes better business sense, which means Anywhere is going to now appear under my pen name, and all subsequent romance titles will be published under that name too. I’m going to keep my YA paranormal here under my real name, J. Meyers. (And I know, I know. I need to write more in the Intangible series! I will! I promise. Soon-ish. ;-)
So my alter ego’s name is Jinsey Reese, this name chosen to honor my late brother whose initials were J.R.M (John Richard Meyers). I wanted a name that held some meaning for me, and since my dad often called my brother J.R., I went with those initials for me. Every time I see my pen name I think about him. It’s one way I can hold him close.
As Jinsey Reese, I’ve teamed up with Victoria Green to co-write novella serials of The Brothers Wilde—Dare, Dash, and Dax Wilde, artists with attitude. We’re starting with Dare in the UNTAMED series, and the first book, Untamed, is coming out sometime in the next two weeks (you can even add it to your Goodreads right now. Go ahead, I’ll wait).
If you like hot, sexy romance…you’re in for a serious treat with The Brothers Wilde collection. (Go read this blurb for the first book. Trust me on this.) Working with Tors is the most fun I’ve ever had writing, and I can’t wait to share them with you as Jinsey. (To make sure you don’t miss any of the books, you can sign up for our new release mailing list now.)
Also, if any of you would be interested in being an early reviewer of Untamed, you can sign up here for a free ARC (advanced reader’s copy). We’ll be sending them out very soon!
I hope those of you who enjoyed Anywhere will follow me as Jinsey Reese. I’m all set up with a blog as Jinsey and there’s also a blog specifically for The Brothers Wilde collection that Tors and I will both be contributing to, I’m @JinseyReese on Twitter, and I already have a Jinsey page on Facebook, as well as a separate page for The Brothers Wilde series. (It’s like I’m EVERYWHERE.)
And I’ll still be here part of the time, too. Sharing stuff with you guys and getting back to the Intangible series eventually. Sera, Luke, and their friends have more adventures to come, and I’m excited to get back to their stories in the future. <3
You know I love you guys, right? Have a fantastic weekend! :-)