No, Willa Blair is not my real name. But I’ve had a lot of fun since I took on a nom de plume. Here’s my list:
1. I get to have a split personality without the padded cell and wrap-around jacket.
2. It’s way better than the nicknames I got saddled with in school.
3. It’s a fresh start – as Willa Blair, I can become anything I want.
4. When you google Willa Blair, you learn about her, not me.
5. Facebook fan page – fun with people I don’t know.
6. It sounds Scottish. It is Scottish.
7. I can do things as Willa Blair that I would never do as myself.
8. It makes doing promo fun. Okay, maybe not so much.
9. Author alter ego. Say that three times, fast.
10. If someone doesn’t like the book, Willa Blair gets the blame.
11. I love the way it looks on Highland Healer‘s cover.
12. If I change genres, I can change pen names and personas, too (see #1)
13. It marks a new chapter in my life – as a bestselling published author!
Highland Healer is available now on Kindle and on 4 January 2013 it will be available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and The Wild Rose Press in print and e-formats.
HE NEEDS HER FOR HIS CLAN.
HE WANTS HER FOR HIMSELF.
CAN HE HAVE BOTH?
Toran Lathan never expected to become Laird, and never expected to meet a woman like Aileanna Shaw. Her healing ability is just what his people need, but Toran cannot resist her beauty. Yet will loving him destroy her ability to heal?
Aileanna Shaw has a healing touch – and a special talent she must keep secret. Stolen from her home by a marauding army, she’s kidnapped again by the Highland Laird she heals. Is she a prize of war, or the prize of his heart?
While Toran battles the invading lowland army, he also battles his desire for Aileanna. And Aileanna must decide if she can trust her secrets to this fierce warrior who needs her talent, but wants her love.
Willa Blair is the best-selling, award-winning author of Highland Healer, her debut novel and the first in a series set in the 16th century Highlands, when the old ways and old talents still shaped events. She always wished she had several psi talents, such as reading her husband’s mind, cleaning house by simply thinking about it, and flying. But alas, no. So she endows her characters with special talents and lives vicariously through them. She loves reading and writing romance novels set in the past, present and future.
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!
Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Leave a Comment
Pingback: Thursday Thirteen | Willa Blair on December 20, 2012
0 COMMENTS
Maddy
12 years agoIt never even occurred to me to use a pen name. Yours is a great choice.
Vonnie Davis
12 years agoI love how you think. I’d always planned on having a nom de plume, but didn’t think things through when I started my blog. By the time I got a contract, I had a nice little following and my agent said, “Keep your real name.” But…but…I hate my first name. But if I change genres…hmmm…you’ve got me thinking, Willa-of-the-Scottish-name. Great post!
Fierce Dolan
12 years agoYour pen name is awesome =) You’re right–it is fun to not have to worry about identity, for the most part.
Cheers to you!
Paisley Kirkpatrick
12 years agoLove your post, Willa. I have Paisley Kirkpatrick as my pen name. I am a Gemini and my daughter says I have a name for both personalities now. I love it. Mine is also Scottish – the Kirkpatrick was my Mom’s maiden name and I would never admit why I chose Paisley. 😉
nancy baggett
12 years agoFun list–some I wouldn’t have ever thought of. I don’t have a pen name ’cause I only write cookbooks. BUT, when I wrote a bread book some people thought that “Baggett” was a pen name!
JC Szot
12 years agoI used to work in a school district -Lol. I really didn’t have a choice, but I’m glad I use a pen name. It’s just better to have that buffer- just in case. Then whenever someone says- “I can’t believe she wrote a book like that” which… I’m sure we’ve all heard that! then you can glance around aimelessly, shrug your shoulders and laugh.
Willa Blair
12 years agoVonnie, I love your first name, and for a writer, it’s great because it’s memorable. You don’t need to change a thing!
Thanks, Maddy, and Fierce Dolan (speaking of great names)!
Paisley is Scottish, too, no matter why you chose it. I’ve seen you in the yahoo loops and always liked your name.
Nancy, cool – you’re stealthy without the work!
Zoe Forward
12 years agoI didn’t give it much thought before I started writing…and now you’ve given me lots to think about. By the way I read the book and though it was a great story.
Marianne Stephens
12 years agoUsing a pen name (or names as I have two) gives me the opportunity to have people pronounce either name correctly. My “real name” always gets pronounced incorrectly…but I’ve learned to answer to anything that sounds close!
Happy Holidays!
Willa Blair
12 years agoThanks, Zoe. I’m glad you liked it!
Rebecca York
12 years agoI have a good one. For the MRW Christmas party, people w/ names that were A-H could bring an appetizer, and those at the end of the alphabet could bring a dessert. I decided to use Rebecca York and bring a dessert. Ruth Glick was not in the mood for appetizers.
Rebecca
Cara Marsi
12 years agoI love your reasons for having a pen name. I used my real name for my first published book. My last name is long and Ukranian, but easy to pronounce, I think. But readers couldn’t spell it or pronounce it. So I started using a pen name, something short and easy to spell and something that reflected my Italian heritage (the Ukranian is my husband). Good luck and congratulations on your novels. I love your pen name. It’s unique.
Kerri Carpenter
12 years agoLove your list, Willa – especially #13!!! So proud of you! 😉
Willa Blair
12 years agoNow that’s a good use of a pen name, Rebecca! I’ll remember that one.
Willa Blair
12 years agoThanks, Cara and Kerri!
Willa Blair
12 years agoThanks, Coffee Thoughts and coffeetimeromance.com, for inviting me here today. I love the Thursday Thirteen format. And I appreciate all the comments. It sounds like a few of you will think about your own pen names. Have fun with them. Thanks again!
Rowan Worth
12 years agoI went with a pen name because there were multiple folks already writing with a form of my real name (even with and without the same middle initial)–but I agree with you, the author alter ego has its fun benefits!! I’ll have to borrow Rebecca’s trick re picking food for the parties!!
Rebecca York
12 years agoBTW, a good reason to have a pen name is to make it SHORT. W/ so many thumb nail ebooks on line, you want your name to show up if it’s small. So If you are Mary Anne Southwestern, I’d think about something shorter.
Willa Blair
12 years agoRowan, that’s a really good reason for a pen name – you want to stand out. And yes, the author alter ego is fun!
Ruth, great point. Another is to pick a name that has a chance of putting you above floor level on the shelf in the bookstore. I love a comment you made elsewhere about kneeling down and praying to find “York.” Too funny!
Rebecca York
12 years agoActually, it turns out to be okay. You’re at the end of the shelf, and they know where to find you!
Jo @ Mixed Book Bag
12 years agoYes that sounds like a good thing to have. What fun.