Hello loyal adventurers!
Thanks to some particularly icy weather here in Texas, I’ve had plenty of time to think about something that came up recently: Pen Names. For those who don’t know, I have two! *gasp*
- S Bolanos for my Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romances
- Lauren Edwards for my Contemporary Romances
Now for some big, I mean epic, news—I’m consolidating them under S Bolanos. This has been a decision weighing on my mind since I first created the nom de plum Lauren Edwards for my contemporary stories, and I don’t make it lightly. I’ve sought professional advice from the remarkable editor and consultant, Angela James (if you’re also a writer and you haven’t checked her out, you absolutely should!), as well as polled readers/other writers. Most importantly, I’ve evaluated my number of spoons and what I’m realistically able to contribute to maintaining two separate pen names.
My commitment is to always bring heartfelt stories that spark joy in my readers. I enjoy bringing diversity, queer representation, humor, and even a smidgen of social commentary to readers’ shelves. To ensure that I’m truly delivering the best possible stories, I believe it is worth the arduous task of merging Lauren Edwards into S Bolanos. Bonus upside: I created all the covers for the Lauren Edwards books and can easily update them.
In other fun, less life-altering news, Order of Light, the second book in the War on Darkness series, releases in less than one month! Full confession: I’m not as ahead in the edits as I would have liked, but I’m still hoping to have ARCs available in a couple weeks. If you’re interested in receiving an advance copy, join the ARC team!
And just one more awesome tidbit. For those who prefer audiobooks, Sara’s Moon, read by the phenomenal Cassandra Medcalf, will be available on all platforms that offer audiobooks on February 28th! There’s a chance of a delay of availability on Audible, but I promise, it’ll be there too. Eventually.
Speaking of audiobooks. I’d love to get your input for my next one!