What's in a pseudonym? Ask Stacey

I know the RtG plan was for the genre-istas to write about Christmas romances this month. I admit, after the turmoil 2020 has presented so far, many people really need something festive. But if you’ve read my posts before, you know I often find myself straying from the group. For this month, I knew I had to write about a writing queen, Selena Montgomery. 

Montgomery is an award-winning author of eight romance novels. Her tales include the love stories of a lawyer and sheriff, two undercover agents, and a sexy ethnobotanist. Her books share one goal, illustrating that Black women can be “as adventurous and attractive as any white woman” in fiction.

Have you ever heard of this prolific author? Maybe you don’t think you have. But unless you’ve spent 2020 in a cave, a place I have sometimes wanted to be, chances are high you've heard a lot about the accomplishments of Stacey Abrams from Georgia. Stacey and Selena are one and the same. 

 She's a politician, lawyer, voting rights activist who was instrumental in helping turn Georgia purple - and a successful author. She began her novel writing career in college by reading. Aristotle taught her story structure, Pearl Cleage showed her how to sustain tension, and she used the books of Nora Roberts as a master class in characterization. 

She wrote her first novel, Rules of Engagement, during her third year as a student at Yale University. Under the pseudonym Selena Montgomery. According to her website, her books have sold over 100,000 copies. She’s proud to place romance writer alongside her other accomplishments, and says,  

"Telling a well-crafted story is hard. Full stop. Regardless of genre, good writing is good writing. Romance is one of the oldest forms of storytelling, and I’m honored to be in the company of extraordinary writers." 

She has also written a number of nonfiction books, including a 2018 memoir. 

In between writing, running for governor in Georgia, and working to get the state of Georgia to vote for a Democratic candidate, she founded Fair Fight. Fair Fight is a voting rights organization that has helped register 800,000 new voters. All that and somehow she found the time to write and sell her ninth novel, While Justice Sleeps. 

 Here’s what Stacey Abrams said about her new thriller: “Drawing on my own background as a lawyer and politician, While Justice Sleeps weaves between the Supreme Court, the White House, and international intrigue to see what happens when a lowly law clerk controls the fate of a nation.” 

While Justice Sleeps will be released under her own name in May, 2021. 

 Just thinking about all she accomplishes tires me out. "The act of writing is integral to who I am," she said a few years ago. "I’m a writer, a politician, a tax  attorney, a civic leader and an entrepreneur. I am proud of what I’ve accomplished."

And I am proud for her.