History of Tequila

Today, July 24, is National Tequila Day. Sounds fun, right? Back in the day, I drank my share of tequila, with salt and lemon. As a nod to my younger days, I thought I’d research the history of tequila.

Tequila is the name for a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, 40 miles northwest of Guadalajara, Mexico. The red volcanic soil in the surrounding region is particularly well-suited to the growing of the blue agave plant. (Wikipedia)

Mezcal wine, tequila’s grandparent, was first produced only a few decades after the Spaniards came to the New World in 1521. Agave played a much larger role than the source of an alcoholic drink. Its leaves were used for a hemp-like fiber to make mats, clothing, rope and paper. It was also the source of the nutrient and vitamin-rich brew, pulque. (Source: Los Cabos Magazine)

The distillation of pulque into something stronger may have originated by the Conquistadors as early as the 1520s. You’re familiar with Cuervo Tequila. Jose Antonio Cuervo was the first licensed manufacturer of tequila. In 1758, the King of Spain gave Cuervo the rights to cultivate a parcel of land in Mexico. Today, Cuervo is the largest manufacturer of tequila in the world. (Source: Los Cabos Magazine)

Mexican laws state that tequila can only be produced in the state of Jalisco and limited municipalities in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Planting, tending, and harvesting the agave plant remains a manual effort, largely unchanged by modern farm machinery and relying on centuries-old know-how.

The men who harvest it, the jimadores [ximaˈðoɾes], have intimate knowledge of how the plants should be cultivated, passed down from generation to generation. (Wikipedia)

"Tequila worm" misconception

A young agave plant

THE WORM
Another interesting error is an urban legend related to a worm. The worm-in-the-bottle myth is old and tired. The truth has been broadcast and expounded for years by the cognoscenti of tequila, in newspapers, magazines and on the internet. Yes, it’s true, some American-bottled brands put one in their bottle to impress the gringos and boost sales, but it was a marketing ploy developed in the 1940s, not a Mexican tradition.

Sometimes however, there is a worm, properly a butterfly caterpillar, in some types of mezcal. You may also get a small bag of worm salt and chile powder tied to a mezcal bottle. There are two types of worms in mezcal: the red, gusano rojo—considered superior because it lives in the root and heart of the maguey—and the less-prized white or gold gusano de oro, which lives on the leaves. The red gusano turns pale in the mezcal, the gold turns ashen-gray. Both larvae are commonly eaten as food and are sold in Zapotec markets.

Yes, you’re supposed to eat the worm in mezcal. Don’t worry: it’s quite well pickled and free of pesticides (they’re often raised just for use in mezcal, cooked and pickled in alcohol for a year). But dispel any idea it has any magical or psychotropic properties, that it’s an aphrodisiac or the key to an "unseen world." It’s merely protein and alcohol—but it’s very rich in imagery. Note: Yuck.

In Mexico, the most traditional way to drink tequila is neat, without lime and salt. Outside Mexico, a single shot of tequila is often served with salt and a slice of lime. This is called tequila cruda and is sometimes referred to as "training wheels", "lick-sip-suck", or "lick-shoot-suck" (referring to the way in which the combination of ingredients is imbibed). The drinkers moisten the back of their hands below the index finger (usually by licking) and pour on the salt. Then the salt is licked off the hand, the tequila is drunk, and the fruit slice is quickly bitten. Groups of drinkers often do this simultaneously. (Wikipedia)

Note: I always thought you used lemon. That’s what we did in bars in the summer of 1971 at the Jersey Shore. Good times.

Now that you know all the important facts about tequila, go out and celebrate National Tequila Day.

While drinking your tequila, settle down with a sizzling, fun romance.

SALE!!

A Groom for Christmas (Love On a Dare Book 1)

Only 99 cents for a very limited time.

Fun holiday read.

A GROOM FOR CHRISTMAS is a new twist on the classic Hallmark Christmas movie full of family, humor, love, and a little bit of redemption.

Family pressure just might make her do something crazy...

When a young woman hires her hometown’s former bad boy to be her pretend fiancé for the holidays, she finds she can’t wrap up her feelings as easily as a Christmas gift.

New York jewelry designer Graceann Palmer has two days to find a fiancé to bring home to Pennsylvania for the holidays so her matchmaking mama will quit fixing her up with jerks. The Falcon, a motorcycle-riding, leather-clad former high school crush, helped her out once before. Maybe he'll do it again.

Jake Falco, man of many mysteries, is back in town on a mission—one the people of Spirit Lake most likely won't appreciate. When Graceann presents him with her crazy scheme, it gives him something he's always wanted—a chance to get to know Graceann. It also gives him the perfect opportunity to add fuel to his project of revenge. 

But as Jake and Graceann grow closer, their engagement-of-convenience begins to feel like the real deal—until Jake’s secrets are revealed. 

Can a relationship that began with lies and secrets bloom like a rare Christmas rose into happily-ever-after?

2013 Snow Globes Award Contest Finalist
Winner! 2014 New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award
2014 Readers' Choice Nominee, Best Couple, Love Romances Cafe
2014 RomCon Awards Finalist

There’s no tequila in A Groom for Christmas, but the sequel, Wedded on a Dare (Love On a Dare Book 2) is out, and I have scene where the heroine and hero are drinking tequila. Let’s hear it for tequila!

Here’s what some Amazon reviewers have said about A Groom for Christmas.

…“The story grabbed me in the beginning and kept me interested to the end. I urge you to read Jake and Graceann's story.”

…”A fun warm sweet romance that will have you laugh and see that you can't judge a person by who they were for you may miss something wonderful.”

https://books2read.com/u/4AwNnq

A trip to Vegas...
A gorgeous man...
A beautiful woman...
What could go wrong?

When a struggling actress takes a role as the glamorous temporary wife of a wealthy playboy, she finds love doesn’t always come on cue.

http://books2read.com/u/47xQ9R

GPS For Writing

Today, May 24, is National Road Trip Day. In honor of the day, I decided to update a blog I wrote after a road trip up the California coast in 2009.

            Since I wrote this blog, self-publishing has forged a new direction for many of us, but the basic message is the same: start with a road map even if you decide to take a detour. Another update: after that trip we bought a GPS, and more recently, we bought a new car that has a navigation system. In 2018, my husband, son, and I took a road trip to Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, and Deadwood, South Dakota. Our son, who lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, flew into Salt Lake City to join us. He drove the rental car through the whole trip, which was a help. He also taught us how to use Google Maps on our Smartphones. So, we no longer need to worry about a GPS if we are in a rental.

            Do you have a GPS in your car or as an APP on your phone? It seems everyone nowadays has a GPS in some form or another. Before our 2009 trip up the California coast, I decided we should buy a GPS and take it with us. My husband disagreed, saying the maps we got from AAA would be enough to guide us. (I know, so old school). When we picked up the rental car, we turned down the rental company’s GPS because we didn’t want to pay $140 when we could buy one for about $50 more at home. Big, big mistake.

            We got lost a lot on that trip. A lot. My husband becomes unglued when he gets lost. We fought. At one point I was writing a story in my head titled, “A GPS Would Have Saved My Marriage.” We finally calmed down and resigned ourselves to getting lost at times. We missed many of the sights we’d wanted to see, partly because the state of California doesn’t believe in signs, partly because we didn’t have a GPS, and partly because I didn’t thoroughly read the books AAA gave us. We missed Big Sur, which was one of the main things we’d wanted to see. On the other hand, while lost we stumbled onto Ventura, a true gem of a beach town. Now I know where all the Sixties hippies went. We spent a wonderful, unexpected afternoon in sunny, beautiful, quirky Ventura and decided it was a place in which we could happily live.

            What does this have to do with writing? Do you have a GPS for your writing? Do you know what direction you want your writing to take, or are you barreling down the freeway and hoping for the best? When you started writing to sell, did you map out a plan? Did you decide to attend conferences and workshops to learn all you could about the craft of writing? Then, did you write and write and hone your craft? Or did you write with no real direction, feeling you didn’t need to study the market, that your books would find their way to the right publishers, like a GPS you plug in with no destination and wait for it to take you somewhere?

            I know writers whose plan it is to sell only to a big New York house, and if they don’t, they’ll put their manuscripts into the proverbial drawer rather than go with an epub or a small press, or indie publish. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s their choice. Yet, they may be cheating themselves by not recalculating their direction. I can hear that inner voice now going, “Recalculating, recalculating.” What if one of their manuscripts is a little too out of the box for the big houses? Maybe a reputable epub or small press would love it. Maybe indie pubbing that unusual story will bring major success. There are times when you might need to veer off onto small detours. You never know where those detours will take you.

            By all means, get back onto the main highway after the detour if you still want, but by opening yourself to new roads and taking a less traditional publishing route, you’ll have a book out there, a book people will want to read. Isn’t that better than keeping the book hidden in a drawer?  

            On our California trip, we didn’t get to see Big Sur, but we discovered Ventura. And I’m so glad we did. When I started writing, there were one or two epubs and they were very new and earned no respect from the writing community. Like most of my fellow members of RWA, I dreamed of selling to a big NY house. After I was rejected by several big publishers, someone suggested I submit to Avalon Books, a small press. I hadn’t considered a small press. I submitted and I sold to them. My book, a traditional romance, gave me entry into RWA PAN.

            Since then, numerous epubs have sprung up. Some fell by the wayside, but many others are thriving. I contracted for my second book, a romantic suspense, with The Wild Rose Press. In GPS terms, I haven’t found Big Sur, the NY publishers, but I found my publishing Ventura, small press and epubs, and now indie publishing. All places where I’ve settled comfortably. I’m no longer heading down the expressway hoping to someday sell to a large publisher. I’ve discovered the joys of going a less traditional route.

            You might have to change direction from time to time, but the important thing is to know where you’re going. Study the market, write what you love, learn all you can and drive forward into that publishing freeway. But be prepared for detours and know those unexpected twists in the road might lead you to greater adventures.

           

You can travel anywhere in the world through books. My latest release, Wedded On a Dare (Love On a Dare Book 2) is set in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. You can travel to all those places for the price of a book.

 A trip to Vegas...

A gorgeous man...
A beautiful woman...
What could go wrong?

When a struggling actress takes a role as the glamorous temporary wife of a wealthy playboy, she finds love doesn’t always come on cue.

Struggling actress Kate Carluccio showed up for her wedding but her groom bowed out without warning. He absconded not only with her heart, but also her parents’ life savings. Her confidence shaken, Kate’s determined to find a way to restore her parents’ money. Then she’s offered the role of a lifetime: step out of her colorful high-top sneakers and into the glammed-up role of socialite wife to a shallow, annoying playboy. If only Kate wasn’t also secretly attracted to him, the one-and-a-half million dollars he offers with his proposal of a marriage-of-convenience might be easier to accept.

Breathtakingly handsome, super rich, and sophisticated with a bad boy vibe, Zach Lyon is a tabloid favorite. He may be a vice-president at his father’s company, but up until now he’s just played a supporting role. But when he discovers two executives are conspiring to force his dad out and take over the company, Zach decides it’s time to step into the spotlight. What better way than to take a glamorous new wife to Las Vegas to spend the Christmas holiday at the home of one of the conspiring executives?

As the curtain rises on the eclectic house party, Kate and Zach play their roles against the backdrop of schemers and snobs, while hiding deep secrets of their own. Can Kate pretend to love Zach without revealing the true depth of her attraction? Can Zach prove to his father he has the stability to go from understudy to leading man? They may have wedded on a dare, but with the stage set for romance, their marriage-of-convenience might just turn into a marriage-to-last-a-lifetime.

Universal Buy Link:

http://books2read.com/u/47xQ9R

For your reading pleasure, both books in the Love On a Dare Series are available in one set:

Love On a Dare Duet

Two women...
Two life-changing dares...
Do they have the courage to accept?

Universal buy link:

https://www.books2read.com/u/bxYJXl

             

           

           

Girls' Series & Their Influence

How many of you were fans of girls’, or guys’, mystery series when you were teens? I’m talking about Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames, Trixie Belden, Vicki Barr, Connie Blair, The Dana Girls. I read them all, including The Hardy Boys, but my hands-down favorite was one you probably never heard of, Judy Bolton.

Nancy Drew was the most popular of the girls’ series. However, I always root for the underdog and I like to be contrary. So while most other girls were reading Nancy, I didn’t much like her, mainly because she was popular, wealthy, and self-assured. I discovered Judy Bolton, and fell in love with her and her friends. Judy, the daughter of a doctor, lived in a small town in upstate New York. Like Nancy, and the others in the girls’ and guys’ series, she solved mysteries.

I related to Judy because she wasn’t rich and perfect and beautiful like Nancy and she didn’t drive a cute roadster or have an adoring boyfriend. Judy had faults and she frequently made mistakes. While Judy Bolton wasn’t as well-known as Nancy Drew, Judy now has a cult following. A while back I belonged to a Judy Bolton Fans Yahoo loop. Many of the members make annual trips to the town in New York that was the model for Judy’s hometown. They even reenact scenes from some of her stories. I love the books but I wouldn’t go that far. I have almost a complete set of Judy books that I collected in the Fifties and early Sixties. Although Amazon now sells reissued Judy books, the originals are rare. Whenever I go to flea markets, I look for them. I find copies of all the other series, even Nancy Drew, but never any Judy Bolton.

Judy grew up during the course of the books, and when she was eighteen, she married a guy she’d known her whole life, Peter Dobbs. Peter was five years older, and a personification of truth, justice and the American way. He became an FBI agent, or G-man, as they were called back then. The romance between Judy and Peter started my love of romance and happy endings. I had a crush on Peter and wanted to marry a man just like him. The heroes and heroines in my books all have a little of Peter and Judy in them.

At the same time I was reading Judy Bolton, I devoured the YA historical romances of Elizabeth Howard. While her books were historicals, her heroines all had something in common with Judy: they were spirited and independent, and while not the most beautiful or the richest women, they weren’t afraid to go after what they wanted. I’m in the process now of buying my favorite Elizabeth Howard books from used online booksellers. The few I have so far are in honored places on my bookshelves.  Candle in the Night, picture below, is my favorite of the Elizabeth Howard books, a book filled with adventure and an emotional romance. In fact, as a tribute to Howard, I named my characters in Loving Or Nothing after the characters in this book, Tami and Daniel.

Judy Bolton and Howard’s heroines greatly influenced the type books I write. My heroines may not be so astoundingly beautiful that they literally stop traffic, but they are beautiful in eyes of the men who love them. Of course, my heroes are always drop-dead gorgeous. No matter their looks, my heroines and heroes have faults and doubts, and things haven’t always come easy for them. I love to put my characters in dangerous situations or situations merely dangerous to their hearts and watch them fight for the happy endings they deserve. Just like Judy and Peter. And in the course of fighting for what they want, they grow and learn valuable lessons and open their hearts to the love they crave.

What about you writers out there—what books did you read that influenced what you write? The same for you readers—did the books you read as teens influence what you read today?

Speaking of romance, I'm thrilled to announce I have a new release, a marriage-of-convenience that turns out to be anything but.

Wedded On a Dare (Love On a Dare Book 2)

A trip to Vegas...
            A gorgeous man...
           A beautiful woman...
          What could go wrong?

When a struggling actress takes a role as the glamorous temporary wife of a wealthy playboy, she finds love doesn’t always come on cue.

Struggling actress Kate Carluccio showed up for her wedding but her groom bowed out without warning. He absconded not only with her heart, but also her parents’ life savings. Her confidence shaken, Kate’s determined to find a way to restore her parents’ money. Then she’s offered the role of a lifetime: step out of her colorful high-top sneakers and into the glammed-up role of socialite wife to a shallow, annoying playboy. If only Kate wasn’t also secretly attracted to him, the one-and-a-half million dollars he offers with his proposal of a marriage-of-convenience might be easier to accept.

Breathtakingly handsome, super rich, and sophisticated with a bad boy vibe, Zach Lyon is a tabloid favorite. He may be a vice-president at his father’s company, but up until now he’s just played a supporting role. But when he discovers two executives are conspiring to force his dad out and take over the company, Zach decides it’s time to step into the spotlight. What better way than to take a glamorous new wife to Las Vegas to spend the Christmas holiday at the home of one of the conspiring executives?

As the curtain rises on the eclectic house party, Kate and Zach play their roles against the backdrop of schemers and snobs, while hiding deep secrets of their own. Can Kate pretend to love Zach without revealing the true depth of her attraction? Can Zach prove to his father he has the stability to go from understudy to leading man? They may have wedded on a dare, but with the stage set for romance, their marriage-of-convenience might just turn into a marriage-to-last-a-lifetime.

      Both books in the Love On a Dare series are available in a convenient boxed set.

Love On a Dare Duet

Buy Links:

Universal link for Wedded On a Dare:

http://books2read.com/u/47xQ9R


Universal link for Love On a Dare Duet:

https://www.books2read.com/u/bxYJXl

CLICHES I HAVE KNOWN AND LOVED

Here’s an oldie, but a goodie. Enjoy!

I love a good cliché. As soon as you hear one you know exactly what the writer or person is saying. So easy. Such an economy of words. As a writer it’s verboten to use clichés.

Here’s an ode to that which I must not use.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Life’s not so bad, when you consider the alternative.

All’s fair in love and war.

There are plenty more fish in the sea. (Not so much anymore).

It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. (Is it?).

Beauty is only skin deep. (Tell that to the guys lusting after supermodels).

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. (See above note).

You can’t tell a book by its cover. (Maybe not, but a good cover is essential).

I’m not ugly; I’m visually challenging. (Okay. I never heard this one but I like it).

It’s what’s on the inside that really matters. (See above re supermodels and lust).

If you can’t beat them, join them.

Nobody is perfect.

I’m only human.

The devil made me do it.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Tomorrow, no one will remember (Ya think?)

Avoid clichés like the plague. (There are many things you need to avoid like the plague).

There is truth in every cliché. (This is why I love them).

Clichés sound better in a foreign language. (Ah, that’s how I can get away with using them in my writing).

There is nothing to fear but fear itself. (Good one, but overused).

Life sucks and then you die.

When God gives you lemons, make lemonade (I prefer to wallow in self-pity).

Life is a bitch. (Ain’t that the truth). Also, Karma is a bitch.

When it rains, it pours.

No pain, no gain.

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

I did it my way. (Or at least Sinatra did).

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Have a nice life.

Live and learn.

To be or not to be.

Live and let live.

Shit happens.

Laughter is the best medicine.

Same shit, different day.

Carpe diem. (See clichés, foreign language above)

What goes around comes around.

Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.

Life is messy.

Que sera, sera. (Ditto clichés and foreign languages)

Time will tell.

No news is good news.

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Haste makes waste.

Cleanliness is next to godliness.

Do it right the first time. (Easy to say, hard to do)

There, I’ve done it. I’ve gotten my need for clichés out of my system. I will never again write one in a book. I promise. If you believe that one, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.

Feel free to add your favorites.

Here’s something I hope is cliché-free. My newest release, available for pre-order for only 99 cents! Release date is April 1. (It’s not an April Fool’s joke).

WEDDED ON A DARE (LOVE ON A DARE BOOK 2)

 For all those who wanted Kate and Zach’s story, from A Groom for Christmas, this is for you!

When a struggling actress takes a role as the glamorous temporary wife of a wealthy playboy, she finds love doesn’t always come on cue.

Struggling actress Kate Carluccio showed up for her wedding but her groom bowed out without warning. He absconded not only with her heart, but also her parents’ life savings. Her confidence shaken, Kate’s determined to find a way to restore her parents’ money. Then she’s offered the role of a lifetime: step out of her colorful high-top sneakers and into the glammed-up role of socialite wife to a shallow, annoying playboy. If only Kate wasn’t also secretly attracted to him, the one-and-a-half million dollars he offers with his proposal of a marriage-of-convenience might be easier to accept.

Breathtakingly handsome, super rich, and sophisticated with a bad boy vibe, Zach Lyon is a tabloid favorite. He may be a vice-president at his father’s company, but up until now he’s just played a supporting role. But when he discovers two executives are conspiring to force his dad out and take over the company, Zach decides it’s time to step into the spotlight. What better way than to take a glamorous new wife to Las Vegas to spend the Christmas holiday at the home of one of the conspiring executives?

As the curtain rises on the eclectic house party, Kate and Zach play their roles against the backdrop of schemers and snobs, while hiding deep secrets of their own. Can Kate pretend to love Zach without revealing the true depth of her attraction? Can Zach prove to his father he has the stability to go from understudy to leading man? They may have wedded on a dare, but with the stage set for romance, their marriage-of-convenience might just turn into a marriage-to-last-a-lifetime.

Universal link:

http://books2read.com/u/47xQ9R

And, for your convenience, both A Groom for Christmas and Wedded On a Dare are together in a box set, Love On a Dare Duet!

 https://www.amazon.com/Love-Dare-Duet-Cara-Marsi-ebook/dp/B07P76BLRH/

A Rose by Any Other Name

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

The above quote is from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. How important is a person’s name? I recently read an article about author pen names that got me thinking about this question.

This is from the article by Sapiens: “Names are an essential part of our everyday lives. But for romance writers, they are something more: tools for career success. Writers create new names with the aim of using them to manage and increase their readership. They use them to preserve anonymity, to separate their work in different genres, and to create a brand.”

The article also states this: “The name should be short so it can be large on the book cover, and it should be easy to spell. It should be near the beginning of the alphabet so your books don’t end up near the floor on bookstore shelves. And you should think about which authors would be placed next to your book in an alphabetically arranged order.” With digital books, this isn’t as important.

According to the article, Anglophone names that are fairly short, like Wiggs and Roberts, are popular for romance authors. Even French-Canadian authors are advised to Anglicize their names. Western literature has a long history of pen names. Women authors, especially in the nineteenth century, took male pen names. Even today, women who write in more male-dominated genres choose male names or gender-neutral names.

Up until the late twentieth century, publishers controlled romance authors’ names. In some cases, writers’ contracts stated they could not use that publisher’s pen name to write for other publishers.

Authors choose to use a pseudonym for different reasons. Some may write under a different name for different sub-genres. Some may want to reinvent themselves. No one knows if a new name can help a career, but some romance authors have branded themselves with a new name to revive a flagging career. A writer’s name is her brand.

I always wanted to publish under my real name. I’d worked really hard for a lot of years to publish, and darn it, I was using my own name so everyone would know my hard work paid off. My first book, A Catered Affair, from Avalon Books, was published as Carolyn Matkowsky, my true name. 

I think Matkowsky is easy to spell and pronounce. Just divide it into three syllables. However, we Americans have trouble pronouncing and spelling names over two syllables. In 2003, the year my Avalon book came out, I was nominated by readers of Affaire de Coeur Magazine as an up and coming author. I loved the nomination, but not the way the magazine fractured my name. Since my book was only available in libraries, I figured the readers who nominated me didn’t have a copy of my book in front of them when they submitted my name. And they couldn’t remember the spelling. 

I decided I needed a shorter name that was easier to spell and pronounce. I published my second book, Logan’s Redemption, from The Wild Rose Press, in 2007, under my new name.

Coming up with a fictitious name wasn’t easy. I wanted a name that meant something to me. My heritage is Mediterranean, 92% Italian with the rest Greece and the Balkans. Not a drop of English blood. I wanted a name that reflected my Italian heritage, which is why I discounted using an Anglo name.

I’d used my married name, Matkowsky, and that didn’t work. My maiden name is Palmarella, so that wouldn’t work. I thought of shortening Palmarella to Palmer, but didn’t reflect who I am. All my life, I’ve had a unique name. I wasn’t comfortable with something more common. I came up with Marsi after a trip to Italy in 2006. The Marsi were an important tribe during Roman times. They fought the Romans, then became allies. The Marsi originated in the province of Abruzzo, where my relatives are from. My own family tribe is the Marruccini. I found this out from an Australian cousin. I couldn’t use Marruccini either. I went with Marsi because it reflects my heritage and it’s short and easy to spell and pronounce.

I had to choose a first name. I chose Cara, which is sometimes used as a nickname for Carolyn. I’ve never had a nickname. My friends and family call me Carolyn. Cara goes well with Marsi, but I now wish I’d kept my true first name because many readers and authors know me as Cara and that’s what they call me.

I make no secret of my alter ego. My real name is splashed all over social media, along with my pen name. My Facebook pages are under Cara Marsi, but on my regular page you can see my real name, Carolyn Palmarella Matkowsky. I post as Cara Marsi, but friends and family will call me Carolyn when they post responses. I answer to Cara and Carolyn.

Fun fact: Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who nearly toppled Republican Brian Kemp last fall, writes romance novels under the name Selena Montgomery.

What about you authors? Do you have a pen name? Why? Or why not? How did you decide on a name?

Since we’re talking pen names, here’s some shameless promotion for Cara Marsi’s newest release, available for pre-order now.

WEDDED ON A DARE (LOVE ON A DARE BOOK 2)

When a struggling actress takes a role as the glamorous temporary wife of a wealthy playboy, she finds love doesn’t always come on cue.

Struggling actress Kate Carluccio showed up for her wedding but her groom bowed out without warning. He absconded not only with her heart, but also her parents’ life savings. Her confidence shaken, Kate’s determined to find a way to restore her parents’ money. Then she’s offered the role of a lifetime: step out of her colorful high-top sneakers and into the glammed-up role of socialite wife to a shallow, annoying playboy. If only Kate wasn’t also secretly attracted to him, the one-and-a-half million dollars he offers with his proposal of a marriage-of-convenience might be easier to accept.

Breathtakingly handsome, super rich, and sophisticated with a bad boy vibe, Zach Lyon is a tabloid favorite. He may be a vice-president at his father’s company, but up until now he’s just played a supporting role. But when he discovers two executives are conspiring to force his dad out and take over the company, Zach decides it’s time to step into the spotlight. What better way than to take a glamorous new wife to Las Vegas to spend the Christmas holiday at the home of one of the conspiring executives?

As the curtain rises on the eclectic house party, Kate and Zach play their roles against the backdrop of schemers and snobs, while hiding deep secrets of their own. Can Kate pretend to love Zach without revealing the true depth of her attraction? Can Zach prove to his father he has the stability to go from understudy to leading man? They may have wedded on a dare, but with the stage set for romance, their marriage-of-convenience might just turn into a marriage-to-last-a-lifetime.

The Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Wedded-Dare-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B07NLMJQKX/?tag=carmaraut-20

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130555268?ean=2940161257739

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wedded-on-a-dare