FAQ
Why are you writing romance under a pseudonym?
Primarily it’s for branding purposes. That way, if you find a book with my real name, Ann Aguirre, on it, you know it’s sci-fi or fantasy. If you pick up an Ava Gray book, you can be sure it’s romance.So how did you come up with your pen name?
I’m a big fan of old movies. Growing up, Ava Gardner was one of my favorite actresses. If you read about her life, you’ll see she lived one amazing adventure: from marrying Frank Sinatra to leaving him heartbroken to befriending Ernest Hemingway to taking a Spanish bullfighter as her lover. I mean, wow. Hollywood legend says that years after their divorce, when Frank heard Ava had died, he broke down and sobbed. She was the love of his life, and that’s the kind of glamour I wanted for these books. That’s where Ava comes from.Gray comes from Jean Grey of X-Men fame, because I’m a geek, and I love superheroes. But I spelled it Gray because that’s more common in the US.
So Ava (Gardner) + (Jean) Gray = Ava Gray.
The author of these novels is therefore a powerful, superheroic bombshell who leaves men devastated in her wake. Who wouldn’t want that for an alter ego?
Is this a series?
Not in the usual sense. The books do take place in a pervasive world, but they should stand alone, and it should be possible to read them out of order without being totally lost.Can you tell me a little about the background of the books?
They’re romantic suspense with paranormal elements, but the paranormal part comes from science, rather than nature or magic. These books are sexy, dark, edgy, and gritty. Meredith Duran said Linda Howard fans would enjoy them, and my editor, Cindy Hwang, compared SKIN GAME to Anne Stuart’s work, if that gives you any idea what to expect.
Email other FAQ questions to me. You can find more answers on my Ann Aguirre FAQ.