About my name.

Last week there was a blog about: writers whose pennames sound like porn stars. For some unknown reason people find my name to be something along the lines of a porn star or hooker's handle. I don't know where I landed on the list because I didn't see it. A friend told me about it and I didn't have time to go looking for the blog.

Okay, so it's funny to me because there is an adult film star who shares my name. But here's a fact. Belladonna is my nickname. Everybody, and I mean everybody, calls me Belladonna or Bella.

My grandmother gave me the nickname when I was very young. She said, I was the most beautiful child but heaven help you if you get me going, because then I'm deadly. It is true that I have a bad temper, but normally I don't sweat the little things. So, I was like the deadly Night Shade in her opinion and everybody picked up on it.

Truly – easy enough to understand when it's explained.

My last name is even easier to explain. I married a man with the surname de Bourdeaux. Yep, that was his last name – de Bordeaux. Though the marriage didn't work out, I had already begun writing with my married name. I merely cleaned up his surname because I thought (obviously foolishly) de Bourdeaux sounded like a porn star.

I think some writers are stuck with this problem no matter what. I know Buffi BeCraft has it on her My Space page that Buffi BeCraft is her name.

Our parents, God love them, just never think – well, what if my child starts writing romance let alone erotic romance, will they then be called out for the name we gave them, or a nickname they picked up along the way?

Here's the down and dirty truth. If I used my given name plus my married name, I'd still sound like a porn star in some people's opinion. Come on – Brittany de Bourdeaux?

Still it was a good laugh. Thanks to Diana for telling me about it.

Best!

Bella