Writing On A Whim, Single Mom Finds A Niche

The News & Observer:

It was a November night and her two kids were in bed. The single, 30-something mom was bored.

At her home in Kannapolis, the computer beckoned. On an impulse, she started typing and let her imagination run wild.

She called the steamy story “First Night” and e-mailed it to friends. Who e-mailed it to their friends. Who e-mailed it to others.

Who asked for more.

Under the cloak of a pen name, “Zane,” she began writing several stories a day, then novels.

Today, 10 years later, Zane has more than 2.7 million copies of her books in print in the United States. She regularly hits best-seller lists. One news story credited her with introducing a new genre of fiction: “post-feminist African-American erotica.”

Her books are edgy, with sexually explicit language. But Zane insists they open important conversations about taboo topics.