Name: V.B. Emanuele, Author
Genre: Dark Erotic Romance & Paranormal Romance
Publishing Type: Self- however, I actually opened my own publishing and editing company.
Publisher: Cerulean Publishing
Latest Book: Hollywood Comes Home (Club Euphoria Novels #2)
Upcoming Book: War Within (Italian Billionaire Series #1) and Rovati Family (#2) They will be released back to back.
Many writers chose a pen name or a nom de plume if you want to sound fancy, for various reasons. One reason is that they write in more than one genre.
The first author I can remember learning about who used a pen name was Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain. To me, it seemed like calling himself by another name was like being one of his characters come to life.
I’m still interested to know why authors choose to use pen names and how they come up with them. I interviewed author, V.B. Emanuele about writing in multiple genres and why she uses pen names.
Jennifer Franz Griffith: In what genres do you write?
V.B. Emanuele: As V.B. Emanuele, I write Dark Erotic Romance. A lot of Mafia vibes. Very heavy plots with lots of spice!
I have an alter ego named Naomi Russo. Under that name, I write YA/New Adult Paranormal Romance / Fantasy. I have not published under this name yet, but I do have a book that has been in the works for a couple of years. Finding the time when the VBE name is so busy, is the tough part.
JFG: Do you use pen names? Why or why not?
V.B.: I do. My real last name is Emanuele. But I use pen names to protect my family and my privacy. When I started writing, I did not know how far my career would go. I always felt, no matter what, I had a form of normalcy in my life when I needed it. You just also never know who has ill intentions. I think it falls under bringing work home with you. At the end of the day, I’m just a mom who wants to say goodnight to my characters (co-workers) then see them in the office again the next day. Haha
JFG: How did you decide on your pen names?
V.B.: From 2017-2019, I wrote for a “choice” based, visual story app. I was trying to decide on a nickname/username for the app. I chose “VioletBlue”. My V.B. Emanuele pen name is a nod to those days. I left the app entirely to write novels full-time. To pay tribute to my past and the readers who still follow my work to this day, I shortened it from VioletBlue to V.B.
Naomi means pleasant and was the name of a stuffed animal I had as a child. Russo is a nod to my southern Italian roots and the last name of someone close to me.
JFG: Why did you decide to write in multiple genres instead of just sticking to one?
V.B.: There is no easy answer to this. To simplify it, I write what I am inspired by, and both inspire me in different ways. Also, I have an obsession with vampires. I can’t wait to show the world my crazy YA/New Adult projects too. 2022 maybe!
JFG: Do you have a favorite genre to write?
V.B.: Hmmm, I think Dark Erotic Romance. It just seems to come so easily. Not sure if that’s a good thing. Haha
JFG: Anything else you would like to share?
V.B.: I think everyone will either love or hate the next series. It’s very deep and plot-driven, with many twists and turns. It shows the good, bad, and ugly sides of the mob. The muse who inspired Don Giovanni Rovati, so graciously agreed to be my cover model for the books. He is incredible!
You can find V.B. here:
Website (She is also an editor and proofreader as well.)
V.B. Emanuele’s books can all be found on Barnes & Noble or Amazon and read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited.