By Suzanne Stone
sstone@aikenstandard.com
Bestselling author Zane will bring her spicy new release "Z-Rated" to a book signing next weekend at Books-A-Million.
The author, whose urban erotica genre began as an Internet fandom before jumping to print and from there to the New York Times' bestseller lists, will be at the Aiken Mall bookstore at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8.
She will be signing copies of her new book "Z-Rated: Chocolate Flava III," released this week in paperback with a cover price of $16; the previous entry in the series spent six weeks on the Times' bestseller list.
Zane began writing her erotica for online audiences in 1997 and self-published her first book in print "Sex Chronicle: Shattering the Myth" in May 2000.
"I actually had several publishing offers, but I turned them down and decided to self-publish. The publishers all thought I was a really good writer, but they wanted me to change my writing style - to tone it down, make it a little more like books they already had out," she said in an interview with the Aiken Standard.
"It wasn't my vision. If I can't do it the way I envision it, I don't want to do it."
The publishing houses changed their tune after the Times ran an article on her second book, "Addicted," released in late 2000, terming it "the hottest book nobody could find," Zane recalled. Simon & Schuster offered her a deal for 15 books to be worked on over a 12-month period.
"I came in like gangbusters and laid out my plan to put out all these books. I was looking for a publisher that understood I was going to put out several books a year and let me do what I want," she said. "They have been wonderful and have let me do an imprint; I publish three to six original titles a month by other authors, and I've now published over 90 authors."
Zane has just completed a new work, a short e-book called "Everything Fades Away" which will be released around Thanksgiving. She also has three new novels under way at different stages of completion, all set for 2013 release dates.
Her work has also become the inspiration for a TV series currently airing on Cinemax, "Zane Sex Chronicles," and the premium cable network is developing a second series, "Zane's The Jump Off," which will debut in early 2013.
"The first series is based on my life; I led a double life because nobody in my real life knew I was the Internet writer Zane. It's based on myself and my female friends. The second series is based around men; it's about five men who were fraternity brothers in Miami, Fla., who are in their early- to mid-30s. Two of them are single, one is divorced, one is separated and one is happily married, and it's about their relationships," said Zane.
Copies of "Sex Chronicles," "Addicted," her third book "Shame On It All," the "Z-Rated" series and the Zane imprint titles are available at Books-A-Million. For more information about the book signing or to reserve copies, call the bookstore at 642-0135.
Suzanne Stone is a general assignment reporter at the Aiken Standard. She is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design and studied communications at Augusta State University. She is a native of Augusta.
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Bestselling author Zane will bring her spicy new release "Z-Rated" to a book signing next weekend at Books-A-Million.
The author, whose urban erotica genre began as an Internet fandom before jumping to print and from there to the New York Times' bestseller lists, will be at the Aiken Mall bookstore at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 8.
She will be signing copies of her new book "Z-Rated: Chocolate Flava III," released this week in paperback with a cover price of $16; the previous entry in the series spent six weeks on the Times' bestseller list.
Zane began writing her erotica for online audiences in 1997 and self-published her first book in print "Sex Chronicle: Shattering the Myth" in May 2000.
"I actually had several publishing offers, but I turned them down and decided to self-publish. The publishers all thought I was a really good writer, but they wanted me to change my writing style - to tone it down, make it a little more like books they already had out," she said in an interview with the Aiken Standard.
"It wasn't my vision. If I can't do it the way I envision it, I don't want to do it."
The publishing houses changed their tune after the Times ran an article on her second book, "Addicted," released in late 2000, terming it "the hottest book nobody could find," Zane recalled. Simon & Schuster offered her a deal for 15 books to be worked on over a 12-month period.
"I came in like gangbusters and laid out my plan to put out all these books. I was looking for a publisher that understood I was going to put out several books a year and let me do what I want," she said. "They have been wonderful and have let me do an imprint; I publish three to six original titles a month by other authors, and I've now published over 90 authors."
Zane has just completed a new work, a short e-book called "Everything Fades Away" which will be released around Thanksgiving. She also has three new novels under way at different stages of completion, all set for 2013 release dates.
Her work has also become the inspiration for a TV series currently airing on Cinemax, "Zane Sex Chronicles," and the premium cable network is developing a second series, "Zane's The Jump Off," which will debut in early 2013.
"The first series is based on my life; I led a double life because nobody in my real life knew I was the Internet writer Zane. It's based on myself and my female friends. The second series is based around men; it's about five men who were fraternity brothers in Miami, Fla., who are in their early- to mid-30s. Two of them are single, one is divorced, one is separated and one is happily married, and it's about their relationships," said Zane.
Copies of "Sex Chronicles," "Addicted," her third book "Shame On It All," the "Z-Rated" series and the Zane imprint titles are available at Books-A-Million. For more information about the book signing or to reserve copies, call the bookstore at 642-0135.
Suzanne Stone is a general assignment reporter at the Aiken Standard. She is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design and studied communications at Augusta State University. She is a native of Augusta.