Pesky Pen Names

My state ID is not “Alexandra Sinclair.” I had to create Alexandra out of thin air because my real name is so common, it practically cancels itself out.

There are fifty-two other women with my exact name in Arizona alone. Four novelists and two reporters are already publishing under it — which makes me “Ms. Commonplace, the Sixth.” Not exactly a marketer’s dream.

So I did what any self-respecting writer with a case of name déjà vu would do: I fired up Google, ran some Amazon searches, and recruited my trusty ChatGPT assistant to brainstorm alternatives. Dozens of options were considered, tested, and rejected. (Grace Dunworthy? Too gothic. Ariadne Lincoln? Too dramatic.)

Eventually, “Alexandra Sinclair” surfaced — elegant, literary, memorable, and blessedly unclaimed.

Is it perfect? I hope so. Will it stick? Maybe, I'll have to wait and see.

In the meantime, you can call me Alexandra.

Or Linda.

I answer to both — especially if you’re offering tea and a good conversation.