ADDICTED by Zane

For successful African-American businesswoman Zoe Reynard, finding the pleasure she wants, they way she wants it, is not worth the risk of losing everything she has: marriage to the man she has loved since childhood, a thriving company, three wonderful children. But Zoe feels helpless in the grip of an overpowering addiction…to sex.

Finding a compassionate woman therapist to help her, Zoe finally summons the courage to tell her torrid story, a tale of guilt and desire as shocking as it is compelling. From the sensitive artist with whom she spends stolen hours on rumpled sheets to the rough and violent man who draws her toward destruction, Zoe is a woman desperately searching for fulfillment—and something darker, deeper, and perhaps deadly. As her life spins out of control and her sexual escapades carry her toward a dangerous choice, Zoe is racing against time to uncover the source of her “fatal attraction”—as chilling secrets tumble forth from the recesses of a woman’s mind, and perilous temptations lead toward a climax that can threaten her sanity, her marriage…and her life.

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THE HEAT SEEKERS by Zane

They’re sisters of the soul, two girlfriends hitting the clubs in search of that oh-so-rare commodity: straight, single guys. Tempest sports a modest suit, while Janessa runs wild in a skintight minidress—but they both want the same thing: the heat, the passion, the spark to ignite the sensual fires inside. It takes time and patience to find such a special lover. But somewhere among the freaks and fruitcakes, they know there’s a match for each of them.

The last thing Geren wants is a relationship—most women can’t see past his money and his good looks. His best friend Dvonte is a player, with sex—and definitely not commitment—on his mind. But when Dvonte talks Geren into going clubbing, fate leads them to Tempest and Janessa. Attractions flare, connections are made, lives are changed—and secrets come to light. Together, they are the heat seekers, four daring hearts willing to play with fire—and take the risk of getting burned….

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AFTERBURN by Zane

When Washington D.C., chiropractor Yardley Brown goes to his local bank, it isn’t only to make a deposit into his account. He has long since accrued some interest in Rayne Waters, a bank employee who’s too beautiful to be true – and too beautiful to be single. At least that’s what Yardley believes, which is why he has never approached her.

Little does he know that Rayne is anything but taken. Not for want of trying, of course. But after barely surviving a dating disaster with her hairdresser’s brother and then falling for a member of her church band, she’s on the verge of giving up. That is until Yardley – discouraged by his own slew of dead-end romances – finally works up the courage to give her a try.

The true craziness, however, is just beginning, thanks to a cast of characters who seem bent on botching the young couple’s relationship. There’s Rayne’s erratic mother; Yardley’s playboy buddies, always trolling for sex; and, worst of all, past lovers who make a habit of popping up and ruining things as only old flames (or previous mistakes) can. Weaving the carnal and the comical in true Zane fashion, Rayne and Yardley’s struggle to find love in a world gone mad is a timeless talk about everything that can go wrong in the dating game – and a few things that can go right.

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Zane talks about Dear G-Spot on YouTube

Zane’s Interview in the Wall Street Journal

Excerpt from Zane (It’s a Pseudonym) on the Art Of Writing, Publishing Spicy Fiction
By JEFFREY A. TRACHTENBERG
July 21, 2007

Zane, 40 years old, first used her pseudonym a decade ago in an online chat room, choosing it because it was short and easy to remember. She has since written six novels with such titles as “Shame on It All: A Novel” and “Addicted,” and edited several erotica anthologies. One of her novels, “Afterburn,” published in 2005, hit the New York Times best-seller list.

There’s little question that readers are increasing interested in spicy fare. In 2006, the industry offered 1,553 erotic titles, up from 136 in 1997, according to R.R. Bowker’s Books in Print database. “The erotica category has really come into its own over the past four years,” says Michael Norris, a senior analyst at Simba Information in Stamford, Conn.

“When women’s fiction publishers started diversifying their offerings, they noticed that the sexiest stories were being snapped up faster and faster.” As a result, such publishers as Kensington, Harlequin and Avon began to offer steamier works, he adds.

Zane has also made her mark as a businesswoman, launching Strebor Books, a diverse line of minority authors, in 1999. She eventually struck a joint venture with Atria Books in 2005, but she continues as publisher.

The Wall Street Journal Online: What accounts for the growing interest in erotica these days? It seems that every major publisher is trying to launch or build such brands.

Zane: Sales. It’s the money. They are trying to cater to a market that they didn’t realize was huge. I haven’t read every book, but a lot of them are missing the market. I also deal with social issues. I use sex as a means to explore deeper issues. A lot of erotica books are just hot sex scenes. Then publishers are disappointed when they don’t sell. I don’t publish stories without a story line, even with short stories.

WSJ.com: What is the difference between literary pornography and erotica, and do readers make such distinctions today?

Zane: Some probably don’t care, but most probably do. Pornography to me is when two people enter a room, have sex, and that’s the story. Erotica is a storyline with real characters that people can relate to, stories in which characters have motives. Most of my stories could be written without the sex scenes and they would still be stories. To me the sex scenes are the least important part of a book. It’s the story that really counts.

WSJ.com: What do you look for as a publisher?

Zane: I publish controversial books about controversial issues. For example, this September we’re publishing “Do Me Twice: My Life After Islam” by Sonsyrea Tate. It’s about her experiences as a member of the Nation of Islam. We’re also publishing Rodney Lofton’s “The Day I Stopped Being Pretty,” a candid, graphic memoir about being HIV positive. David Valentine Bernard’s literary novel, “Intimate Relations with Strangers,” just got a starred review in Publishers Weekly. I know what I want when I see it. And I don’t only look for a specific book. I look for authors who will promote their work, be enthusiastic about their work and who are willing to support the other writers we publish. They have to do signings together, and support each other.

WSJ.com: In recent years so-called “street lit,” urban-flavored crime fiction, has gotten plenty of attention. Is it still hot?

Zane: I think it’s cooling off. There are lessons being learned. It’s not enough now to have somebody walking off with $1 million at the end of the book. The stories are important, and it’s great that people like them, but ultimately there will be a lot of one-hit wonders. Only a few will stand the test of time.

WSJ.com: Can such writers hit the best-seller lists if they can’t attract white readers?

Zane: It’s very difficult. You need a good story.

WSJ.com: Will cover art become more race neutral if publishers try to broaden their reach, or would this dampen interest from black readers?

Zane: A good story will find readers. If there is a compelling story or memoir, it doesn’t have to be about a black person for me to want to read it. And it won’t matter to people who love to read. But I don’t think the covers will become race neutral.

WSJ.com: What prompted you to write a sexual advice book?

Zane: I’ve gotten thousands of emails over the years, and it made me realize people are confused about relationships and sexuality. For me, this is a way to show people why I do what I do. The main reason relationships fail is because of a lack of communication. I’m also trying to keep readers entertained.

WSJ.com: What subject is raised most frequently, and how do you respond?

Zane: I get at least 20 to 30 emails a week from women asking how to take control during a sexual situation. They’re scared. In our society, women are considered vessels for men’s pleasure. That’s why the main sexual position is called the missionary position: we’re missionaries. Women who aren’t sexually satisfied need to take a stand.

WSJ.com: There’s a line between providing advice and writing steamy books. Do you worry that your advice may have unintended consequences?

Zane: I try to be very careful, especially with advice to young women. Hopefully it won’t have bad consequences. I’m candid, but I’m also responsible.

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118468734641069005.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Zane recently published a nonfiction sex advice book called Dear G Spot.