written by Palak Patel
Before there was Fifty Shades of Grey and E. L. James, there was Zane, the author, contributor, and editor of over twenty novels. Her books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies, causing her to remain a constant member of the Bestseller Lists across the country. Zane started out as a sales representative and made the slow transition to novelist during her free time, penning erotic stories that developed a strong following online. She made the move to self-publish The Sex Chronicles and was offered a deal with Simon & Schuster soon after.
While she is most widely known as an erotic novelist, Zane doesn’t necessarily think of herself as one. “While I respond to the term of ‘erotic novelist,’ it still seems kind of comedic to me,” stated Zane. “I never decided to be an erotic novelist because I had never read any erotic. I write about life and refuse to tone down the sensual elements of it.” Zane made it her job to never downgrade any part of life and life’s experiences in her writing.
It is surprising to hear that Zane takes her inspiration from her own life: “I see something optimal in every situation, no matter how negative. We all live and learn from experiences and part of the beauty in life is the differences between individuals and cultures; I embrace those differences instead of fearing them.”
During her writing career, Zane soon found herself working as a publisher under Simon & Schuster. She then made moves to becoming a scriptwriter and executive producer. “It was always a natural progression to go from the page to the screen,” stated Zane. “I decided it pretty much from the beginning and could have done it much sooner. It was not a hard transition at all, but it is completely different.” The transition offered up many new opportunities for Zane.
Her career has been prolific, but Zane has had to deal with her own share of obstacles and has had to learn from her own mistakes. “Rolling with the punches,” she stated. “I mean dealing with circumstances beyond my scope or control. An entrepreneur has to be able to remain calm under panic, refrain from getting too stressed out, and keep an even balance between their workload and their personal life.” It is important to Zane to be able to maintain balance.
Through all of the tough times, Zane knows she can always look to her role models for comfort. “My parents always have been and always will be,” she said. “They are the epitome of balancing personal and professional lives, raising a family, having great morals, work ethics, and everything in between.” Zane likes to keep these things in mind while she goes about her daily life; it is the best way for her to stay grounded.
