Many authors use a pseudonym or pen name for a variety of reasons, much as singers and actors prefer to use a stage name. Perhaps they have a long complicated name and want something easy to remember for their potential new audience. Sometimes they prefer something catchy that fits with their specialty genre. For some it is simply a safety or security issue to minimize the potential of lurking, obsessive fans.

Whatever the reason, it is fun to discover who is using a pen name and their real name. Trussel.com maintains a database of 11,632 entries and growing. It includes 4,182 'real' + 7,450 'pseudo' so if you are curious about your favorite author, look them up here. You may be surprised by what you find!