Zane (born 1966/1967) is the pseudonym of Kristina Laferne Roberts, author of
erotic fiction
Erotic literature comprises fictional and factual stories and accounts of eros (passionate, romantic or sexual relationships) intended to arouse similar feelings in readers. This contrasts erotica, which focuses more specifically on sexual feelin ...
novels. She is best known for her novel ''Addicted''.
Biography
Kristina Laferne Roberts grew up in Washington DC and Silver Spring Maryland with her brother Deotis, and her two sisters Charmaine Roberts and Carlita Roberts. Her father
J. Deotis Roberts
James Deotis Roberts (July 12, 1927July 26, 2022) was an American theologian, and a pioneering figure in the black theology movement.
Biography
Born in Spindale, North Carolina, Roberts earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Johnson C. Smith U ...
, was an influential theologian and author, and her mother Elizabeth Caldwell Roberts was an elementary school teacher. Roberts attended
Spelman College
Spelman College is a private, historically black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman re ...
in Atlanta for one year, then moved
Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...
to major in chemical engineering.
In 1997, Zane began writing erotic stories to pass the time after her children went to bed. She was living in
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
and working as a sales representative. The stories developed a following on the Internet and she self-published ''The Sex Chronicles'' before landing a deal with
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...
.
Her work was the basis for the
Cinemax
Cinemax is an American pay television, cable, and satellite television network owned by the Home Box Office, Inc. subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Developed as a companion "maxi-pay" service complementing the offerings shown on parent net ...
program ''
Zane's Sex Chronicles
''Zane's Sex Chronicles'' is an American television series based on the urban erotica novels written by Zane. The series follows the friendships and relationship of five female friends who enjoy the steamy stories of erotic writer Zane. The serie ...
''. A subsequent project, ''
Zane's The Jump Off
''Zane's The Jump Off'' is an American television series on the Cinemax network, created by Zane. The series follows the lives of five successful African American men from all sorts of backgrounds as it tells the stories of their everyday lives. ...
'', premiered March 29, 2013, on Cinemax.
Zane is the publisher of Strebor Books/ Atria Books/Simon and Schuster where she publishes 36–60 books a year by other authors.
The first feature film based on one of her works, '' Addicted'', was released by
Lionsgate
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...
on October 10, 2014.
In 2014, she was cited by
Comptroller of Maryland
The Comptroller of the State of Maryland is Maryland's chief financial officer, elected by the people to a four-year term. The Comptroller is not term-limited. The office was established by the second Maryland Constitution of 1851 due to concern ...
Peter Franchot
Peter Van Rensselaer Franchot (born November 25, 1947) is an American politician who is the 33rd Comptroller of Maryland. A member of the Democratic Party, Franchot served for 20 years in the Maryland House of Delegates representing Takoma Park ...
as one of Maryland's top tax cheats, owing the state $340,833.58.
On June 11, 2014, Zane filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Maryland, claiming total liabilities of more than $3.4 million.
Her work is mentioned in sociologist Shayne Lee's book ''Erotic Revolutionaries: Black Women, Sexuality, and Popular Culture''. In it, Lee discusses Zane's work as an example of "urban erotica
hat helps
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
create safe spaces for black female characters to explore lust and embark upon sexual experimentation."
Bibliography
Zane's publications include:"Zane Book List." CHUH Library – Home. Web. September 13, 2010. http://heightslibrary.org
*''The Sex Chronicles: Shattering the Myth''
*''Addicted''
*''Shame On It All''
*''Gettin’ Buck Wild: Sex Chronicles II''
*''The Heat Seekers''
*''Nervous''
*''The Sisters of APF''
*''Skyscraper''
*''Afterburn''
*''Dear G-Spot: Straight Talk about Sex and Love''
*''Zane’s Sex Chronicles''
*''Head Bangers: An APF Sexcapade''
*''Total Eclipse of the Heart''
*''Love Is Never Painless''
*''Flava Series: Honey Flava, Caramel Flava, Chocolate Flava''
*''Purple Panties''
*''Missionary No More''
*''The Hot Box''
*''Vengeance''
*''The Other Side of the Pillow'' (2018)