A reader asked if my name was a combination of characters on a TV show. For those who are curious, here's the reply I sent her. (Because, yes, I do try to answer questions if I know the answer.)
"Okay, here's
the skinny on my name. It is short and simple and plain and I never gave it
much thought, but when I wrote a Regency romance for Dell many years ago my
agent phoned to say they were happy with the manuscript but needed a romantic
name for the author. Huh. I had never thought of myself or my name as
unromantic. But I put together a list of family names and they liked the Phoebe
and Matthews combination. And I thought that was the end. No. at about that
time I had a book coming out with Avon so the next phone call was from the
agent saying Avon wanted to know if the Phoebe name belonged to me or to
Dell. When told it belonged to me, they wanted to use it and did so for several
more books of mine and it was the thin edge of the wedge. Now it is the only
name I use professionally and even friends and family sometimes call me
Phoebe.