Ash Raven on Monster Romance, Sci-fi Romance, and All the Tropes

Are you ready to take your monster romance and sci-fi romance reading to another level? This week on We Read Smut, we're joined by Ash Raven to talk about their unique author journey, their books, and why writing an eclectic variety of representation is so important to them. Ash and I dive into our shared hot takes on certain romance tropes and why we need more child-free and diverse characters in the genre.Ash Raven is an indie author who specialises in spicy monster and alien romances that focus on plus-size and LGBTQ+ leads who get the love of a lifetime. In this episode, we're discussing:The Problem with Second Chance Romance: Ash explains why they can't read this trope, believing that if a couple is meant to be together, they shouldn't break up. They also discuss why groveling needs to be paired with active growth from the main character.Why We Need Child-Free Romance: Ash and I discuss the importance of having more child-free characters in romance, particularly in sci-fi and paranormal subgenres, to offer a different kind of fantasy for readers.Diverse and Eclectic Representation: Ash shares how their experience living in London pushed them to be more intentional about writing and reading books that feature characters of all sizes, races, and sexualities.Ash's books are a fantastic escape into worlds that are both wonderfully strange and filled with diverse representation. We loved diving into these conversations about tropes and writing. Be sure to check out Ash's books on Amazon and follow them on social media at @authorashraven!CONNECT WITH ASH RAVEN:WebsiteBOOKS/AUTHORS MENTIONED:Books by Ash Raven (Amazon)Running list of books mentioned (Doc)Support the showJoin the After Dark Substack CommunityConnect with Alesia:StorygraphInstagramThis podcast was produced by Galati Media.Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.