Tay Mo'Nae on Urban, Contemporary, and Dark Romance: Writing Across Black Romance Genres

Are you a fan of Black romance across multiple genres, from cozy contemporary to spicy dark romance? This week on We Read Smut, I'm joined by author Tay Mo'Nae to discuss her unique journey writing across urban romance, dark romance, and contemporary romance. We dive into what gives her books that signature "Tay Mo'Nae feel," why she writes unlikable, hyper-independent female characters, and what makes her book Hear My Heart (featuring a deaf heroine) so special.Tay Mo’Nae is a 30-year-old urban romance author who loves writing about black love. She fell in love with reading in the fifth grade and grew a love for writing her freshmen year of high school. Since then she’s written a plethora of unpublished short stories, until 2017 when she published her first novel. With five years of writing under her belt, Tay Mo’Nae has published over 70 books with more in the chamber. With her books, she wants to create movies in her reader’s minds and gain a new reader with each release. She enjoys writing about complicated characters who grow through the pages to find their HEA. When she’s not writing she’s binge-watching anime, baking, reading, & being a dog mom. Key TakeawaysTay Mo'Nae shares the surprising challenge of switching mindsets between dark romance (binging true crime and thrillers) and lighter contemporary romance, and why she releases them alternatingly to satisfy her core readers.Tay Mo'Nae purposefully writes hyper-independent, headstrong, and sometimes "bratty" female main characters who are often unfairly criticized by readers. She sees this as a reflection of real-life women who fight for what they want.Learn about the inspiration behind her popular book, Hear My Heart, which features an almost entirely deaf female main character who deserves a hero who is willing to do the work.Tay Mo'Nae shares how her personal lack of a close "Sex and the City" style friend group influences her books, ensuring her characters always have a strong, supportive network of found family or close connections.Ready to experience the signature "Tay Mo'Nae feel" for yourself? Tay Mo'Nae provided a quick start guide for each genre:Urban Romance: Start with Tattoo My Name on Your Heart or Drunk in Love.Dark Romance: Start with Captured Beauty.Contemporary Romance: Start with Hear My Heart or The Sweet Spot.Go find Tay Mo'Nae on social media at @_authortaymonae and tell her which book you're starting with!WebsiteAmazonSupport the showJoin the Paid Substack Community Want early access to next week's episode, entry into our private Discord server, two monthly virtual silent book clubs, and a free monthly e-book? Head over to our Substack and join the paid community to get closer to the text and support this sponsor-free show. Connect with Alesia:StorygraphInstagramThis podcast was produced by Galati Media.Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.