What do you do when your corporate job feels like a dead end during a global pandemic? You bet on yourself. This week on We Read Smut, Alesia sits down with Deanna Grey, the author of Outdrawn and the Mendell Hawks series, to discuss her leap from a terrible office job to becoming a successful indie author. We dive into why she focuses on the New Adult genre, her journey from writing MF pairings to Sapphic romance, and how she managed to make Alesia actually enjoy an amnesia trope.

Deanna Grey is a new adult romance author who is a huge fan of yearning, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and finding hiking trails that don't make her feel like she has to watch her back. All her books feature plenty of pining, a bit of spice, and happily-ever-afters. 

In this episode, we're discussing:

• The Leap of Faith: Deanna shares how she saved a year’s worth of funds to quit her job and learn the ropes of self-publishing during the pandemic.
• Market Trends vs. Creative Voice: How Deanna started with market-researched small-town novellas before finding her true voice in New Adult and Sapphic romance.
• Flipping the Script on Tropes: A look at Sunny Disposition and how placing the amnesia trope at the beginning of the story created a delicious slow-burn experience.
• New Adult Representation: Why Deanna is dedicated to creating college-age stories for Black girls who are no longer kids but aren't yet fully adults.
• Therapizing Through Writing: How Deanna uses her characters to explore personal experiences, including oldest daughter syndrome and the pressures of being a breadwinner.

CONNECT WITH Deanna Grey:

Signed Copies: Scribbles Book Shop and Daylit Tales

Instagram

BOOKS/AUTHORS MENTIONED:

Outdrawn (Amazon)

Mendell Hawks Hockey Series (Amazon)

They Wouldn’t Dare (Amazon)

The Case of Elmwood Ranch (Amazon)

Thank you for listening to the We Read Smut Podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag @WeReadSmut. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast.

Connect with Alesia:
Storygraph

This podcast was produced by Galati Media.
Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.