Ask what I do and who I do it for…

Hi, I’m Harleigh Rae, author of the blackest love stories.

 










































 

I’m a member of one of the most inspiring writing communities I’ve ever known, Writer’s Rowe. It’s ran by my writing and publishing coach, Mercy B. Carruthers. Every month we learn a new skill, and she challenges us to put into practice what she’s taught us. After all, what’s the point in taking to the time to learn if it’ll never be applied.

About three or four weeks ago, she asked a simple question; Who are you? In the writing realm, who are you? It may seem like a simple question. But the truth is, it’s never easy to tell someone who you are. At least not for me. Not because I’m not confident. not because I never know what to say; honestly I’m the opposite. I almost always know what to say, words are just my thing.

When she asked us that, I actually took a moment to reflect on the question. There was a little more to the question, as this was a part of a lesson she was teaching, but the core of the lesson was solely dependent on us knowing exactly who we were as a writer. And simply, I say the same thing I say every time I’m asked who I am. “I’m Harleigh Rae, author of the blackest love stories.” But, sometimes simple isn’t enough for people to really grasp who you are. Hell, sometimes, it isn’t enough for you to grasp who you are. As I started to answer that question, it got to the point where I had to will my fingers to stop gliding across my keyboard, because I did not want my fellow Rowe members to have to read a dissertation titled ‘Who Is Harleigh Rae?’

That’s when I realized just who the fuck I was. It came out of me with no effort. The words were on the screen before they were fully formed in my brain. That’s how I knew it was at the core of my existence. I always knew it was there. I always knew the true reason why I picked up a pen nearly twenty years ago was bigger than me. It was bigger than the escape writing gave me. It was bigger than the entertainment I supplied my friends with when i passed them my story notebook during that two minute transition time between classes. But as I write my books, that reason becomes clearer with every flick of my wrist.

So, I wanted to share that revelation here; on my corner of the web. Where people won’t have to wonder who I am. They won’t have to go full-on inspector gadget trying to find out about the girl behind the pen. I’m six books into my indie publishing career, and if you’ve been on this journey since Ezra and Noélle, you probably have already figure this out on your own. If you came on the scene with Reason and Teegan or Chase and Lennox, you’re getting the gist of it. But if Triumph and Simone were the way you came to know the name Harleigh Rae, this introduction serves as a great way to explain why that book started and ended how it did.

So, for the third time, whaddup! I'm Harleigh Rae, author of the blackest love stories where the heroes and heroines work hard and love even harder, proving that black love is real, black love is ours and black love always matters. My characters are regular, degular, black folk who have checkered pasts and humble ass second chances.

 










































 

My characters are written in a way where they can easily be anyway. They are carbon copies (in the physical description area) of black people because I want anyone to be able to plop themselves into my books. I don't ever want anyone to just read some words strung together on a bunch of pages and bound together with some super glue. I want them to fully immerse themselves; to experience the love with my character or as my characters. So, they are reassured that just like the beautiful ass, black ass, brilliant ass characters in my books, their beautiful, black, and brilliant asses are also capable of love, worthy of love and can have all the love there hearts can stand to receive if they take my characters’ queue and let love in. 

I honestly could go on for hours about all the love black people deserve, but either choose to pass up out of fear, insecurities or other hang ups. But that exactly what each one of my books does. They are affirmations written in long-form, to show black people just how much love is out there waiting for them to claim it as their own. Black people, black success, black excellence and most importantly black love is really that fucking important to me.

It is especially important to me that people like me know that love is ours too. Black people who are from the ghetto, raised by the hood(est) of men and the strongest of women. Black people hardened by life, sometimes momentarily crippled by our circumstances, and beat down by all the systemic modes of oppression. Black people who go through all that and STILL manage to find a way to love with all our fucking hearts and getting that shit back in return. It's beautiful and NEEDS to be recounted and distributed to the edges of the earth.

Sure, I could show flowery black romance, where prince charming is colored with the dark shades of the Lakeshore ‘People Colors’ crayons that I used in grade school and saves princess shy from her sheltered life, but that’s not the reality for me or any of the people who I want to pick up my books and be encouraged to give love an honest try. So, the storylines are full of the real-life problems and daily struggles we face every day being black in a world where black is seen as next to nothing; yet in reality is the culmination of human existence. But when filtered down, only black love remains.

So, there you have it, who I am, what I do and who I do it for. For the last time, I’m Harleigh Rae, author of the blackest love stories about heroes and heroines who work hard and love even harder. Always remember:

Black love is real.
Black love is ours.
Black love always matters.