I may be taking a risk posting this. But this is my blog, and I like to use it to express myself when I need to.
NOTE: This is about my Mafia romance series … It is not meant to offend anyone.
*Picks up microphone with a sigh and an eye roll*
Ugh! I’m sorry guys. I know it’s been a long time since I wrote a blog, and I definitely didn’t want this to be my comeback one, but here we are. Time for me to share another author experience 🙂
*claps* I’ma ’bout to rant (in my Kevin Hart voice).
I usually don’t let negative comments about my books get to me. I like to see what readers think, what they want to see in the next installments, ’cause I care.
Well, surprise-surprise one comment got to me. Not because it was critical. But because, yet again, a reader had a problem with the heroine’s race.
BACK STORY:
I believe it was last year, or a couple years ago, I was hit with some messages on my website from a reader pleading with me to stop making the female lead characters in my mafia romance series black women. Having these leads as black women seemed to mess up the experience for the person. Of course this person was backed up by another hater (yeah I said it) that found the idea of a black woman and an Italian man being in a romantic relationship laughable. (Which is ridiculous, seeing as such couples actually exist.)
I was annoyed.
But I let it go. Rolling my eyes and moving on because I’d just had surgery that same day.
THE PRESENT:
Well, now the fifth book of the Dangerous Beauty Series is out. And yes, yet again the main female role was given to a black woman.
I guess the thought is that I didn’t do enough research to make the mafia experience real enough for the reader. And hear me now, that is not the case.
THE TRUTH:
I DID research the Italian-American mafia before writing Dangerous Beauty one, but after getting the basics of it, I stopped and let my imagination create a world that is FAR different than the one we live in.
Why did I do that?
For those that may not have noticed, in the book, right in the beginning before the story starts there is a sentence that warns that the ride that you are about to embark on is one of FICTION.
It’s not real. The story comes from the imagination of the author that is putting pen to paper. This means I’m not writing a book about the ACTUAL Italian-American mafia. I’m doing what all fiction romance authors do. I’m taking something from the world that has the potential to be entertaining and molding it, shaping it, enhancing it for the purposes of entertainment and sparking a fantasy. I exaggerate the reality of it.
FANTASY.
Let me ask something. Does one truly believe the Real World Mafia life is as sinfully sexy as it is in a romance book? Do you really think the Men are as freaking hot as they are in a romance book? That it’s truly that sexy to be married to a man that can take another human beings life in cold blood?
In my opinion, the only person that can make a cold blooded killer sexy to an otherwise sane human being is a romance author (or a screenwriter) that knows wtf he/she is doing. That has an active imagination and doesn’t mind pushing reality out the window and creating a world where gorgeous serial killers have the ability to fall in love. To be tender and sweet, and fierce, and possessive.
In a good way!
I am an Interracial romance author and my female leads are predominantly Black women. I place beautiful black females into different worlds and roles because I’ve always wanted to see how a woman that looks like me would thrive in it.
I don’t write it because I developed an actual desire to be romantic with a Made man. I haven’t. I’m 100% sure that the men I’ve created (or the men I’ve read in other Mafia romance stories) are more appealing then anything real life has to offer.
I was attracted to the fantasy. To the brooding, tortured, clinically insane fictional bad boy.
*shrugs*
Black women.
After reading some Mafia romance novels, I imagined what it would be like if we were married to a man in a fictional version of the mafia. I imagined what it would be like if a French Mafia boss’s heir was his black daughter. I imagined what it would be like if a black female assassin from a secret society of elite assassins fell in love with a New York crime boss. I imagined what it would be like if a black hit-man had a daughter and she fell in love with a mafia boss’s son.
So, I created a world where all this could happen! And I made sure to sprinkle some sexy on it.
I wasn’t going for totally realistic when writing this mafia series. As a fiction mafia romance writer, it is my PERSONAL belief that it’s my job to help the readers escape from reality because reality sucks a lot of the time. And entertain them with my wild imagination. Does everybody like it? No. And that’s cool. And yes, I know that some romance readers may like it when a romance is more on the real side. That’s okay too! Because there are books out there that will give you that.
But, In my opinion, if you’re looking for real and less fantasy Mafia romance ain’t it. And I believe that whether the heroine is black, white, blue, or purple. It’s ALL enhanced by the authors imagination for the purposes of creating a fantasy, entertaining, and maybe inducing adrenaline for action romance junkies (like myself), while giving them a couple to root for, and a sexy alpha to fall for. We create these characters that have human sides and embrace love, romance, and family. But rarely, if ever, are there any Mafia romance authors who have personal contact with Made men and that mafia life. It’s our job to make it sexy because I’m pretty sure (and this is based off my research), the REAL mafia life … is not.
And this is just my opinion.
*drops mic and walks off stage*
Love you guys! Thanks for reading.
P.S. I have another Mafia Romance book coming that took even more research to prepare for. I read a book, and my creative mind just went crazy with fun possibilities that I just must explore because I have the freedom to do that.
And yes…. The heroine is black. *wink*
Michelle Hardin 
I Loved DB5!!!! Lucca with his crazy and Davina with hers is a exciting match…I admit I wanted to see Lucca a little more crazy because of his temper …. he was kind of calmer than I expected….but that is growth… I cant wait to read DB6 and Angelo and Sya’s stories
I love your books.!Your mind &world if someone doesn’t like it you have other options !Please keep on writing!
Completely agree with everything you said!! You create a wonderfully imaginative, colorful, sexy, fictional world for the reader. I appreciate every time I’m transported to a different place by the books you write and love, love, love that you feature black heroines in these stories. I love reading about characters that look like me so please continue to write your stories just the way you want. 🙂
I totally agree with you Michelle I love your writing keep doing what you do and forget about the haters. It’s not unrealistic that a black women could be and do all the things you write about.
Hi Michelle, we love what you’re doing. Its all about fantasy and a trip away from the doldrums od every day life. Will you continue with the Dangerous Beauty series? And if so, whose story do you think you will give us? Do you think you will give us Gabriel’s and Dante’s story in the series?
Iam absolutely inlove with your writing,to read about a hot woman with the same skin tone as me in a leading role is for me awesome! Seeing as a ton of books is written bt white people with white characters i cannot identify with,interracial authors with incredible talent like yours are really needed and appreciated! Can’t wait for your next one!
Standing Ovation to you Michelle, loved your speech (clap back) , Taylor Swift said haters gonna hate , keep bringing us into YOUR creative mind , and fuck the haters. Sent from my iPad
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If the bitch didn’t want the heroine to be black, she should’ve chosen a different author , there are many on Amazon.
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Can’t wait to see what’s next from you sis.
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Also to be quite honest if your heroine were white , I wouldn’t have been reading it , cause I’m black and proud.
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Thank you for not stopping your books on interracial BWWM. Thank you not falling to the pressure to change. Can’t we as black women fantasize too. I’m sick of books being okay if the black woman is a gold digger or stripper and getting beat by her pimp. Keep doing what you do best How shocking the hell out of them and write BWAM mafia theme?
BWAM mafia theme? Hell yes! You’re just as much of a trouble maker as I am. I love it!! ❤
Thank you for your imagination and your “predilection” for writing and starring Black women as main love interests, or characters in your works of fiction! Personally, I love it and truthfully if it weren’t the case, I most likely would not be the fan of your work that I am, as I specifically search for stories of Black women as main characters since that is my interest. Please continue the good work and NEVER stop writing YOUR imagination!
Your books were the first I’ve had the pleasure of reading in this genere and I love them. Keep doing what you’re doing Ms. Hardin. Haters will be haters but, we’ll always have your back. You are awesomely talented, and your words floats off the paper and takes us on a journey. It’s only one we can imagine and want to be there. Keep up the awesome work because I will surely keep reading💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖.
Good for you! I love your stories and pray you keep writing them. F*ck the haters.
Well,what everyone before me wrote. What would you look like write a story about a white, yellow, purple women when you are black. MH young lady, continue to write about strong, beautiful(inside and out) black women getting whatever color man you want. And i’ll continue to read you!!!!!!!!!!!
First and foremost I love every darn book you’ve created, especially in this series and I’m anticipating Mickey and Isabella book! Secondly, how many authors out there that are white, write these books with white women and Italian men…TOO MANY…Please go to their sites and choose a book HATER!!! Thirdly, it’s a fictional series with fictional characters, get a clue HATER! That HATER was trolling Michelle and thank you for writing this and being classy. Continue to enlighten us and taking us away from reality with your great storytelling. To the HATER…bish…1-click under an author of your race. Bye..Bye HATER!!!🙋🙋🙋 A BWAM series…yasssssss hunty..I’m here for that!!!!!
I absolutely love all the books in your Dangerous Beauty series. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reread the books in this series…currently eagerly awaiting Mickey’s story.
Regarding the few critics you mentioned, constructive criticism is one thing, but asking an interracial romance novelist, specifically BWWM novelist not to have a black woman as the heroine is just bazaar to say the least. I mean, if a person does not want to read about a black woman as the lead in a mafia romance, then this series is not for you…and that’s OK, everything is not for everybody, but to suggest you change basically, your entire genre to fit their desires is crazy!
Please don’t stop doing what you are doing. You are doing amazing job!! If anything we need more black leads heroines in mafia romance books. I appreciate that I get to see someone like me be described as beautiful, strong, smart and desirable. I appreciate when an author is able to describe our skin and personality in a complementary way. There are thousands of books where they have white on white and not one black person exist in their fantasy world.
Nothing is more of a turn on than a strong, confident black woman with a sexy man who appreciates EVERY bit of her. Keep it coming Michelle! You take it “there” for sure. Its sometimes a little scary (Ana) LOL, but the “unexpected” is what we expect (and enjoy) from your stories. Some people don’t get it, because the can’t extend themselves beyond the box their mind is trapped in. Those people can stick with the 100s of lovely “the billionaire knocked me up” books that are available to choose from. Its okay. Thank you for offering a different flavor, available in KU Michelle! Yay!
All I have to say is, “I CAN’T WAIT TO READ ANOTHER BOOK IN THIS SERIES ABOUT A MAFIA ROMANCE FAMILY LIKE THE ONES IN MICHELLE HARDIN’S STORIES”. TA-DOW…LOL Shake them haters off Ms. Hardin, because you are nailing it!!!
Love Pam’s comments and agree! Write on MH, WRITE ON!!!!!
Havent been on thus page gor yonks then when I do I read tgat sone troll has ger knickers in a twist for flips sake its FICTION. If said troll has a problem well then move along now nothing to see here. Better still why don’t they write their own book to THEIR OWN specifications.
Your image of black females in the lead and the romantic lead of any race is fantastic. God gave you the imagination to dream for us continue. Love
This means so so much. I can’t thank you enough for these kind and encourage words! I absolutely will continue. Much love!