You Are Your Own Hero: S.M. Love on The Pink Room and Survival

Author S.M. Love joins LaCie, Sloane, and Morgan for a conversation about One Night Only, The Pink Room, and the Club Venus universe.

We begin with Taysia’s transformation into Tasty Ty and the survival instinct that pushes her through one unforgettable night at Club Venus. S.M. talks about writing women with confidence, humor, complicated lives, and strong circles of sisterhood, while showing that the women working inside Club Venus are much more than their occupation.

Then we move into The Pink Room, where the story becomes much more personal.

S.M. shares why she wanted control to initially look like care, why she gave readers access to Smoke’s perspective without excusing his behavior, and why Nas was never going to be written as Taysia’s rescuer.

As S.M. explains during the conversation:“You have to rescue yourself.”Leaving a harmful situation does not automatically mean the healing is finished, and supporting someone is very different from taking away their agency.

S.M. also opens up about her own experiences, the role therapy played in encouraging her to tell this story, and how Club Venus unexpectedly became her healing series, centered on survival, confidence, underdogs, and women finding their way back to themselves.

We also get a few hints about Book Three, what may be ahead for the Club Venus characters, and whether S.M. would ever want to see this world adapted for the screen.

Ultimately, the message S.M. leaves us with is simple:

You are your own hero.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of domestic violence, coercive control, emotional manipulation, financial abuse, trauma, and substance abuse.

Follow S.M. Love on Instagram @authorsmlove and TikTok @smlove_writes. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok @urbanwhisperspodcast.