ALEX (MF) MCANDERS

Hey there, dark romance lovers! I'm Alex McAnders, and I write twisted love stories that'll probably get me put on some government watchlists. (My search history is... concerning, to say the least.)

Let me tell you how I stumbled into this wonderfully wicked world of writing. I spent years working in corporate finance, crunching numbers and dying inside a little more each day. My escape? Reading every dark romance I could get my hands on. But something was missing - I wanted stories that pushed even further, that danced right on that razor's edge between love and hate, pleasure and pain. So one day, I said "screw it" and started writing my own.

I won't lie - my first attempts were ROUGH. Like, "hide these files where no one will ever find them" rough. But I kept at it, fueled by an unhealthy amount of coffee and an even unhealthier obsession with morally bankrupt characters. (My therapist has opinions about this. Many opinions.)

My debut novel, "Bound to the Black Widow," emerged from my fascination with cross-cultural organized crime and the dangerous women who navigate those worlds. I mean, who doesn't love a good arranged marriage between a calculating American mobster and a lethal yakuza princess? It's basically "Romeo and Juliet" if both leads were stone-cold killers with trust issues. And yes, I did spend way too much time researching Japanese crime syndicates and modern mob operations. (FBI agent assigned to monitor my internet activity, I promise I'm just a writer!)

What can you expect from my books? Morally grey characters who definitely belong in therapy instead of relationships. Steam that'll make you fan yourself in public. Violence that serves the story but doesn't shy away from the brutal reality of criminal underworlds. And underneath it all, love stories that are as twisted as they are genuine.

I write for readers who like their romance with a heavy dose of darkness. The ones who root for the villain and think "happily ever after" is boring without a body count. My characters aren't good people - they're complex, damaged, and dangerous. But their love stories? They'll grab you by the throat and won't let go.

When I'm not writing, you'll find me binge-watching true crime documentaries, practicing at the shooting range (research, I swear!), or spoiling my two rescue pit bulls who are literally the sweetest babies despite looking like they could be mob enforcer dogs. The irony isn't lost on me.

Fair warning: my books aren't for everyone. They feature themes and situations that would make my mother blush and my old accounting colleagues clutch their calculators in horror. But if you like your romance dark, your antiheroes unapologetic, and your plot twists sharp enough to draw blood - welcome to my world.

I'm currently working on my next novel (which may or may not involve a female assassin and the man who's both her target and her biggest weakness), and I love connecting with readers on Instagram and TikTok where I share writing updates, behind-the-scenes research rabbit holes, and pictures of my dogs being adorable contradictions to my dark writer aesthetic.

To my readers: thank you for embracing the darkness with me. Your messages about staying up all night to finish "Bound to the Black Widow" make all those 3 AM writing sessions worth it. And to those thinking about diving into my work - mind the trigger warnings, buckle up, and enjoy the ride.

(P.S. - Yes, all my browser searches are for research. No, that doesn't make them any less suspicious. Yes, I'm probably on several watchlists. No regrets!)