April Rayns

Hey there! I'm April Rayns, and I write dark mafia romance that'll probably make your mother clutch her pearls. (Sorry, Mom!) You know those dangerous men your parents warned you about? Yeah, I write entire books about them – and make you fall in love with them anyway.

I'm a German author who's always been drawn to the shadows. While other kids were reading fairy tales with happy endings, I was secretly scribbling stories about anti-heroes and morally gray characters in my notebooks. Those stories usually earned me some concerned looks from my teachers, but hey – at least they were memorable!

My journey into writing started like many others: I was a voracious reader who ran out of the exact books I wanted to read. You know that feeling when you finish an amazing dark romance and want MORE, but can't quite find the right mix of danger and passion? That's what pushed me to start writing my own stories. (Plus, the characters in my head wouldn't shut up until I gave them their own books.)

In 2024, I finally took the plunge and published my first novel, "Hunter McCannon - Dunkles Begehren." Hunter is everything I love in a male lead – a cold, controlled mafia boss who thinks he's above emotions... until he meets the one woman who turns his world upside down. Poor Brooke probably wishes she'd never crossed paths with him, but fate (okay, fine, my twisted imagination) had other plans.

My writing style? Think dark chocolate with a razor blade hidden inside. Sweet enough to be addictive, dangerous enough to make you nervous. I love exploring the complex dynamics between power and vulnerability, control and submission. My characters aren't your typical romance novel leads – they're complicated, often broken, and sometimes do terrible things. But that's what makes their love stories so intense and unforgettable.

When I'm not writing about dangerous men and the women who bring them to their knees, you can usually find me binge-watching crime documentaries (for research, obviously), drinking way too much coffee, and plotting new ways to torture my characters. (Don't worry, they usually get their happy endings... eventually.)

Fair warning: my books aren't for everyone. If you're looking for sweet, clean romance with perfectly behaved heroes, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you like your romance with a heavy dose of darkness, morally ambiguous characters, and steam that'll fog up your e-reader? Pull up a chair – you're in the right place.

I believe the best stories are the ones that make you feel everything – the fear, the attraction, the conflict, the passion. My books aren't just about the physical journey of my characters; they're about the emotional warfare that happens when two strong-willed people collide. Sometimes literally. (What can I say? My characters aren't always great at using their words.)

To my German readers – thank you for embracing Hunter and Brooke's story. To potential new readers – welcome to my dark little corner of the romance world. I promise to keep the coffee hot, the tension high, and the mafia bosses dangerously irresistible.

You can find me on Instagram and TikTok where I share updates about upcoming books, behind-the-scenes peeks at my writing process, and probably too many pictures of my coffee cups. I love connecting with readers, so don't be shy about reaching out!

And remember: in my books, the dangerous choice is usually the right one. 😈

(P.S. – Yes, my browser history is concerning. No, I won't apologize for it. It's all for research... mostly.)