Benjamin Mallais

Here's a first-person author bio for Benjamin Mallais:

I'm the guy who translates your favorite dark romance novels into French... and somehow ended up writing my own. (Life's funny that way, isn't it?)

For years, I worked behind the scenes bringing English-language dark romance to French readers. I spent countless hours immersed in these deliciously twisted stories, getting to know every nuance of how authors like Pepper Winters craft their dark magic. There's something incredibly intimate about translation - you don't just read the story, you live inside it.

But here's the thing: after swimming in those dangerous waters for so long, I started hearing my own characters whispering their stories. Dark, complex tales that wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote them down. As a translator, I already knew exactly how the machinery of a good dark romance worked. I'd taken apart enough of them and put them back together in a different language to understand the mechanics. The only question was: could I build one of my own?

Turns out, I could. (Though my characters might argue they built themselves and just used me as their typing monkey.)

My debut novel "Pure Corruption: Crime et Expiation" hit the French dark romance scene in 2019. It's a story that explores the shadowy spaces between redemption and damnation, the kind of tale where you're never quite sure if you should be rooting for or running from the characters. Publishers Weekly was kind enough to say I "left my mark on the dark romance genre" - which sounds much more elegant than "writes books that'll keep you up at night questioning your moral compass."

When I write, I draw on everything I learned from translating the masters of the genre, but with my own distinctly French twist. My characters tend to be unapologetically complex, the kind who'd probably order a fine wine while plotting someone's downfall. (Because even villains can have good taste, non?)

I believe the best dark romance walks a knife's edge between beauty and brutality. It's not just about shocking scenes or twisted plots - it's about exploring the darkest corners of human nature while somehow finding light in the shadows. My stories aren't for the faint of heart, but then again, neither is love.

What can you expect from my books? Morally grey characters who'll make you question everything you thought you knew about right and wrong. Plots that twist like a corkscrew through a cork. Passion that burns hot enough to scorch. And always, always, a thread of redemption running through the darkness - even if you have to squint to see it.

When I'm not writing or translating, you'll find me wandering the streets of Paris, people-watching and collecting snippets of conversations that might find their way into my next book. (That couple arguing in the café? They might show up as characters. Consider yourself warned.)

To my readers: merci for joining me in these dark tales. Your messages about staying up all night to finish just one more chapter make all the caffeine-fueled writing sessions worth it. And to those who haven't read my work yet - if you like your romance with a side of psychological complexity and a dash of French sophistication, you might just find yourself at home in my twisted little world.

Just remember: in my stories, happy endings are earned, not given. And sometimes the path to redemption runs straight through hell.

À bientôt, Benjamin

(P.S. If you see me in a café furiously typing on my laptop, feel free to say hello. Just maybe don't interrupt if I'm making my "writing murder scenes" face. It tends to frighten the tourists.)