Books that make you feel something.
Elexis Bell writes gritty and emotional novels. Born and raised in the midwestern United States, she dreams of a cabin in the woods rather than a house surrounded by cornfields.
She loves writing well-developed characters facing real problems in vibrant, magical worlds. Armed with a degree in psychology and a rollercoaster past, she sprinkles gut-wrenching emotions over high fantasy romance, science fiction, and the occasional thriller.
A dark connection. A deadly responsibility.
Sparks fly when Elairie, a mixed-blood elf living on the edge of society and serving as a night guard, meets her latest prisoner. Strange auras surround them, and a magical gravity draws her to him, despite what her associates might say about his race. But the connection they share comes with a dark side.
When Beluroan learns that he and his guard are Blessed Ones, hand-crafted by the Gods to stop a madman from recreating the Blood Magic of old, his veins run cold. Threatened with a return to the magical slavery such magic commands, fear grips him, and memories of his childhood Master fill his mind.
But together, their potential power frightens even the Gods. Can they overcome the prejudices marring their land and master their new magic in time to stop the man trying to enslave their country? Or will they succumb to their own power?
Ariella needs this weekend away to reconnect with old friends, hunt ghosts, and have fun. But her possessive boyfriend, Kurt, tags along, unwilling to let her out of his sight, especially with other men around. Rather than ditch him, she tells him it’s his last chance to make this work.
Hoping to celebrate his culinary school graduation and forget about his dad’s disapproval, Ian needs the getaway too. But it means spending time with Ariella, the woman he’s loved for years, the woman he accidentally scared off. And of course, the man she replaced him with.
But Kurt brings baggage they never expected. When the chemistry between Ariella and Ian reignites, his fragile ego snaps, and he lashes out. Can they survive the monster in their midst? Or will the haunted farmhouse fill with fresh blood?
A coup in a neighboring kingdom brings threats of invasion and fire to Priestess Rising Veliana’s home in the forest. Under the guidance of her goddess, The Allmother, she forms an alliance with the deposed prince, Tyrvahn, and his ex, Garle, the leader of a rebellion that’s been brewing for years.
But Garle has many secrets, one of which could unravel Veliana and Tyrvahn’s budding romance and the future of these uneasy alliances. Veliana’s best friend, Kivala, tries to soften Garle with the ways of their fallen homeland, but what she learns chills her to her core.
At war with a vicious man twisted by the god of greed, they can’t afford to fight amongst themselves. Can they overcome their differences to save their home and their goddess from the new king? Or will the forests burn over blood-soaked earth?
Fans of magic and grit, high stakes and godly secrets will love this dark high fantasy novel with straight and LGBT romance.
Ness, a demi-demon with a conscience, just wanted a peaceful afternoon in the Forest of Immortals. But Elias, a reckless mortal, went and spoiled it. Not that he wanted to be chased by psychotic vampires.
After saving his life, Ness agrees to help him find his estranged father and his Pack. But that means facing Nolan, the werewolf ex that holds her heart.
Now, Ness must decide. Use Elias to forget Nolan at the cost of his soul or crawl back to her ex and hope he still wants her even though she broke his heart.
But when the vampires come calling, broken hearts might be the least of their worries.
Fans of gritty fiction, compelling romance, and imaginative takes on magic and the afterlife will love this dark paranormal high fantasy romance.
Fading into unconsciousness, Christian watches psychotic thugs drag his sister-in-law and nephew away to suffer in the city they just escaped. Left for dead near his brother’s corpse, he has but one hope for survival, rely on the pretty stranger who stumbled across him. Not exactly smart after the apocalypse.
Encumbered by the lingering effects of her own violent past, Chloe struggles against her need for independence. Trusting a stranger found lying in the snow is risky, to say the least. Yet, she patches him up.
As they strive to rebuild their hearts, the harsh world they’ve been thrust into promises to tear them apart. Because Christian’s rescue attempt can’t wait. Every second in Chloe’s idyllic hometown means another second of pain for Christian’s family, leaving Chloe with a choice. Risk her life to help Christian save his family? Or condemn them all to a slow death?
Having lived beneath the rule of a vicious dictator all her life, Kiluna is no stranger to hardship. And yet, she holds hope. Her grandmother’s tales of peaceful times, together with whisperings of a magical gem, buoyed her spirits even in the most dire times. Everyone has a breaking point, though, and Kiluna is no different.
After the brutal murder of her grandmother, she can stand it no longer. She sets off, determined to free her people, even if it means venturing through mysterious forests inhabited by outlaws, soon finding that one in particular may be a danger to her heart. But she must go, for only one thing is powerful enough to save her people… The Gem of Meruna.
A new dragon has risen. Impossible, but true.
When the marks of the Soul Bearer burn themselves into Aurisye’s flesh, none can deny what she is. Illegitimate daughter of the hero who died nearly thirty years ago after killing the last dragon. The only person who can truly kill the dragon that terrorizes them, now. But Soul Bearers have always been human, and Aurisye is…not. Part Orc, oppression is her oldest friend.
Yet, her companion is chosen wisely. Now, Rafnor, a tolerant soldier sent by the Human monarchs, must teach her all things combat. But time is limited, and her sarcastic defenses try even his patience.
Amidst political strife with the Elves and all-out war with the Orcs, they must come together to prevent the merciless destruction of all three realms…Even as the Elven royals plot to tear them apart to secure an Elven heir to the Soul Bearer blood.
Brutalized, traumatized, and cast out, Annabelle has nothing for comfort save the darkness festering in her own soul. Nourishing the terrible seed of hatred planted by her attacker, she sets out to cauterize the wound. In the old American west, she ventures from one dirty, dusty town to another, doling out her own brand of justice, armed with nothing but a weaponized parasol. Unfettered by notions of black and white morality, the piper is coming. It’s time to pay up.
Coming soon:
The Sword and The Savage
Dark Fantasy Romance
Two species of humanoids, each with their own unique approach to magic, are at war. Torn between the two, Lessiyara struggles to stay afloat. But when she saves Ronan from a crumbling cliff, the warrior from the valley might just overthrow the delicate balance she’s worked so hard to forge.
First round of edits: Done
Currently with Beta Readers
Current WIPs:
Blood is Thicker
Literary Zombie Series
Broken people searching for family, safety, and acceptance while the world devolves into chaos. And lets not forget the zombies (aka The Evers).
The Monsters that H(a)unt Us, Book one: Written
The Baggage We Bury, Book Two: Started
The Bodies We Burn, Book Three: To Be Written
A Song of Sorrow & Sirens
Literary Paranormal Fantasy Romance
Alina, wolf shifter struggling with the sudden reemergence of her past, seeks a siren to wipe the memories away. But someone is making waves in the siren community, killing other sirens to steal their enchanted indentured servants.
And he has plans for Alina.
Standalone novel set in the universe of A Heart of Salt & Silver
First draft: In progress
The Regonia Chronicles
Dark sci-fi epic with romance
Two alien species, complete with a unique language. New worlds to house them, plus… the end of Earth and humanity’s new beginning in space.
And…the characters go through some serious shit.
The First Abduction, Prequel One: Written
The Last Settlers, Prequel Two: Started
Awakening, Book One: First round of edits done
Faltering, Book Two: First round of edits done
Ascending, Book Three: In its first round of edits
Reckoning, Book Four: Written
Standalone in Regonia universe (The Gem of Meruna): Published
Short stories:
Vivification
Victorian romance short story, Straight and LGBT
Born of Heathen Gods
Victorian mystery/thriller short story
Available FOR FREE if you sign up to my newsletter.
Olly Olly Oxen Free
Horror/Flash Fiction
How long can she hide from him?
Other Ideas:
Shared Sight
Paranormal Thriller
Several unnamed high fantasy romance ideas, some straight, some LGBT
All this, plus tons of unnamed ideas that are still brewing. As you can see, there are a lot of irons in many fires. Genres and themes are flying all over the place. The common thread?
Emotion.
I want my work to make people feel something. As such… I don’t guarantee happy endings. Sometimes, a sad ending is true to the characters and the story itself, and if that’s what the book calls for, that’s what I write.
Prepare yourselves.
Personally, I hate excess fluff in books. I don’t need to know what a side character had for breakfast three days ago. I don’t need the exact steps count from one side of a room to another. I don’t need the movements a character is doing broken down into a blow by blow description of …
Continue reading “Know Your Fluff (Creating depth instead of filling pages)”
Static characters are characters that don’t change or develop much over the course of a story. They can be well rounded. They can be fully fleshed out with a rich backstory and a relatable personality. But those things likely won’t shift much over the course of the story. As such, they’re commonly cast as secondary …
Continue reading “Static vs. Dynamic Characters (And uses for each)”
There’s this piece of advice that floats around writing circles that I absolutely hate. “Write what you know.” I hate it for a couple reasons. For starters, it’s become a means of gatekeeping. People use it to tell people they shouldn’t write a character of a gender or sexual orientation or race that’s different from …
Continue reading “Know your stuff! The Importance of Research”