Books that sweep you off your feet, and tie you to the chair.
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.
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.
Current WIPs:
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.
Prequel: Started
Book One: Done
Book Two: Almost Done
Book Three: Started
Standalone in Regonia universe (The Gem of Meruna): Published
Second to None
Dark Thriller/Romance
Torture? Check.
Psychological breaking points? Check.
Murder? Check.
…Romance? Check.
Let’s just say that, in this haunted old farmhouse, the ghosts are the least of their worries.
Coming soon:
Allmother Rising
Dark High Fantasy Romance, Straight and LGBT
A deposed prince and a druid high priestess team up with a spunky ranger and a secretive rebel to landscape their enemies to death.
Where Darkness Leads
Adult Dark Fantasy
This novel incorporates beings of myth, fantastical Gods and lore, and magical abilities, all the while staring straight into the eyes of dire circumstance, daring it to do its worst.
Short stories:
Vivification
Victorian romance short story, Straight and LGBT
Born of Heathen Gods
Victorian mystery/thriller short story
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.
Many writers wonder if they’re silly for crying over their own book. After all, we’re the ones writing it. We should be hardened against the tragedies we throw at our characters. Right? Eh… not quite. You see, as writers, we have to get to know our characters. We spend months or years in their heads, …
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Continue reading “How to Design a Book Cover: Part Three, Design Basics”
For those of you tuning in for the first time, I want to reiterate. A professional graphic designer is almost always the best option for your book cover. But some budgets just don’t allow for it, and believe me, I understand that. So, for those of you who either can’t afford a pro or just want …
Continue reading “How to Design a Book Cover: Part Two, Resources”