Elyse Heartwell is a pen name, BUT, I’m still here. 

Just a little behind the curtain.

I’m a lot like my characters: sometimes all four seasons in one like Katy, sometimes guarded like Geraldine, stubborn like Lucas, restless like Jared, and sarcastic like Noel. And yes — if you haven’t guessed already, I’m bipolar.

It doesn’t define me, but it’s a very real part of who I am. That’s why I write under a pen name, and why a lot of my choices in life look the way they do. I’ve learned to live with my “purple monster,” to keep it calm and fed, but not to let it run the show. 

Right now, my stories circle around trauma and healing — it’s where my head and my heart seem to be. But I’d love to branch out one day, into epic fantasy, maybe even romantic comedy. I’m a bit of a kook, so maybe I’ll get a few laughs out of you.

I love reading romantasy, fantasy, and just about anything that can transport me into another world, because sometimes that’s the best kind of healing there is.

When I’m not writing, I’m usually in my garden with my hands in the dirt (it’s strangely healing), or trying to make something — painting, crafts, anything creative. Maybe one day I’ll get to full canvases, pottery, resin… honestly, almost any art form tempts me. 

If you’re an artist too, feel free to share your creations with me on socials. Not as promo or spam. Just pride. One artist to another.

And one last thing: I’ll never write in vivid detail about trauma I haven’t lived myself, or walked close enough alongside to feel. When I write, I need to be able to feel every emotion I’m describing. Sometimes that rips open old wounds, and sometimes it stirs up anxiety, but if even one person reads a story and feels seen, it’s worth it.

If you are that one person, I hope you’ll tell me. My DMs are always open, whether you want to share your own story or simply say what the book meant to you.

I won’t take on trauma I don’t know, because it would feel like a watered-down version of the truth. Maybe that makes me a little perfectionistic, maybe overly empathic — but I believe trauma deserves to be handled with love, honesty, and care. If I can’t give it that, I’ll step back and let someone else tell that story.

All my love, 

—'Elyse'