Student author publishes rodeo romance

Some writers build fictional worlds from scratch. Sophomore Alexi Cole started with one she already knew well.

Growing up in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Cole spent much of her time on her uncle’s farm and attending rodeos. Her experiences eventually found their way into her debut novel “Not Yours to Tell,” which she published under the pen name Alexi Evelyn.

Cole’s interest in storytelling began long before she ever thought of writing a novel. As a child she enjoyed writing essays in school and gained a reputation for always having a book in hand.

Now an English and journalism double major at Augustana, Cole drew on those interests and experiences to write a story of her own.

“Not Yours to Tell” is a romance set in the world of professional rodeo. The novel follows Sutton Skye, a journalist who is assigned to observe rodeo star Riven Kade and his team for a summer. Riven is guarded; he keeps Sutton at a distance and he refuses to discuss his past. The two grow closer as the summer goes on, and the walls between them slowly begin to come down.

Cole said studying journalism helped her shape Sutton. 

“I feel like a lot of [Sutton’s] ideas when it comes to journalism have kind of been inspired by all of my journalism friends around me,” Cole said. “I like to take a little piece of everybody and put them in something.”

Cole said she spent around a year writing the bulk of her novel and then six months editing and speaking to publishers. She credits her support system, made up of both friends and family, with much of her success. 

Sophomore Anna Buus, Cole’s roommate and friend, was glad to be a part of her publishing journey. 

“I drove us to a rodeo about an hour and a half away and she talked about wanting to write about a cowboy to put in her story,” Buss said. “It’s amazing to see her do things that I never thought were possible.” 

Buus also said she enjoyed watching Cole write in their dorm room freshman year and seeing the book take form. 

“I was definitely her moral support,” Buus said. “We would work at night because of class during the day and she would say, ‘I don’t know how to do this,’ and I would say, ‘You got this!’”

Cole also credited her elementary school teacher Jenna Huck for encouraging her throughout the writing and publishing process.

“She bought my book right away, she’s in my acknowledgements and she probably made like six Facebook posts telling people to go read my book,” Cole said.

Cole said one of the most difficult decisions in the writing process was whether she’d self-publish her book or go the traditional route of finding a publishing agent.

“You literally take your manuscripts and all your things and email them to a bunch of people so they’re just out there,” Cole said. “There’s no guarantee that your book will be accepted, which is really hard because you’re just playing the waiting game.”

 She found self-publishing to be a much easier route. Isabella Savage, another Augustana student who is also in the process of writing and publishing a book, confirmed how much easier self-publishing is.

 “It’s super hard to get in with a big publishing company and get an agent,” Savage said. 

Cole’s efforts paid off and she gave the first copy of her novel to her mom as a birthday gift.

Ultimately, she hopes her readers will feel a connection to her novel.

“I want my readers to have something to relate to and a place where they belong,” Cole said.