Mark Ellis is a former businessman and barrister from Swansea, Wales. He is a member of Crime Cymru, a Welsh crime writing collective, and the Crime Writer’s Association. After a successful career as a novelist and graphic novelist, journalist, and comics writer, Ellis turned his attention to writing crime thrillers. His first book in this genre, "Princes Gate," was published in 2011 and introduced readers to charismatic Scotland Yard detective Frank Merlin.
"Princes Gate" is set in WW2 London and was well-received by critics. Bestselling historian Andrew Roberts described it as "masterful," and Milo's Rambles praised Ellis for creating an atmosphere "as thick as any 1940's London pea souper." The book was followed by "Stalin's Gold" in 2014 and "Merlin At War" in 2017, the latter of which was longlisted for the 2018 CWA Historical Dagger. Adrian Magson, a best-selling author, described "Merlin At War" as "an interesting character and era, and I'd like to read more."
Ellis's career as a professional creator spans over 35 years, during which he has amassed hundreds of published credits. In the 1980s and 90s, he was a busy comics creator and developed popular characters such as Death Hawk, Star Rangers, The Justice Machine, Ninja Elite, and The Miskatonic Project. He also worked on well-known properties such as Doc Savage, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu, The Green Hornet, The Saint, and The Wild Wild West.
In 1995, Ellis took over the DEATHLANDS novel series published by the Gold Eagle imprint of Harlequin Enterprises. Under the house pseudonym of "James Axler," he created the best-selling OUTLANDERS series in 1996. With the cancellation of the Gold Eagle imprint at the end of 2015, OUTLANDERS ended its 18.5-year run, making it one of the most successful mass-market paperback series of the last 35 years. Combined with the audio book editions, OUTLANDERS comprises well over 100 novels. Ellis has been featured in Starlog, Comics Scene, and Fangoria magazines and has been interviewed by Robert Siegel for NPR's All Things Considered. He has also written several other books, including "THE EVERYTHING GUIDE TO WRITING GRAPHIC NOVELS," "CRYPTOZOICA," and "NOSFERATU: PLAGUE OF TERROR."
In 2017, Mark and his wife, best-selling author Melissa Martin Ellis, retired to rural Ireland.