Today we’d like to introduce you to Brianna Bartlett.
Brianna, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
For as long as I can remember, I have loved fantasy. I reached for it, escaped into it, and, in some small way, always hoped I might find a little magic hiding in our own world.
I walked to Mordor. I fought alongside the rebellion against the Capitol. I stepped through the wardrobe. I attended magical academies, sailed across impossible seas, and ventured into worlds that existed only between the pages of a book. Fantasy was never something I simply read, it was somewhere I went. Somewhere I belonged. And all the while, I had stories swirling the cauldron of my mind. Characters who appeared uninvited, places that seemed to have histories of their own. Scenes and pieces of stories would surface and disappear again, waiting for me to pay attention.
In 2026, I set a simple goal for myself to do more to keep my mind engaged and make better use of the quiet spaces in my day.
I didn’t expect that decision to change everything.
Once I gave my imagination room to breathe, to wander, to explore, those stories that had been quietly simmering for years began bursting to life. One world became another, characters became voices, voices became stories, and eventually, those stories became Marked by Storms and Runehaven.
In many ways, I think I spent my whole life searching for magic.
I never imagined I would get to make some.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Once these stories began to take shape, the characters came to life completely on their own. They had experiences they needed to live, wounds they needed to carry, choices they needed to make, and stories they were demanding I bring into the world.
My job became less about deciding what I wanted to happen, and more about listening closely enough to understand where they were taking me.
The hardest part has been deciding what becomes of the worlds and characters I have come to love so deeply. When you spend so much time building a world, you become attached to its people, its history, its magic, and even its heartbreak. Every choice has consequences, and sometimes the path I know a character needs to take isn’t necessarily the one I would have chosen for them.
And truthfully, that’s something I am still learning.
Neither Marked by Storms or Runehaven have reached its end yet. There are still stories unfolding, characters changing, and worlds expanding.
I believe the challenges I have faced have only been the beginning, because these worlds aren’t finished.
They’re still calling me.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve had the honor of writing both the Runehaven Chronicles and the Marks of Fate series. Two vastly different epic fantasy worlds, but both very much the loves of my life.
Runehaven is a world I have been carrying with me for a long time. It’s the kind of fantasy that feels like stepping through a doorway into somewhere ancient, magical, and a little dangerous. It grew from my love of the classics, adventure, and the feeling of finding a world that seems to have existed long before you arrived. At its heart, Runehaven is about discovery. Discovery of magic, of identity, of hidden truths. I want readers to feel the same sense of wonder I felt when I first began building it: that feeling of opening a book and realizing you have somewhere to escape to.
Marked by Storms takes me somewhere darker. Set among the isles of Varynheim, it is a Norse-inspired, magic-infused epic fantasy filled with gods, powerful elemental magic, ancient bonds, warriors, political tensions, and characters who are constantly being pushed to their limits. But beneath all the spectacle, Marked by Storms is deeply character-driven. These are the ones who have been shaped by what they’ve survived, what they’ve lost, and what they’re willing to fight for. Book One, Marked by Storms, is still just beginning. There is still so much more to discover, and I think that’s one of the most exciting things about writing it. I haven’t reached the end of this world yet, and neither have my readers.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
The biggest risk in writing books is putting your heart into something and wondering if anyone will ever read it. There’s always that quiet voice asking, “What if no one cares?”
But I think the risk is worth it.
Because if even one person reads these stories and loves them, gets lost in them, or finds a little bit of magic within their pages when they need it most, then it was worth it.
For me, that one reader would be enough.
Contact Info:
- Website: Available on Amazon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbartlettauthor/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@markedfatesseries
