Meet Emily Barnett, Young Adult Novelist

A literary meet-'n'-greet in 10 pictures or less.

Welcome back, friends!

I’m so excited to introduce you to Emily Barnett, author of young adult fantasy novels.

She and I have a lot in common personally (homeschool moms of two boys, married to men with beards, can’t resist the Regency era).

But she’s got a much greener thumb than I do, and she has a birth date with loads of literary merit.

And now, I’ll let Emily take it away!

All About Emily

I seek wonder in other worlds to remind readers of the wonder in ours.

I am married to a bearded man, homeschool our two young boys, and love the slow process of sourdough and gardening.

My YA science fantasy debut, Thread of Dreams, was released March 2024 with Owl’s Nest Publishers. Emily is represented by Andrea Morisson of Writer's House.

When I was a kid, my dad told me if I put salt on a bird’s tail they couldn’t fly and I could catch them. I sat under the bird feeder, salt shaker in hand, all day before he gave in and told me the truth. I still love birds (and salt), thankfully.

Q: What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

If you feel called to be a writer, don’t give up. Rejection is normal for everyone—but don’t let it define you. Remember the reason you write and hold onto that as you press forward. We need your story!

Q: Name a few writing teachers or books you’ve learned from.

• Andrew Peterson’s non-fiction and his talks on writing always inspire my work.

• Letters from the Mountain by Ben Palpant,

• Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle

Q: Which books or authors have most inspired your writing?

• The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde

• The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

• Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

• Perelandra by C. S. Lewis

• The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

All About Emily’s Books

Thread of Dreams released March 28, 2024

Note from Michelle: I just finished this and loved it!

Books that Emily read and loved

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling

• Holes by Louis Sachar

• The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis

• Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

• Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

Here’s how you can connect with Emily

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Emily.

Keep up with her forthcoming YA novels by subscribing to

Wonder Between Worlds

right here on Substack.

Visit her website and check out her nature-inspired original illustrations. (These are gorgeous.)

Here’s where you can find her on Goodreads, Instagram, and Facebook.

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Thank you, Emily, for chatting books today!

And thank you for being here, readers.

Catch you next time,

Michelle