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Interview with an author: Madeline Burget

Let me start with: I am a huge fan of Madeline Burget. We first connected through the online event, Stuff with Fantasy, which she helps to facilitate multiple times per year. (If you're a fan of free eBooks, I highly recommend checking it out!)


Aside from volunteering her time, though, Madeline is also an amazing author building a backlist of romantic fantasy in the grim-cozy genre about lady pirates and lady knights. She is an inspiration to me in her level of commitment to helping other authors build their own platforms.

Portrait of Madeline Burget with long auburn waves and a green blouse, posing indoors beside an ornate gold mirror, calm expression.

Friends and foes, Madeline Burget.


1) Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and what you write?


I've always been a pirate fantasy enthusiast, I probably rewatched The Pirates of the Caribbean every other weekend during my teen years! But I also grew up with many other classics like The Princess Bride, Robin Hood (I've seen every adaptation), and A Knight's Tale. I guess you could say now that I'm branching off from writing pirate fantasy a bit, and diving into a lady knight romcom I've made a very cozy niche for myself.


But really, I think I just have a thing for swords, fightscenes, and banter. So that's what my readers can always expect from me no matter the genre or story!


2) How did you first get started writing?


I've written since I could write, my grandma was a college English teacher and fostered my love of storytelling.


3) What's the most unique part of your writing process?


I daydream up my stories first, like a movie, I sit on them for months before writing them. And then I kind of write the story out of order, just whatever scene needs to be written first.


4) Do you have any favourite craft books or resources?


No, but my google search history has me on the FBI watchlist for sure.


5) What made you choose to seek self-publishing over trad?


I'm impatient, and I'm very driven to do things myself.


6) What drew you to romantic fantasy? Do you think you'll ever branch outside of that genre?


Just love romance, and no I don't think I will branch out. Not for the foreseeable future.


7) What's your favourite part of writing and exploring themes like learning to understand and accept ourselves and finding a place where we belong?


Drawing from personal experiences to hopefully help readers going through something similar.


8) What were your publishing expectations? How did they differ from your experience?


Hmmm... I honestly don't remember my prior expectations. It's been too long. I think I didn't really have any because I started publishing on a whim and dove in. I researched as I went.


9) What advice would you give to those just starting out with the goal of publishing?


Nothing is ever going to be perfect, and it's okay to learn and make mistakes so just publish the dang thing.


10) (Without spoilers) What has been your hardest scene to write?


Happy scenes. I struggle with happy scenes that are too wholesome where no one dies or gets in an argument.


11) How do you balance writing, marketing, etc. with other life stuff?


Still figuring that out as I go.


12) What do you do for work outside writing? (Or what would you be doing if not writing if your writing now supports you full-time?)


I have a day job, which I can't disclose... because small town. But I play video games and collect indoor plants.


13) What would your author mascot be?


Ummm... mascots freak me out. So no thanks.



Bio


Madeline Burget is an author of all things fantasy, grim-cozy, and emotionally empowering. As a member of the Asexual community, she strives to represent a more diverse cast of characters in her novels. Currently, she is working on the sequel to Caraway of the Sea, and a few other standalone projects to come after the Phoenix Rising series.


Madeline can be found cozied up in her jungle of an office, doing her best impression of a pirate guzzling Dr. Pepper like it's rum and eating way too much chocolate in between epic fight scenes. She rarely strays from the comforts of her somewhat creaky yet quaint bungalow nestled within the rolling hills of southern Utah, with her husband and one very grumpy Schnorkie named Merlin.



Pirate Fantasy Series

  • Caraway of the Sea: a grim-cozy romantic fantasy with a slow-burn romance and a lot of paranoia.

  • Lily of the Sea: the sequel to Caraway of the Sea; coming Aug 16, 2026.


Medieval Romantasy Standalone

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