Autumn M. Birt

Autumn M. Birt, also known by her married name of Autumn Raven, is an American bestselling and award winning author of fantasy and dystopian novels . 
She has written several series set in different worlds and has teamed up with her business and writing partner, Jesper Schmidt, to publish several non-fiction books on plotting , and idea development . Together, they run the Am Writing Fantasy podcast, website, and YouTube channel, offering advice to authors on writing, publishing, and book marketing.
Autumn is also a studio trained graphic artist and creates book covers, maps, and artwork for herself (including all of her own covers), Jesper, and numerous other authors.
== Early life and career ==
Autumn was born in 1974 in Texas. Her father was an army officer and the family moved multiple times during her youth, including stints in Germany, before they settled in Pennsylvania. 
She graduated from Shippensburg Area Senior High in 1992. She first attended Bucknell University, graduating magna cum laude with a BA in Studio Art and English in 1996, including honors in both with the writing and illustration of five short stories. She later attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where she focused on environmental science courses. From there, she attended the University of Maine in Orono, earning an MS in Ecology and Environmental Science in 2002. 
After graduating with her MS degree, she worked for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a branch of the USDA, in Maine as a Soil Conservationist. Eventually, she moved up the career ladder to a District Conservationist, where she managed several field offices and oversaw conservation work across several counties. 
In 2012, she self-published her debut novel, Born of Water. In 2013 with the release of the final book in the same series, she signed on with a small publisher, Creativia , which lasted six months before she voided the contract and re-published her books again under her own name. 
In 2016, she quit NRCS to become a full-time author and artist, while also setting out on a four year road trip with her husband. She founded Am Writing Fantasy in May of 2017 with the goal of helping other fantasy authors. On October 1, 2017, she teamed up with Jesper Schmidt to grow Am Writing Fantasy farther, expanding the website into a Youtube channel, more online courses, non-fiction books, and eventually a podcast.
== Awards and accomplishments ==
Recognition for Autumn’s writing began as far back as high school, where she won a writing contest in 1992 for a short story. Previous to that, her artwork received a Runner-Up Scholastic Gold Key in Pennsylvania.
Born of Water has reached as high as #4 in the Amazon kindle store and has been a #1 bestseller in epic fantasy and fantasy. Her novel, After the War, has also reached #1 in Military Thrillers on Amazon. Three non-fiction books co-written with Jesper Schmidt have reached #1 New Release Best Seller status on Amazon.
Born of Water has also been a book of the year nominee and was selected for a Reader’s Choice award on ManyBooks in March of 2020.
Games of Fire was nominated for Best Book of 2017 by Fantasia Reviews and received Best Worldbuilding.
== Worlds of her fiction stories ==
The world of Ylécium is a joint creation between Autumn and Jesper and is the setting for much of her most recent fiction. It is a large scale fantasy setting covering multiple worlds accessible through the “Rift.” 
Her series of the Tainted Fae is set in a parallel modern day Earth where human impacts have resulted in the closing of the gates to the fae homeland, as well as slowly poisoning the fae while diminishing magic. It combines numerous elements of climate change into a magical fantasy of survival.
The series of the Rise of the Fifth Order and Games of Fire are both set in the fantasy world of Myrrah. This world contains elemental based magic in a setting similar to ancient Greece and is the home of the first epic fantasy books she released.
The post-apocalyptic series Friends of my Enemy is set in a future (2060) parallel earth where the results of climate change, pandemics, and war have reduced the human population to mostly Europe and hints of an enemy that still exists beyond an area known as the Wasteland.
== Bibliography ==
===== Novels and Novellas =====
 The Rift and the Mage (2021)
 The End of Time, Book 4, Tainted Fae series (2021)
 Fae Revolution, Book 3, Tainted Fae series (2021)
 Dark Uprising, Book 2, Tainted Fae series (2021)
 Dark Fae Outcast, Book 1, Tainted Fae series (2019)
 Born to Darkness, Book 1, Black Blood, Black Throne (2019)
 Untold Stories from the World of Myrrah (2019)
 A New Goddess, Book 3, Games of Fire Trilogy (2018)
 Gates of Fire & Earth, Book 2, Games of Fire Trilogy (2017)
 Spark of Defiance, Book 1, Games of Fire Trilogy (2016)
 The Fight for Peace, Book 4, Friends of my Enemy (2016)
 The Battle for Europe, Book 3, Friends of my Enemy (2016)
 After the War, Book 2, Friends of my Enemy (2016)
 Stories from the War, Book 1, Friends of my Enemy (2015)
 Spirit of Life, Book 3, the Rise of the Fifth Order (2014)
 Rule of Fire, Book 2, the Rise of the Fifth Order (2013)
 Born of Water Novel Companion (2012)
 Born of Water, Book 1, the Rise of the Fifth Order (2012)
===== Short Stories =====
 A Bargain’s Price
 A New Home
 Ellswood
 Iron Bound
 The Old Ways
 All is Lantern Light
 Lost Heir
 Darag’s First Journey*
 The Creation of the Curse*
 Return to Mirocyne: Ria*
 Return to Mirocyne: Ty & Lavinia*
 Water Girl*
 Sinika’s Plan*
 Love & Leadership*
 Girl of Fire*
 Sardinia’s Shadows*
*Available in Untold Stories from the World of Myrrah
===== Non fiction =====
 Story Idea: A Method to Develop a Book Idea (2020)
 Plot Development: An Outlining Method for Fiction (2020)
 Plot Development Step by Step: Exercises for Planning Your Book (2020)
 Your Open Road Adventures: How to Car Camp (2020)
 A Year in a Yurt (2016)
 Danger Peligros! (2012)
Category:American novelists
Category:American graphic designers