Robyn Sarty

Hi, I’m Robyn Sarty! Welcome to Once Upon 2025!

When I’m not immersed in the worlds of sparkly things and glitter in rural Nova Scotia with my very own Prince Charming, you can find me sharing tales that go beyond the happily ever after. My journey into storytelling was kindled by a love for Disney princess movies, and my time at Walt Disney World, where I earned the nickname “Belle,” further fueled my passion for crafting enchanting narratives.

Hope and adventure are the guiding stars in my tales, and I love to share these magical stories with others. Beyond the written word, my passion lies in sharing good books with others, baking cakes, and playing with my two Bernese mountain dogs. Whether it’s raving about my favorite stories or drooling over special editions, I’m always ready to talk about books.

I’m so glad you’re here — I can’t wait to hang out and share some exciting things with you today!

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What’s Your Mermaid Name?

I’m currently writing a Little Mermaid retelling set in a Scottish-inspired world. It’s been so much fun creating both the above- and below-water realms for this story, and names are one of the hardest and most fun things to come up with. 

The merfolk of the Maighdeann Sea have delightful names that evoke the wonder of the underwater world they live in. Find your mermaid name and share it below!

Mine is Raine Pearlstream, which I think is perfect because I love rainstorms!

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My Books

Although I’ve written several fairy-tale short stories, I’ve just released my second novella that combines a fairy tale with a children’s classic.

The first, A Gracious Hope, was released this past June as part of the Hope Ever After charity series. Of Song and Wonder is a sequel to that story, though both can be read as stand-alones.

I’ve had so much fun creating this world and finding ways to combine two unique stories into one!

All of my books are no-spice/kisses only, and these two are extra sweet.

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Which Character Are You?

Whispers of the Starlit Sea has some of my favorite characters that I’ve ever written:

🌊 A mermaid who’d rather stay below the sea? Check.

🌊 A sailor who doesn’t want to be a prince? Check.

🌊 A prince who wants to do the right thing? Check.

🌊 A mermaid who is impulsive and risks being near the humans? Check.

🌊 An older woman who knows more than she’s letting on? Check.

Take the quiz and figure out which one you are!

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A Renewed Hope

A Renewed Hope is a little book that came together via the power of hope.

In April 2024, the Hope Ever After series was in the middle of releasing twenty books, and one of our authors found she was unable to publish hers as planned. A call went out to the others, and four authors stepped up.

With an introduction from Leialoha Humpherys and accompanied by poems from Scarlett Luna Strange and Selina De Luca, the short story “A Renewed Hope” grew from the support and encouragement of several author friends.

A Renewed Hope is on sale right now, so be sure to grab it and help support a charity that rescues children from the worst situations and brings hope into their lives.

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Whispers of the Starlit Sea

Whispers of the Starlit Sea is my upcoming Little Mermaid retelling — and I’m so excited to announce that it will be launching on Kickstarter!

I love this book soooo much, and I want to give it the best release possible — and give my readers a chance to get a truly gorgeous edition. Using Kickstarter will allow me to make the best versions of this that I can, as well as bring custom art, additional elements, and an overall amazing experience to readers.

What if the little mermaid didn’t want to leave the sea?
What if the handsome captain wasn’t the prince?
What if magical storms threatened merfolk and human realms alike?

Content with her role as healer’s apprentice, Sorcha has no desire to learn more about the humans that roam on land, not even the man with the captivating voice. But when a powerful storm destroys his ship, she’s the only mermaid close enough to save him — a choice that will cost her everything. Now every step Sorcha takes feels like walking on shattered glass, a painful reminder of her sacrifice.

Arick might be a distant cousin to the crown prince, but he has no claim to the throne. At least, not until he’s thrown into a conspiracy to upset the royal line. Arick is determined to save his cousin’s crown, but he’s bound to the mysterious woman with the strange language who saved him from certain drowning.

As the relentless storms ravage both human and merfolk realms and the counsel demands an answer, Arick and Sorcha must work together to save their people from disaster. But Sorcha’s time is running out and if she doesn’t find a way back to the ocean soon, she and her world will be nothing but seafoam.

Can Sorcha make Arick understand her before it’s too late? Or will the storms rip them apart forever?

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Thank You

Thank you so much for joining me today! I hope you had fun — and don’t forget to share your mermaid name and which character you are in the comments!

If you’d like to stay in touch and learn more about my books, you can sign up for my newsletter (and get a free short story at the same time)!

I can’t wait to get to know you better!

~ Robyn

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