By Las Vegas PRIDE Magazine Staff

A few weeks ago, we were able to take his quill from one hand and the pour spout from the other and really chit-chat with our new Las Vegas author, Brandon Blesi. It was so refreshing to see his passion and excitement about his recent accomplishments!

Shakespeare apparently wrote late into the evenings at a little pub in Stratford-Upon-Avon in Great Britain! So, is this what we expect when we come to see you bartending? A pen in one hand and a bottle in the other!

We have known you for years, but never as an author. When did this “360” occur?

Hello! I’m Brandon Blesi, a Las Vegas local, bartender by day, and, apparently, an author now too. I’ve always lived in stories, whether I’m behind the bar listening to a stranger recount a wild night or curled up somewhere with a good book.

B. R. Brand with his novels The First Spark, and Blood and Shadows

The queer community in Las Vegas has always felt like my people: loud, creative, resilient, and unapologetically themselves. There’s something especially meaningful about building something of your own in a city that never stops moving.

Writing runs in my family. My grandmother published short stories in books and wrote regularly for local newspapers. She was a real writer, and she always encouraged me to create stories of my own. That planted something in me early.

In school, I wrote for competitive speech, which taught me a great deal about how words land with an audience. Later, while living in Los Angeles before moving to Las Vegas, I thought I might become a songwriter. I had plenty of ideas, but the songs never quite made it into the world, and storytelling eventually moved to the back burner.

I think that it is very important to tell people that it is NEVER TOO LATE to start something new. Even if it may be a huge challenge or a dream so big you don’t know how to start it, like your writing! What happened to turn that switch back into MEGA CREATIVE MODE?

Things changed last fall, when I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and learned through research that creative work can help strengthen the brain. I just needed to find the right form, and it turned out to be books. Self-publishing felt like the natural path because it gave me complete creative control over the story, the cover, the tone, everything. I write under the pen name B. R. Brand, and what began as a passion project has become something I’m truly building. I’m not just an author; I’m a one-person publishing house, figuring it out one book at a time.

I write young adult dark fantasy filled with magic, shadows, complicated characters, and worlds where the line between light and dark is often blurred.

Under the name B. R. Brand, my current series includes:

• The First Spark
• Blood and Shadows: The Chronicles of Ollie & Max

I love self-publishing because it helps readers discover my books quickly and gives authors like me a direct connection to our audience. Standing out can be difficult in a crowded digital world, but I enjoy the challenge.

You have always been tall, dark, and handsome, mysteriously quiet (at times), but always a true spirit! What are your inspirations as an author, and where are you taking this unleashed talent?

Some of my biggest literary influences include mystery, thriller, magic, and suspense. A few standout favorites are:

• Love Lies Bleeding by Susan Wittig Albert
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
• Books centered on magic and mystery

There’s a lot ahead. I’m continuing the B. R. Brand series, with the third book in the trilogy coming out later this year. I also have several new projects in the works across different genres; because, apparently, one fictional world isn’t enough for me.

Right now, I’m working on a dark mystery thriller as well as an LGBTQ+ themed short-story collection; something that might earn a spot on your coffee table. If you’d like to pick up The First Spark or Blood and Shadows, you can find them on Amazon by searching for B. R. Brand. And if you happen to see me behind the bar, you might just catch me talking about my books between pours.

This article was originally published in the 2026 Summer, Arts & Entertainment issue of Las Vegas PRIDE Magazine, and can be read in its original format here.