Lisa A. Barnett, fiction writer who created worlds of fantasy

Mysterious wizards, an astrological crisis, and children vanishing without a trace. In the mystery-meets-fantasy worlds that came alive in Lisa A. Barnett's writing, the vivid details made much of the fictional material seem real.

In her blog, however, Ms. Barnett presented the stark reality of her battle with breast cancer and a metastatic brain tumor, sprinkling in humor as she documented her physical decline.

The Dorchester native died Tuesday at her home in Portsmouth, N.H. She was 47.

Ms. Barnett and Melissa Scott, her partner of 27 years, set their books in a fantastic universe, where theater, murder mystery, and astrology are intertwined.

''Lisa's real skill was that she found the things that really grounded a world that made you believe it," said Scott.

In ''The Armor of Light" (1988), it is the summer of 1593 and the Queen of England's annual horoscope suggests that something disastrous is about to occur. The Queen's champion, Sir Philip Sidney, tries to help the King of Scots, who is threatened by a plot involving witchcraft.

In ''Point of Hopes" (1995), a pointsman, or detective, is put in charge of finding out why children are vanishing from a town.

And in ''Point of Dreams" (2001), an actor's body is found between rehearsals for the popular play, ''The Drowned Island," which has captivated the city of Astreiant.

The two writers worked separately, with Ms. Barnett focusing largely on the characters' voices.

''She just had a gift for the right language," Scott said. ''She was more attuned to the language of how people spoke."

At times, they would disagree about a plot twist, or in at least one case the placement of a comma. Their solution: put the debate on hold until they were out to dinner at a restaurant, where it could not escalate. It worked every time, Scott said. In that one comma debate (Scott thought a comma was appropriate, Ms. Barnett did not), Scott said, ''it took me 15 years to realize that she was right," Scott said.

After graduating from the University of Massachusetts at Boston with a bachelor's degree in English, Ms. Barnett worked at Baker's Plays before being hired by Heinemann publishing company in 1988.

Ms. Barnett was fascinated by the world of the theater and wanted to help professionals in the business pass along the tricks of their trade in a series of books she would eventually edit.

Over the years, she edited plays and collections of monologues, as well as practical guides to the professional world of theater, written by those who practiced and taught the trade.

''She was a very hands-on editor," Scott said. ''She was really willing and eager to work with people to help shape a book, to make it happen and to really work with writers. 'What are you actually trying to say? What audience are you trying to reach? How can we best communicate to that audience?' "

From time to time she would take a day or two off -- as encouraged by the company -- to take care of horses rescued by Equine Protection of North America. Her father, a carpenter, had constructed a wooden horse, with a furry mane -- a favorite childhood toy that later sparked her interest in all things equine.

''Her enthusiasm just amazed me," her sister, Dorothy Keller of Brighton, said.

In more recent years, she channeled her creative energies toward her blog. Three years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer; the blog served as a way for her to keep her writing fresh.

''It's not that I'm facing writer's block, it's just it seems as though my imagination has gone into hiding," she wrote in one entry. ''Not that I can blame it! Two years of dealing with breast cancer and the single (thank god!) brain metastasis would seem to be ample cause for ANYTHING to go into hiding. So maybe this blog will help coax it out of hiding. Not so much blogging as therapy as blogging as exercise for muscles long unused."

''Lisa just really had that spark," Keller said.

Ms. Barnett also leaves another sister, Noralie of Dorchester; a brother, Bruce of Dorchester; and two nephews, Eric and Thomas Keller of Brighton.

Services will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. in Remick & Gendron Funeral Home-Crematory in Hampton, N.H.