One of the fun things about writing in a shared universe is discovering which characters quietly start asking for more space.
When a Character Needs Her Own Story
That’s exactly what happened with Lena Knox.
Readers of the Knox Agency Chronicles know Lena as Charlotte’s sister, but the two of them are almost opposites in temperament. Charlotte thrives in the chaos and intensity of urban fantasy. Lena… not so much.
She can survive in that world, certainly. But she was never meant to lead stories there. Lena needed room to breathe. And honestly, so did I.
Creating a completely new fantasy world is something I enjoy, but it’s also incredibly time-consuming. Every system, every rule, every bit of history has to be built from the ground up. Instead, I liked the idea of staying in the same universe while exploring a very different corner of it.
That’s where the Green Witch & Thorn Mysteries came from.
Rather than high-stakes urban fantasy or paranormal romance, Lena’s stories live in a slightly quieter place: paranormal cozy mystery. The magic is still there. The danger is still there. But the focus shifts to solving mysteries and protecting the community around her.
Lena’s Kind of Magic
Lena’s magic reflects who she is.
Where other practitioners lean toward power or combat, Lena’s instincts run toward plants, healing, and old green magic. Her work happens in gardens, greenhouses, and herbariums rather than battlefields.
She’s thoughtful. Careful. Kind.
Which makes it even more remarkable that she grew up after a terrible loss.
Both of Lena’s parents were murdered in magical circumstances when she was young. Experiences like that often leave people bitter or hardened. But Lena somehow reached adulthood without losing her compassion. She still believes people are worth protecting.
And that belief becomes one of the driving forces behind the series.
The Familiar She Asked For
Lena also had one very specific request for her stories.
She wanted a familiar.
Now, witches and their familiars share a long tradition in folklore, but I already had an idea of what kind of companion Lena might attract.
Years ago in high school, I knew a Maine Coon cat named Jeremiah. If you’ve never met one, imagine a ginger tomcat. Now make him bigger.
Jeremiah was enormous—and also one of the sweetest cats I’ve ever known. Friendly, affectionate, and endlessly curious about the world.
Thorn is not Jeremiah. But he definitely shares some of that Maine Coon charm. He’s large. Intelligent. Protective. And he has his own complicated past.
A Partnership Born From Loss
Both Lena and Thorn carry losses that shape who they are. Lena lost her parents. Thorn lost his previous human, a mage named Mordecai, who was murdered under magical circumstances.
That shared history creates a quiet understanding between them. Neither of them wants to see others suffer the same fate. So when their paths cross, the bond between witch and familiar begins to form. Not easily, of course.
Thorn has opinions.
And admitting he wants a new human partner is something he would absolutely never say out loud. But sometimes the best partnerships are the ones neither side expected.
📖 Want to see how Lena and Thorn first meet?
Hemlock and Lace, the prequel to the Green Witch & Thorn Mysteries, is available free for newsletter subscribers.
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