Spring always feels like a fresh start, and this year it seems to be showing up everywhere I look.
I’ve been hard at work on the first book in the Green Witch and Thorn Mysteries, and I’m happy to say it’s going well. I’m about six chapters in and on track to meet my publishing deadlines, which always feels like a small miracle in itself.
Of course, writing a green witch means diving deep into the world of herbs—both their medicinal uses and their magical properties. There has been a lot of research involved. (Green witch, after all. It would be suspicious if there wasn’t.)
That research has been spilling over into real life, too.
A Garden in Full Swing
Our garden is in full swing right now. Blueberries, raspberries, hibiscus, gardenia, marigolds, and a growing collection of herbs have all made their way into the soil. It’s been a bit of a plant fest over here.
We added some climbing trellises and two wildflower planters, so it’s all taking shape nicely. We also moved the bird feeder, hopefully putting it out of Gustav the Squirrel’s reach.
The Helpers (Whether I Asked for Them or Not)
Naturally, Lilly has been helping.
Her version of “help” involves lounging in freshly turned dirt and conducting what I can only describe as aggressive plant inspections. The plants tend to come out of these encounters looking a little worse for wear, but so far, they’ve all survived. I remain cautiously optimistic.
Pye, on the other hand, prefers to supervise from a safe distance. I’m fairly certain I’ve caught her giving Lilly the feline equivalent of a disapproving head shake more than once, but she doesn’t interfere—as long as Lilly stays out of her personal space.
Jack and Bennie are enjoying the warmer weather as well, though Jack does so at a much slower pace these days. He’s getting close to fifteen now, which is quite elderly for a chihuahua. He’s even starting to go a little bald, which I didn’t realize dogs did outside of medical issues (don’t worry—he’s been checked and is perfectly healthy otherwise).
I do think he may be dealing with a bit of doggy dementia, though, which has been hard to watch. We’re taking things one day at a time and making sure he knows he’s loved. He’s earned that and more.
Where It All Comes Together
On the writing side, all of this—plants, research, and even the quiet moments—has been feeding back into Lena’s world in ways I didn’t fully expect. There’s something grounding about working with both real and fictional magic at the same time, and I’ve been enjoying the process more than I can easily put into words.
So that’s life on my porch right now—growing things, on the page and off.
📖 Start the Green Witch & Thorn Mysteries here
If you’d like to meet Lena and her very opinionated familiar, Thorn, you can grab Hemlock and Lace—a short prequel to the series—free when you join my newsletter.
What about you? What are you reading lately? How are things going in your corner of the world?