About Hekate's Thresholds

In 2006 I wrote a paper comparing George Eliot’s Middlemarch, which is a sprawling 300,000-word, 800+ page novel exploring several interconnected couples and their roles in society, with that of Sophie Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic. I know, super sophisticated, right? But actually, that 4.0 paper planted a seed that would take nearly twenty years to germinate, only to burst nearly fully formed out of my fingers during the course of nine months, much like Athena. Which, seeing it on the page, seems rather gruesome, but I digress. 

When I started writing Bree’s story, it started out small and simple. A lighthearted rom-com about meeting a celebrity crush from her childhood. As I fleshed out Bree and Leo, the more they took control of their own narrative. The decisions they made changed the story, for the better, and soon I realized that I too was embarking on my own sprawling landscape of interconnected stories. 

What I didn’t know as I sat down at my computer back in March of 2026, was that I was standing at a threshold, and I fucking jumped. Well, actually, I tripped.

Hekate is the goddess of witchcraft and magic, and she presides over these thresholds. She will fucking push you if you hesitate. She also presides over the night and the moon, ruling over ghosts and necromancy. She is associated with guiding Persephone through the darkness with her flaming torches and becomes her companion during her journeys between the Underworld and the world above. Sometimes she’s depicted carrying a torch or in triple form as the goddess of crossroads. The triple moon goddess - Queen Hekate. She has many names and comes in many forms, but she’s a powerful and wise witch.

As the primary goddess of witchcraft, self-discovery, and spiritual transformation, my working relationship with Hekate has in itself been an adventure. She’s a relentless guide and finds the most inopportune times to speak to me, whispering another direction a scene could go while I’m in the shower or just seconds away from falling asleep. I’ve even had to invest in waterproof paper, just in case the thoughts disappear somewhere between me stepping out of the shower and returning to my computer.

Victorian literature might have been my first love, but my stories don’t stick to the traditional Marriage Plot, thank Goddess! That isn’t to say some of my characters don’t end up married, but that’s not the end goal, right? I’m far more fascinated writing about complicated people falling in love. 

As my characters began to emerge from the cobwebs in my mind, I was struck by how spectacularly horrible they were at understanding their own feelings, while being capable, intelligent adults. Romance to me is boring without equal amounts of heat and humor. Sex is a part of their relationships and not a detour from the story or a reward for saying the right thing. Relationships develop and change through their sexual connection. The humor doesn’t have to leave the room just because someone turned up the temperature. 

Another thing that is woven within the narrative is Magic. It doesn’t drive the plot, but rather exists alongside it, allowing for the occasional supernatural intervention. Because, sometimes we just need a ghost to nudge us along.

Which brings me right back to Hekate and her crossroads. 

Every character in this series finds themselves standing at a threshold of some kind. Sometimes they know exactly what’s waiting for them on the other side. Other times, they don’t have a fucking clue. Sometimes they didn’t even realize there was a door until they stumble down the stairs.

That’s the thing about crossroads, isn’t it? There’s no map to tell you which direction to choose. Left or right? Or maybe venture off the beaten path. A crossroads just serves as a natural stopping place, allowing us to decide what happens next.

And while Hekate might be standing watch with her torches nearby, she isn’t going to offer you much help. She’ll gladly illuminate the possibilities, but the next step is only for you to decide.