Stories where magic simmers
and friendships blaze

Bassett is a small town transformed into a living botanical garden by its local Witch, one enchanted ecosystem per neighborhood, each lush and a little overgrown. It is the kind of place where magic is mundane and the plants have opinions—and where a semi-sentient Eden's Weed might be the most emotionally intelligent thing in the room.

This YA contemporary fantasy follows an anxious, magicless boy, the plant that mirrors his emotional state, and the Witch apprentice who refuses to be anything less than entirely herself. A story about fierce friendships, loud feelings, and the particular cost of keeping it together when everything is falling apart.

Lauren E. Mullen is a New York City–based writer of character-driven fantasy, with a soft spot for stories about fierce friendships, quiet courage, and finding your place in a complicated world. Her work blends magical settings with deeply human questions, inviting readers into spaces where they can feel both seen and swept away on adventure.

A lifelong bookworm and daydreamer, Lauren grew up haunting library shelves and scribbling stories between classes, fencing practice, and far too much homework. Now, she creates the kinds of worlds she once longed to escape into.

When she's not writing, Lauren is probably getting lost in a bookstore, planning her next adventurous getaway, or having long conversations with her cat, Mister Mistoffelees, about the state of the world.