A lot of people ask me why I write about women in their sixties finding adventure. But, you say, isn’t fantasy supposed to be all about the young and shiny – the fiery young sorceress, or the chosen one who’s barely out of school? The chosen one who hasn’t yet paid a mortgage or survived a bad boss? Well, no. Not in my world
What happens when the call to adventure comes later in life? What if the every-day heroine is sixty, grieving, and unsure where she belongs in the world?
That’s where Olivia’s journey in The Chic Crone begins. Widowed, broke, and suddenly the owner of a mysterious house in the enchanted village of Rowanswood, she isn’t exactly the picture of a fresh-faced adventurer. And yet her story reminds us that magic doesn’t come with an expiry date.
Reinvention in the second (or third) act
For many of us, midlife can feel like a crossroads. Our children have grown, our career has often plateaued, relationships change – sometimes dramatically (there was that time I blew up my life in my early forties in a spectacular mid-life meltdown.)
But as Olivia discovers, those moments of upheaval can be the very soil where transformation takes root. Instead of fading into the background, she steps into a new role: one filled with ancient enemeties, magical tea shops, and unexpected allies.
Reclaiming the Crone
Let’s start with that word: Crone. It’s usually said as an insult, isn’t it? A hunched old woman with a crooked nose and a cackle. The archetype of the Crone is so much more. She’s the wise woman. The one who’s lived through it all, who understands that life has cycles of growth, loss, rebirth. She carries hard-earned power and isn’t afraid to use it. That’s why Olivia, in The Chic Crone, isn’t a fading character on the margins. She’s front and center. She doesn’t just inherit a house; she inherits a destiny. And whether she likes it or not, resisting change is futile
Why Later-in-Life Heroines Matter
I discovered that heroines over the age of sixty are thin on the ground. My research only turned up a handful of series with them. And yet, in Canada and the US over approximately 17% of women are over the age of 65. Millions and millions of women who don’t see their age group proportionately represented in books!
Here’s another thing: Stories like The Chic Crone resonate because they remind us that our lives don’t have to shrink as we age, they can expand. Adventure, love, and self-discovery aren’t just for the under-30s. They’re for all of us. In a world where society often overlooks women past fifty, seeing a sixty-year-old heroine step into the limlight is both refreshing and empowering.
And I’ll be honest—this isn’t just fiction for me. In my sixties, as a recovering corporate executive, I took the leap to pivot into writing full-time. I’m not going to pretend it was easy.It felt like stepping off a cliff and there were some very touch-and-go moments as I learned to operate in a ‘new normal’.
But coffee, chocolate and good friends have kept me (relatively) sane and I’ve never looked back.
Is It Ever Too Late for Magic?
Absolutely not. If anything, magic finds us when we’re finally ready to embrace it. Sometimes that magic comes in the form of new friendship. Sometimes it’s a long-buried gift that resurfaces. And sometimes it’s simply the courage to start over. And courage is just fear with high heels and red lipstick strutting out the door and doing what needs to be done.
So, is it ever too late for magic?
Not a chance.
Now it’s your turn — have you reinvented yourself at a new stage of life? I’d love to hear about the magic you’ve discovered along the way. Drop a comment below.
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