World-building is one of my favorite parts of writing fantasy. For the Mackenzie Green series, I wanted a setting where magic wasn’t a background detail—it was the framework of society. In Mackenzie’s world, technology has disappeared, mythical creatures live among humans, and shifting political tensions threaten the fragile peace between them.
The challenge was to make it feel real. Every magical system, creature, and law in the series had to make sense within its own logic. If a dragon can shape-shift into a human, what rules govern that transformation? If magic can heal, what are its limits?
I also wanted the setting to feel lived-in—like you could walk down a street in GreenRiver and smell the spices from a market stall or hear the distant roar of a gryphon. That meant weaving in small cultural details, from festivals to slang to the way certain communities see outsiders.
For me, the best worlds aren’t just places you read about—they’re places you miss when you close the book. My hope is that readers leave Mackenzie’s world not just entertained, but already planning their next visit.
