Today, for International Women's Day, I want to celebrate a writer who inspired me with her powerful introductions, her female characters that controlled the sphere of their domain, and her entrancing viewpoint of witches, daemons, and vampires.

I picked up the Discovery of a Witch at the suggestion of a friend. Never before had I read a tale with such instant vibrancy that brought the mystical to life in today's context.

But, rather than talk about me, this is a celebration of her. Deborah Harkness allowed her career to inspire her to have a, "What If," question. She was a scholar of history and researched the history of magic and science in Europe. She has received fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies, the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the National Humanities Center. She also received accolades for her historical work from the History of Science Society, the North American Conference on British Studies, and the Longman's/History Today Prize Committee.

What is truly inspiring is her pivot then to creating an internationally bestselling book that debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. Deboarah wove into her stories, historical moments and characters into a context that made them feel tangible today.

So, today I wanted to celebrate this woman that inspired me to reach into a new part of myself, to pivot my focus, to use my current career as inspiration, and to dream.

Thank you for that inspiration Deborah Harkness. Thank you, also, for the many hours of losing myself into Matthew and Diana's tales.