I often get asked—mostly by prospective fan-artists—exactly what each of my characters look like. So here they are! Subject to change, of course.

CHARACTER & SETTING DESCRIPTIONS

Bob (a.k.a. Violet, a.k.a. the Exiled Princess, a.k.a. the Iron Witch)

Age: approximately 1200 (middle-aged for a fairy)

Aromantic

Fairy (so, long pointed ears and funky coloring)

She/her

Around 5’11”, works out but isn’t doing any bodybuilding competitions. Likes shiny things.

Agnostic pagan

“She was another fairy, with lavender skin and near-black hair neatly tied back in a ponytail. She wore her hat right-side forward, and somehow managed to look prim and proper in an apron and jeans. The mesh scarf delicately looped around her neck that shone with gold probably helped.

Unlike the young man, she did not have a nametag. JC knew better than to ask, but since they had to call her something, they mentally titled her Bob.”

—Heart of Iron, working draft

Cyrus (a.k.a. Blue)

Age: 300ish (considered in the same range as 19-20-year-old for a fairy)

Biromantic asexual

Fairy (so, long pointed ears and funky coloring)

he/him

At least 6’1”

Agnostic pagan

“The employee was undeniably a fairy, with that brightly colored, marbling skin and large pointy ears. In this case, he had bright blue skin and gray-white marbling. Fluffy indigo hair peeked out of the bottom of his black hat, which he wore backwards, his bangs sticking out of the gap of the hat’s back. To top it off, he’d covered both the hat and apron with pins: ace pride flag, bisexual pride flag, “single AF,” “totally Fae,” “just stab them” a coffeepot atop a stack of books, etc.

Honestly, if it weren’t for the book pin, JC would’ve pegged him as a jock. Those arms and shoulders had been earned. Football, maybe? Or basketball?

He definitely wasn’t in any type of dance. While he swayed and quietly sang along to the Miley Cyrus song bopping on the speakers, it was completely off-beat.”

—Heart of Iron, working draft

Jennifer Charles (a.k.a JC)

Age: 27

Nonbinary bisexual

Human

they/them (AMAB)

5’6” and scrawny

Atheist

White, with skin that sunburns easily. Fluffy brown hair that’s kept between chin and shoulder length, sometimes pulled back in a bun. Wears either gender-neutral or feminine clothes (when they have pockets). Clean-shaven; they cannot stand having any sort of beard or shadow.

In the book, they’re diabetic.

“JC showed up on their first day of work five minutes early, slightly sweaty and nauseous from the bike ride from the bus stop, in khakis and their favorite jean jacket. It had been worn, washed, and re-worn so much it was practically butter and had their nonbinary pin in pride of place.”

—Heart of Iron, working draft

Nicole

Age: 28

Sapphic/lesbian

Human

she/her

5’8ish

Nichiren Buddhist

Other notable identities: Black, witch, autistic

“Damn, JC thought. She cute.

They had always liked their partners big and soft, like cuddly, squishy teddy bears. This pear-shaped goddess was also in flannel, making her even more cuddly-looking: the old, oversized red and black sweater flecked with constellations of old paint. Dark locs escaped from a high bun and curled into her round chin, her gloved fingers tapping a hasty pattern on the shoulder handle of her laptop bag.

Why she was wearing gloves and a flannel sweater in summer, JC had no idea. But they weren’t going to question it.”

—Heart of Iron, working draft

Husniya

Age: mid-30s

Pansexual

Human

she/her

5’7”

Muslim

Other notable identities: Middle Eastern American (One side of the family came from Iran, another from Afghanistan. Both immigrated to the US, where Husniya was born a while later.)

Hijabi, so she only ever shows her face and hands. In casual settings she usually has a more “modern American” look (re: jeans, sweater, that kind of thing). When she glams up, she typically goes with an abaya or other traditional wear. No makeup, but she has a weakness for sparkles!

Rethu

Age: 350ish (considered young for a dragon)

Demisexual, demiromantic, genderfluid

Dragon

Pronouns change daily between she/her, he/him, and they/them.

6’5” as a human, not including the horns

Jewish

In dragon form, they’re about the size of a school bus (not including the tail). Their scales are gray, going black at the wings, tail, horns, and claws.

In human form, they can present as any gender (so when they’re feeling masculine, their human form “passes” as a man, same with feminine and androgynous looks, but it’s not always “matching,” so it’s always best to ask their daily pronouns). They’ve got pale skin that looks almost gray, and they keep the horns, wings, and tail—they get pinched otherwise.

Drek

Age: 17

Gay

Goblin (half)

he/him

3’6”

Religious identity unknown and unexplored

Other notable identities: ADHD

Typically goblins have massive eyes, like deep sea fish, that allow them to see perfectly underground. As Drek is only half goblin, his eyes are closer to human size. He still gets light sensitivity when he’s outside (even on a cloudy day), but he usually doesn’t have to wear sunglasses inside. His skin is red, going pink in a few areas, and his horns taper off into black.

Oscar

Age: 150ish

Demisexual, possibly bi?

Seraph

he/him

5’6”

Religiously devout, mostly Christian, but nondenominational.

Oscar is able to pass as a human, thanks to an enchanted cross necklace that hides the large white wings that sprout from his back. As a “human,” he looks to be in his 50s/60s, with pale skin and pale, graying hair. Likes to wear light-colored clothes.

What gives him away is the soft glow emanating from his skin. Seraphim’s light powers are fueled by emotion, most notably joy and anger. Oscar, being a perpetually cheerful person, usually has a little light leaking out of him that gets brighter when he hears particularly good news (or is in a rare state of wrath).

Erik

Age: 29

Cishet

1/4 demon

he/him

5’11”

Catholic

Being only a quarter demon, Erik could pass as a complete human if he covered his horns. They’re small, almost looking like bone extensions. He keeps his dark hair in a mullet. Average build.

Caroline (a.k.a. Yarn Granny)

Age: late 60s/early 70s

Cishet

Human

she/her

5’8”

Christian

“Her long gray hair was kept back in a ponytail, and she always had a handmade scarf wrapped around her neck, no matter the weather. Tonight’s was warm orange with a cream trim. Her skill with a crochet hook was matched by few Violet had ever met, which was why she ran Yarn Granny’s Shop on Main Street, just half a block away from CaFae Latte.”

—Heart of Iron, working draft

Andrew (“Andy”) (a.k.a. Vet Grandpa)

Age: late 60s/early 70s

Cishet

human

he/him

6’2”

Christian

““’Evening, Miss Violet. Blue. Hope we weren’t interruptin’ anything,” said Chief Andrew “call me Andy” Moore, scraping the mud from his boots. His head had been gray and balding since he and his wife moved up from Mississippi. He usually covered it with a highlighter yellow baseball cap, the logo of the town’s volunteer fire department worn and beaten. Given the mud stains on the cargo pants, he’d just come back from a shift. Despite being chief of his fellow volunteers, he refused to stay behind a desk.”

—Heart of Iron, working draft

Janine

Age: just over 200

Trans woman

Vampire

she/her

5’10”

Religion unknown

Long red hair. Very pale skin. Usually wears black. Doesn’t look like she can bench-press a truck, but vampiric super strength is a marvelous thing. She was turned in her mid- to late-20s (right after the Mexican-American War).

Patrick

Age: 150ish (about early/mid 20s for a werewolf)

Cishet

Werewolf

he/him

6’2”

Religion unknown

Patrick is half Irish, half Lakota. He’s a geek, he’s built like a tank, and is a very hairy human, with brown hair that he keeps short (much to his indigenous family’s consternation). In wolf form, his fur his brown and gray.

Mike the Witch

Age: late 30s

Cishet

Human

he/him

5’10”

Pagan

Kind of got a “Midwestern farmer” look, mostly because he grew up on a Midwestern farm. He’s married with a 3-year-old daughter.

Lindsey (a.k.a. the Kitchen Witch, a.k.a. the Fourth Street Witch)

Age: late 20s

Sexuality unknown

Human

she/her

5’7”

Pagan(?)

Wears sweaters and layers, originally to better hide herself. Now she does it “because it’s Minnesota and I’m cold!” White woman with curly hair.

Tooth Fairy

Age: unknown

Sexuality unknown

Fae

she/her

5’9”

Religion unknown

Other notable identities: mute (in the books she’ll be deaf)

Oh, look! Another character I haven’t fully fleshed out. So I’ll make Toothie a wild card. Fairies have crazy skin-coloring: Bob is purple, Cyrus is blue with white marbling, the villain in Heart of Iron has a mix of reds, yellows, and dark greens, his sorceress lieutenant is pitch black with some silver marbling, etc. (“Marbling” is kind of like the fairy version of freckles.)

So for Tooth Fairy, go nuts.

CaFae Latte

“Main Street was, according to the informative plaques along the river, the oldest part of town. The old-school brick buildings spread from the shadow of the pale blue Mississippi Street bridge, which crossed the wide, calm river and spewed cars toward the Cities. There were half a dozen antique stores, a few restaurants, a yarn shop, a beauty parlor, some boutiques with price tags that made JC cringe, and the cafe. JC had applied for jobs at all of them. Only the cafe had invited them for an interview.

JC locked the bike on a street lamp just outside CaFae Latte. It had some outdoor seating, which a half dozen customers were taking full advantage of, especially since the summer sun was behind the building, putting them in shade. The modern logo—a silhouetted winged fairy pouring “CaFae Latte” over a lavender stain—clashed and yet somehow complimented the old-style brick building. A couple of tables were set near the windows inside, holding a few more customers, and JC breathed easier when they saw the Progress Pride flag sticker by the door.

[…]

Inside was a surprisingly ordinary cafe, considering who ran the place. It was just small enough to be cozy, with couches and cushions with few stains on the protective, earth-colored covers. All tables and chairs were made of dark wood, the cream-colored walls cluttered with photographs spanning every decade cameras were a thing, along with a handful of paintings and other bright artworks, mostly purple or lavender, like pockets of wildflowers in a warm forest. The entire front of the house was windows instead of walls, bringing natural light into the room and making the light bulbs hanging from the ceiling almost unnecessary.

[…]

The menus were dark brown with white lettering, and JC scanned a bunch of drinks like coffee, cappuccino, mochas, something called an arcane rush, a list of toppings that included cinnamon, vanilla, pixie dust, unicorn blood, eldritch blood…”

—Heart of Iron, working draft

Stoughton Street Coven

The Stoughton Street Witches operate out of a converted farmhouse on the edge of town they got in the 1960s. Outside, they use the land to plant a variety of magical plants. The two-story house is painted yellow with a white trim. Inside, it looks a lot more witchy, but is still cozy. Bookshelves of spellbooks and supplies, a kitchen full of tools and ingredients, lots of candles, comfy chairs in the living room for people to sit and wait or just talk, etc.