"She felt removed from everything, a sleepwalker who had stepped off the path of normal life and into the forest where anything could happen."
(Holly Black, Valiant)

My name is Kate Winter. I am a writer, artist and ritualist originally from New England, now living in Eugene, Oregon. I am the author of Kharis: Hellenic Polytheism Explored as well as several published articles on paganism, and the co-owner of the devotional website Wildivine.org. I hold a degree in comparative mythology and ritual from Goddard College. You can learn more about me on my main website, Winterscapes.com.

I have been interested in these types of stories my whole life, though I'd say the idea of Girls Underground first began to form in my mind due to my obsession with the movie Labyrinth as a young teenager. I started noticing how many of my favorite books and movies followed a similar pattern, and thus the theory was born. I have been collecting examples of the storyline and researching its roots in mythology and fairy tales for several years, and am currently compiling this information in hopes of someday creating a book on the subject.

Some of my favorite authors include Neil Gaiman, Charles de Lint, Nick Bantock, Holly Black, Ursula K. LeGuin, and Lewis Carroll. Other books on my favorites list include The Secret History by Donna Tartt, Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis, and Little Big by John Crowley. I also especially love the genre of young adult fantasy, which is the primary category of books in the Girls Underground archetype.

If you have suggestions, story examples, questions, or anything else to share with me, please email me.