Bad Magic and Whiskey
by Melissa Jacobson
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Pub Date 10 Aug 2025 | Archive Date 31 Aug 2025
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Description
Mary Catherine "Mick" Kelly McClellan—swore off bad magic a decade ago. Mostly.
Now widowed, in 1880, this former supernatural Pinkerton agent is scraping by on a dusty homestead in Trinidad, Colorado. But her pigs are mysteriously dying, her money’s run dry, and she's desperate. So when a rookie agent from the Bureau of Magical Investigations shows up promising cash in exchange for exposing supernatural wrongdoings in Las Vegas, New Mexico, Mick’s tempted—by the money, and maybe by a shot at redemption.
But Las Vegas is a town on the edge—women are dying, their magic stripped. Someone’s playing a long, dark game, reeking of bad magic that could devour the entire West. And when Mick starts asking questions, her blood-soaked past comes calling. To stop it, she’ll have to face the consequences of her violent history—and the power she promised never to use again.
A great read for fans of Red Rabbit, the Gunnie Rose series, or Netflix's Godless.
A Note From the Publisher
Trigger warning: Story contain an animal death, swearing and some graphic violence. There is no romance or spice.
Marketing Plan
Target Audience
Primary Demographics
Core Audience: Gritty Dark Fantasy/Gothic Horror Enthusiast (25-45)
• Age Range: 25-45, skewing toward older millennials and Gen X
• Gender: Primarily women, with strong crossover appeal to men who enjoy atmospheric horror and strong female protagonists
• Location: North America (especially US), with global English-speaking SFF fandom reach
• Occupation: Graphic designers, librarians, teachers, IT professionals, creatives who appreciate atmospheric storytelling
Growth Audience: The Reflective Antihero Enthusiast (30-50)
• Age Range: 38+ (graduate-educated professionals)
• Gender: Any (leaning female/nonbinary)
• Location: Urban areas with active literary/arts communities
• Occupation: Therapists, teachers, writers, social justice workers
Pain Points & Media Consumption
Core Audience:
• Pain Points: Exploring options to young adult-focused fantasy; tired of romance-heavy supernatural series; looking formature protagonists with real consequences for their choices
• Media: Urban fantasy/paranormal communities, Buffy/Supernatural TV fandoms, BookTok accounts featuring adult UF, follows ‘OG’ authors like Patricia Briggs, Ilona Andrews, early Laurell K. Hamilton
• Discovery: Goodreads urban fantasy lists, "mature protagonist" recommendations, paranormal fantasy book groups, author newsletter
Comparable Readers
• Red Rabbit/Rose of Jericho (Alex Grecian) - Supernatural Western horror with dark atmosphere and violence
• The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (Shannon Chakraborty) - Older female action hero with magical elements and morally complex past
• Gunnie Rose series (Charlaine Harris) - Supernatural Western with strong female lead in historically male vocation
• Netflix's Godless - Western with complex women and historical grit
• The Priory of the Orange Tree (Samantha Shannon) - Epic fantasy with mature female protagonists facing second-act challenges
Keywords & Discoverability
Primary Keywords
• Genre: Historical dark fantasy, gothic horror Western, atmospheric horror
• Character: Morally gray heroine, midlife action hero, second-act protagonist, haunted warrior
• Setting: 1880s American West, hidden magical world, frontier gothic
• Themes: Magic with consequences, redemption arc, atmospheric dread, supernatural horror
Secondary Keywords
• Tropes: All myths are true, hidden magic, reluctant hero returns, death magic
• Tone: Gritty historical fantasy, atmospheric horror, gothic Western, psychological supernatural
• Audience: Adult dark fantasy, women's dark fantasy, historical paranormal
Tropes
• Complex morally gray FMC over 30
• Second act heroine/midlife protagonist
• Magic comes with a price/consequences
• Gothic horror atmosphere
• Death magic/dark power themes
• First person POV dark fantasy
• Historical gothic fantasy
• Anti-romance (romance is secondary)
• Atmospheric supernatural Western
• Psychological horror elements
Growth Audience Appeals:
• Atmospheric introspective fantasy
• Redemption arc with emotional weight
• Literary dark fantasy with moral complexity
• Mature fantasy with consequences
• Gothic horror with substance
• Trauma and healing narratives
Primary Themes
Power and Corruption
• Mick wrestles with the fundamental question: does wielding death magic inevitably corrupt the wielder?
• Her decade-long abstinence from magic reflects deep fear that power transforms people into monsters
• The narrative explores whether power itself corrupts, or whether it reveals who we already are
• Appeals to readers questioning authority, personal responsibility, and the ethics of strength
Consequences and Accountability
• Past deeds cast long shadows - Mick's violent history as a "Gleaner" haunts her present
• Every use of death magic exacts a cost, both supernatural and psychological
• The story examines how we live with choices that can't be undone
• Resonates with readers grappling with guilt, regret, and the weight of past decisions
Acceptance and Integration
• Mick's journey from denial to acceptance of her true nature and abilities
• Must embrace her power - not despite its darkness, but because of her responsibility to use it wisely
• Growth comes through integration of all aspects of self, including the frightening parts
• Appeals to readers interested in psychological wholeness and authentic self-acceptance
Redemption Through Action
• True redemption requires using the very power she fears to protect others
• Past sins can't be erased, but present choices can give them meaning
• Heroism isn't about being pure - it's about doing right despite personal cost
• Speaks to readers seeking hope that past mistakes don't define future worth
Unique Selling Propositions
What Makes This Book Special
• Death magic with moral weight - Mick's "Gleaner" abilities harvest life force, exploring power's emotional and ethical cost rather than glorifying it
• Mature Western heroine - 42-year-old former Pinkerton agent, not a young woman discovering her power but an experienced warrior confronting her past
• Authentic 1880s setting with supernatural twist - Real historical figures and locations (Trinidad, Colorado /Las Vegas, New Mexico) blended with hidden magical world
• Genre innovation - Historical urban fantasy that treats Western frontier as familiar world made fantastical
Competitive Advantages
• Pioneering "New World Fantasy" trend - Part of emerging movement exploring New World historical magic alongside Red Rabbit, Mexican Gothic, Gunnie Rose
• Unique protagonist demographics - Midlife female action hero in American frontier setting
• Fresh alternative to Victorian fantasy saturation - American West offers rich, underutilized supernatural landscape
• Authentic historical research - Real frontier locations, fictionalized real historical characters and period details ground the fantasy elements in American history
• Cross-audience appeal - Attracts both urban fantasy fans seeking mature protagonists and historical fantasy readers wanting New World settings
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9798992513929 |
| PRICE | US$5.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 337 |
Available on NetGalley
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