Bad Magic and Whiskey
by Melissa Jacobson
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Pub Date Aug 10 2025 | Archive Date Aug 31 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+
• 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 | $5.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 337 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Stephen G, Reviewer
I enjoyed this book. The story itself was excellent, with a good and consistent magic system. I loved the characters, both the protagonists and the antagonists. The pacing was excellent and the book kept me enthralled from start to finish. I look forward to reading more books in the series. Thank you to Netgalley and Blackridge Publishing, LLC for the advance reader copy.
Sydney M, Reviewer
gritty historical fantasy where the Wild West meets dark sorcery. In 1880 Colorado, former Pinkerton death mage Mick Kelly swore off bad magic years ago but when her farm fails and a Bureau of Magical Investigations agent offers her a dangerous job in Las Vegas, New Mexico, she’s drawn back into the shadows. Women are dying, their magic stolen, and the trail reeks of a power that could consume the West. To stop it, Mick must confront her violent past and wield the very magic she vowed never to touch again. All I can say is hell yeah brother lol. Loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. #bookrecs #bookrecs #reader #bookstagram
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