Blog Tour Guest Post & Giveaway - The Magick of Dark Root by April Aasheim

The Magick of Dark Root

Daughters of Dark Root

Book Two

by April Aasheim

Genre: Paranormal, Women’s Fiction

Publisher: Dark Root Press

Date of Publication: June 3, 2014

Number of pages: 330 pages

Word Count: 88,000

Cover Artist: AnneMarie Buhl and Greg Jensen

Book Description:

“There are rules that must be followed, Maggie.”

“Even in witchcraft?”

“Especially in witchcraft. What someone puts into the world comes back to them.”

“You mean karma?”

“Like karma, yes. But for a witch it comes back threefold. Never forget that.”

“That doesn’t seem fair.”

“Who said life was fair?”

In the second installment of The Daughters of Dark Root series, Maggie Maddock and her sisters are back, training under their coven-leading mother Miss Sasha Shantay to take over as the new leaders of The Council. But life isn’t as smooth as Maggie had hoped it would be. Harvest Home’s taxes have come due, and her mother’s illness has returned, stronger than ever.

Desperate, Maggie and Eve devise a scheme to make money through witchcraft.

And that’s when things go terribly wrong.

Buy Links:

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GUEST POST

FAQs on The Daughters of Dark Root Series by April Aasheim

For today’s post I thought I’d answer some of my ‘frequently asked questions’ regarding the Daughters of Dark Root series. Hopefully this will add to the fun of those who’ve already read the books and also create a bit of juicy curiosity for those who haven’t yet read the books.

Q: Why is The Magick of Dark Root shorter than the The Witches of Dark Root?

The Magick of Dark Root is 85,000 words. That’s about 20,000 words less than the first book: The Witches of Dark Root. Book two is shorter because it’s a different story than the first. I let a story tell me where it wants to start and where it needs to end. I don’t try and squeeze in extra words just to keep a certain number in mind.

Also, The Witches of Dark Root laid the groundwork for the series. I had to take more time with the setup, the characters, and the setting. The Magick of Dark Root already had everything in place. I was able to just go in and play.

Q: Is Jason coming back?

This question always makes me smile. For those who aren’t aware, Jason was a character from the first book: The Witches of Dark Root. He was Maggie’s good looking and sweet friend and confidante. There was an obvious attraction between Jason and Maggie but their relationship was sweetly platonic.

I like to think of Jason as that person that most women have had in their lives, a man who could have been your brother but in an alternate universe could have been so much more. He made Maggie feel attractive and validated and special, even as her own relationship with Michael was crumbling. He was perfect to me just as he was. I felt a bit of heartbreak when they didn’t get together. But if they had, hey, there would be no Dark Root story.

As for coming back, well, I’m only two books into the series so you never know. I can tell you that Jason has a back story that that might lead him back to Dark Root one day. Only time and several more books will tell.

Q: Why would Maggie (a witch) join a religious cult?

Maggie and her sisters may be witches, but they aren’t part of any religious group or organization. Though it’s never expressly stated, Miss Sasha (the girl’s mother) isn’t against religion. She actually believes in a little bit of everything. She just doesn’t agree with how some people put their beliefs into practice.

As for why Maggie ran away, I can only say that she was young and rebellious and wanted to get away from everything familiar, like a lot of young women (and men). Sometimes you need to go outside your normal world to find yourself, before you can come back. 

Q: Why do you use the terms Magic and Magick?

These two terms overlap and at times can be interchangeable. When I use the word ‘Magic’ I’m speaking of the energy around us, the things that happen by seeming coincidence, serendipity, love, etc. All the wonder of the normal world. Magick (with a k) is used when someone (or something) uses that natural energy to alter something. If someone is working a spell, creating a charm, casting a curse, or deliberately drawing on the energy of Dark Root, I use the term Magick.

Q: Why does Aunt Dora talk differently than the others?

That’s a mystery the reader will just have to wait to find out. Perhaps in my third novel: The Curse of Dark Root, we will learn more about Aunt Dora. Until then, my lips are sealed.

Q: How many books do you intend to write in this series?

Originally there was just going to be the one, but as I wrote The Witches of Dark Root I realized that the story of Maggie and her sisters, her mother and aunt, her father and extended family, and the whole history of Dark Root couldn’t be contained to just one book. There are many secrets and mysteries about the town and it will take a while to unveil them all. I plan to write at least two more: The Curse of Dark Root and The Children of Dark Root. There may also be a companion novella at some point detailing the missing chapters of the sister’s lives. Until then I hope readers continue to enjoy and talk about the first two books. I know I’ve had tons of fun writing them.

About the Author

April Aasheim considers herself an ‘expert’ in the paranormal. Her mother dabbled in the occult and her father was a martial artist who believed that true power came from an unseen energy that you could tap into.

As a child, April claims to have lived in a haunted house and to have been visited by relatives who had passed on. To combat her frightening experiences, April spent her youth studying world religion including Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. Later, April branched out in her studies with a focus on psychology, anthropology, sociology, and the paranormal.

April is married with children and currently resides in Portland, Oregon where she spends her days writing, watching movies, and attending Zumba classes at her local gym.

The Magick of Dark Root is the second in The Daughters of Dark Root series, and her third novel.

Author Links:

Goodreads ¦ Facebook ¦ Blog ¦ Twitter ¦ Website

***GIVEAWAY***

1 Signed copy of The Magick of Dark Root paperback

1Ten Dollar Amazon Gift Card (sent to FB page or mailed to home address)

1 5 Dollar Starbucks Gift Card (sent to FB page or mailed to home address)

1 Ebook copy of The Witches of Dark Root AND The Magick of Dark Root (both are for kindle and sent to one winner)

2 Ebooks of The Magick of Dark Root (kindle)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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