Magic Ember Countdown! Guest Post By Em Shotwell

We can’t wait for the release of the second book in our Enchanted trilogy, Magic Ember! Hopefully you’re as excited as we are for the next installment of the series featuring magic and romance. If you haven’t picked up the first book Magic Spark yet, you can do so here.

To help with the wait, we are release a series of posts about the stories. Today ???.

These Roots Run Deep, This Hollow Heart, & These Resting Bones: The Murphey Witches of New Orleans

By Em Shotwell

My stories in the Enchanted series center around three sisters, Cheyanne, Marchland, and Bradley Murphey, who are coming into their powers as witches.

New Orleans is where their happiest childhood memories are housed, so it was only natural that it is the city where they would settle as adults. Even though their Grandma has passed, her sugary pink house in uptown New Orleans is still their home base (because how could you ever leave a house that can feel your thoughts and lift your spirits?). Each sister has made her way in the world by forging her own path—each leading a life as different from the others as possible. They are still connected, however, through love and magic.
Since the women live in New Orleans (a city as known for its booziness as much as its colorful characters and rich history) I thought it would be fun to check out in which bars you would likely find each Murphey sister.

Cheyanne Murphey. Late 20s. New Orleans’ top weather girl/television personality.

Cheyanne is a feisty young professional with a cut-throat attitude for business. She is determined to rise beyond her less-than-perfect start in life and Lord help anyone who gets in her way…especially her fiancé who may or may not have cheated. (Side note: you should never, ever, cheat on a witch…)

Cheyanne would likely be found enjoying after work drinks and schmoozing with co-workers at The Swizzle Stick Bar located in Café Adelaide on Poydras. This is actually one of my favorite Central Business District bars, and every time I go, there are young professionals in suits and heels crowded around small tables while laughing. The small plates, as well as the drinks, are yummy. It seems to be a great place to pop in on your way home from work. Plus, the happy hour is killer. Cheyanne Murphey would fit right in. She isn’t the type of woman to go out at night to a club (except for the occasional girls’ night out, which she views as an excuse to suss out her competition and assure herself that she is indeed as pretty as she thinks she is). Cheyanne is more concerned with getting her beauty sleep so she can look fresh on camera, than dancing the night away.

Marchland Murphey. Mid 20s. Owner of Mystic Ink Tattoo: Adorn Your Body. Free Your Mind.

Marchland Murphey is the embodiment of chill. She is a new-age vegetarian who prefers loose skirts and Birkenstocks to the latest fashions worn by her older sister, Cheyanne. People wait months and months to receive a tattoo from Marchland Murphey—her ink has a reputation for being able to change your life. Even a good girl has her limits—but Marchland is determined to get her HEA.

Marchland would likely hang out wherever the person she was with suggested. Some of her favorite spots, however, are d.b.a and The Spotted Cat, both on Frenchmen. She could be found with a beer, sitting in a booth (either by herself, but likely with brand new friends she has just met) and listening to the band play. She has no problem joining strangers on the dance floor, but would never lose control of herself. Control is important to Marchland, after surviving a childhood where she had zero control. Another place she likes to hang out when friends are visiting from out of town is Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop on Bourbon. This darkly lit and (relatively) chill location possesses the vibe that she loves.

Bradley Murphey. Early 20s. College Student.

Bradley Murphey is in the midst of figuring out who she is. She is quiet and a little shy—but with a biting wit and aptitude for snark. Though she’d never admit it to anyone—the reason she wears black clothing and heavy black eyeliner is because it makes her feel a little witchier. She has a healthy fear of casting spells (who wouldn’t when it costs an hour of your life each time you summon the Mother) and mostly wants to disappear into the background where she can be left alone to do her own thing. Bradley is thrust into the limelight in THESE RESTING BONES where she will have to summon all of the bravery she possesses in order to find her HEA…oh, and to keep that pesky corpse in the ground (you know—the one she accidentally brought back from the dead…)

Bradley is not a college girl who likes to bar hop—in fact dancing in a crowded room of strangers sounds a lot like her version of hell. But she can be talked into a night on the town by her older sister, Marchland. Bradley likes sitting in a dark corner of Lafitte’s, and leaving before it gets too crowded. She will also occasionally go out with her best friend, Blaine, who has been known to coax her into a smile from time to time. His favorite hang out is Barcadia, which Bradley mostly doesn’t mind (she secretly looks forward to drinking a beer and playing old school arcade games with her bestie). For his part—Blaine looks forward to making Bradley smile.

Em Shotwell is a cancer survivor, foster care advocate, and casual geek. Sometimes she writes books about misfits and the people who love them. When she’s not frowning at her computer screen, Em enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, or indoors daydreaming and wishing she could play the banjo.

Visit her online at www.EmShotwell.com. She hangs out on Facebook where she often hosts giveaways and posts witty memes. Also find her on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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