Auras & Embers Series

Some people see colors. Gideon Bean sees magic.

Series Overview

Welcome to a world where the supernatural hides in plain sight, visible only to those with the rare gift — or curse — of perceiving magic. Auramancers are among the rarest of Mythicals, able to sense the subtle vibrations of the supernatural, see through glamors and enchantments, and perceive the true nature of every being around them. They’re invaluable. They’re also hunted.

Gideon Bean didn’t ask for this ability. He definitely didn’t ask to be pulled into a world of bennu shifters with phoenix fire in their veins, body-snatching demons, and supernatural factions that would kill to control an auramancer’s gifts. He was perfectly content working the graveyard shift at a crematorium and minding his own business — until a dead woman crawled out of his oven with wings of fire and a dangerous case that needed his help.

Now the weird, the wonderful, and the deadly have found him, and Gideon is about to discover that seeing the truth is only the beginning.

The World of Auras & Embers

The supernatural world exists alongside our own, invisible to most humans but thriving in the shadows. Mythicals — shifters, fae, witches, gargoyles, and creatures far older — live hidden among us, governed by the secretive Conclave. Auramancers can perceive what others miss: the vibration of a shifter’s animal nature, the pull of fae magic bending your will, the searing heat of a bennu’s eternal flame.

Auramancers are highly sought after. Their ability to see through deception and their near-immunity to most magic makes them valuable allies and dangerous enemies. Many don’t survive long once they’re discovered.

Gideon Bean — an unlikely hero with a crappy hatchback and a habit of stepping up when every instinct tells him to run — is about to learn just how dangerous being rare can be.

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The Series

Book 1: Gideon Bean (2024)

The Awakening

All Gideon Bean wants is to be left alone to burn corpses in peace. Is that too much to ask?

Nothing exciting happens at Peterson Cremation Services – exactly how Gideon prefers it. All his life, he has seen things – scary and bizarre visions that weren’t really there. Working the night shift at the crematorium and days at Sheryl’s Shell Shack lets him keep his head down and ignore the strange world around him. The last time Gideon reacted to one of his hallucinations, he ended up in a psychiatric hold. He can’t let anything like that happen again – it would break his mother’s heart.

Then suddenly, a woman with flaming wings and fiery eyes crawls out of a crematorium oven one night.

Dacey Menet is a Mythical who is reborn in fire. She’s investigating a series of local murders and disappearances, and she is enraged to have become one of the victims. Now Dacey needs Gideon’s help to catch her murderer.

Because it turns out his ‘hallucinations’ are real – Gideon Bean can see magic.

Featuring: Urban fantasy, auramancer abilities, bennu phoenix shifters, reluctant hero, murder mystery

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Book 2: Spirit Marked (2025)

The Deepening

Since discovering his ability to see magical auras, Gideon has embraced his new role as an auramancer working for the Conclave. When five people in Millhaven mysteriously die without a cause, Dacey Menet – the bennu shifter who burst into his life in a blaze of fire – needs his unique talents.

As they investigate the deaths, Gideon discovers void-like magical signatures where life force once existed. Something is draining people’s souls, and the victims seem unconnected – a tattoo artist, a nurse, a homeless man, and members of the town’s elite.

When Dacey becomes the next target, Gideon must solve the mystery before the woman he’s falling for becomes nothing but an empty shell. As Fourth of July celebrations light up the town, Gideon must uncover who – or what – is stealing souls before Dacey’s eternal flame is extinguished forever.

Featuring: Expanded powers, spirit encounters, relationship development, supernatural politics, murder mystery

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What Makes This Series Special

Unique Magic System

Auramancers perceive the world differently — literally. Gideon’s rare ability to sense magic, see through glamors and enchantments, and detect the true nature of every Mythical around him provides a fresh perspective on urban fantasy, where deception crumbles in the presence of someone who can feel the truth beneath the surface.

Unlikely Hero

Gideon Bean is no chosen one. He’s a working-class guy with two jobs and a crappy hatchback who keeps trying to bow out of the supernatural world — until someone’s in danger and he’s the only one who can help. True to Gwen DeMarco’s signature style, Gideon faces world-altering revelations with quiet determination, a strong moral backbone, and the kind of everyday bravery that makes him impossible not to root for. He’s not looking for trouble — trouble just keeps finding him.

Fearless Love Interest

The slow-burn romance features a bold, fiery bennu shifter who drags Gideon headfirst into danger with a grin on her face. She’s reckless, mischievous, and unstoppable — and Gideon’s auramancer abilities let him see the blazing inferno of power beneath her charm.

Found Family

As Gideon is drawn deeper into the world of Mythicals, he builds connections with unlikely allies — a telekinetic Fae FBI agent, a gargoyle with a smug streak, a tech-savvy Numerai, and other beings who become the family he chooses.

Bennu Shifters

Rooted in ancient Egyptian mythology, bennu shifters are the living source of the phoenix legend — reborn from ash, immune to fire, with blazing wings and the spirit of a sun god in their blood. Their fierce nature and burning power add danger and heart to Gideon’s world.

The Setting: Hidden Supernatural World

Location: Small-town Florida — sleepy beach towns and sun-baked coastal cities with a supernatural underground hiding beneath the surface Atmosphere: Urban fantasy blending mystery, action, and slow-burn romance Auramancers: Rare individuals who can perceive magic, see through glamors, and are nearly immune to most spells Bennu Shifters: Phoenix-like beings born of ancient Egyptian fire, reborn from the ashes with their wounds healed and their strength restored The Conclave: The secretive governing body that oversees the Mythical world, employing fixers, investigators, and auramancers to maintain order Mythicals: Supernatural beings of every kind — shifters, fae, witches, gargoyles, and creatures far older — living hidden among humans

Recurring Themes

• • Hidden Gifts:

    Learning to embrace abilities you’ve spent your whole life thinking made you crazy

  • Seeing Truth:

    What it means to perceive what everyone else is hiding

  • Found Family:

    Building connections across supernatural boundaries

  • Fire and Rebirth:

    The bennu nature — destruction and renewal, death and return

  • Reluctant Courage:

    The ordinary person who keeps stepping up when every instinct says run

Reading Experience

The Auras & Embers series offers:

• • Fresh Urban Fantasy:

    Auramancer abilities provide a unique lens on the supernatural — sensing magic rather than wielding it

  • Character Growth:

    Watch Gideon evolve from a reluctant everyman to someone who runs toward danger to protect the people he cares about

  • Slow-Burn Romance:

    A romance built through shared danger, trust earned the hard way, and the spark between an unlikely hero and a fearless woman made of fire

  • Supernatural Action:

    Bennu fire, body-snatching demons, soul-stealing magic, and faction conflicts

  • Signature Voice:

    Gwen DeMarco’s trademark blend of heart, humor, and high stakes

Perfect for Readers Who Love

• • Urban fantasy with unique magic systems

  • Reluctant heroes who rise to the occasion

  • Slow-burn romance with fearless, fiery love interests

  • Phoenix and Egyptian mythology

  • Found family dynamics

  • Supernatural worlds hidden within small-town America

Ongoing Series

The Auras & Embers series is currently ongoing! Gideon Bean’s story is just beginning, with more supernatural adventures, spirit encounters, and bennu fire to come. Join the journey now and discover what it means to see the world through auramancer eyes.

In a world where every Mythical hides their true nature, Gideon Bean senses it all. And what he discovers is about to change everything.