Background
McDowell was born in Los Angeles in 1952 to Lowell and Betsy (nêe Nichols) McDowell, both of whom preceded her in death, as did a brother, Mark.
McDowell was born in Los Angeles in 1952 to Lowell and Betsy (nêe Nichols) McDowell, both of whom preceded her in death, as did a brother, Mark.
She earned a Bachelor from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an Master of Fine Arts from Norwich University.
He unearths the truth that his mother is a madwoman living in a cave and his father was killed by Viking raiders. He seeks to avenge their death and builds a large curragh, and sets out for the Viking lands with 16 mentor They are caught in a storm near enemy territory and drift through mystical islands, which permits the writer Aakhus to increase the magical aspect of the subject matter, as the novel becomes increasingly enchanted with prophetic visionary.
Other publications include Astral Magic in the Renaissance: Gems, Poetry and Patronage of Lorenzo de" Medici.
As educator
Aakhus was the Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies and program director of International Studies at the University of Southern Indiana. She also taught classes on classical and world mythology, the history of magic, and international studies.
She died from cancer in Evansville, Indiana on May 16, 2012, the day before her 60th birthday. At that time, she was working on a contemporary novel, Dogtown.