November in Salem: The Bargain of Witches
L.C. Russell
(iUniverse, Feb. 26, 2009)
WHAT IF YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD SPARE THE SOULS OF THOSE HANGED FOR WITCHCRAFT IN 1692, BUT YOU HAD TO BARGAIN YOUR OWN SOUL TO DO IT? First in a new fantasy romance series, this paranormal young adult novel introduces teens November Atwood and her twin cousins--athletic Jeff and wheelchair-bound Hawk. On their way home from school, the trio discover an ancient box buried in the shadows of the abandoned Danvers Asylum for the Insane. This sets in motion the final elements of a blood bargain signed more than 300 years ago when Salem, Massachusetts was a sleepy village--and witchcraft was a hanging offense. Cryptic clues and a curious gold coin prompt the trio to venture into the tunnels beneath the asylum where Jeff is struck by "elf-shot," then abducted and replaced by a changeling. To rescue him, the two remaining cousins must journey deeper into the tunnels, to The Room of Rings, a giant portal into the past, whose keeper tells November she is "...the one they have awaited for 300 years"--she is "The Prediction." Together, November and Hawk enter the Rings and are transported back to Salem Village in the year 1701. There, November will meet the minister's son, Thomas Parris, and discover a love that can transcend time. But first, The Prediction must wager her soul to bring about an end to THE BARGAIN OF WITCHES.