“… very well-crafted, lots of tension, spooky without being gory.”  -Tyree Campbell, Managing Editor, Sam’s Dot Publishing

During the summer solstice of 1807, as Flax Cottage burns, a warlock utters a curse. Villagers from Blackhawk Bay surround him, demanding to know what he has done with their children, but the warlock never says. As he dies, his collection of birds escapes, disappearing into the Alabaster Woods.

Now, 200 hundred years later, several teenagers battle the curse. Sally learns a horrifying family secret, while Owen’s life is threatened during a search for his missing friend. Kate must make a sacrifice in order to save her family, and a strange girl, with scars branching from her eyes, attacks Jake.

This collection of five stories are connected not only by the curse, but also by the bravery of the heroes and heroines, who must rely on their own strengths to combat evil. Whether mountain biking, fishing, kayaking, or trail running, the teens use the outdoors to battle the curse. Blending suspense and horror with magic, these stories are modern-day fairy tales with stolen children and fantastic creatures.

From The Curse of Blackhawk Bay:

… One of the men from Healy Pond stepped out from behind a tree. “We’ve been looking for you.”

Terror gripped Kate and tears crowded her eyes. She couldn’t make sense of the thoughts jumbling through her mind. What did they want? Where did they come from? What should she do?

The other two men leaned against pines. One of them flashed a lazy smile while his eyes flicked over Kate. The third man pushed matted hair away from his face and licked his lips with a stubby black tongue.

Repulsed, Kate slowed, almost stopping. A plan, she thought, I need a plan. Turn around? Ignore them?

“What do you want?” she asked.

“Why don’t you come here and find out?” the man said…