Six months of living in a rundown, cheap motel room has done nothing but sink Roland, a bitter middle aged alcoholic, further into the abyss of despair. His short-tempered cynical ways make his other equally vile bad habits look like a walk in the park by comparison, but a chance run in with a sorcerer on the night he's to have his last drink is about to turn his lackluster life on its head. The only problem is; old habits die hard.

Griffith, a young apprentice sorcerer, is on a mission: Travel across the Australian countryside to get to Salem. With the troubled Roland by his side, Griffith soon discovers that Roland's penchant for self-destruction is only the beginning of the battles they'll face. Their problems go from bad to worse when a bloodthirsty figure from Griffith's past tracks them down.

In order to reach Salem, both men will have to contend with ghosts from their pasts or risk losing their lives.

Carl Purcell is an Australian, Sydney based author. He has written two contemporary fantasy novels and is the co-writer of the popular Australian comic series Winter City, which began in 2012 and met with critical acclaim. His work has also been featured in the Australian speculative fiction magazine Aurealis.

Carl loves to hear from people who have been reading his work. The best place to contact Carl is by his blog, found at: http://carlpurcell.blogspot.com.au/