About the Book.
In a fantastical aftermath of the Salem witch trials, magical women known as the Dirty have signed a contract swearing off their innate magic in exchange for freedom from violence by non-magical Freemen. Two hundred years later, in a Catskills orphanage, headmistress Whitetail has sprouted antlers—proof of a violated contract. When her wealthy benefactor visits, proposing marriage, her appearance sparks abuse. Rushing to her teacher’s defense, eight-year-old Rabbit curses the Beard dead, and Whitetail’s arrested on trumped-up charges.
As Whitetail awaits her trial and execution, Rabbit is groomed as the Freemen’s star witness and learns of the terrifying reality to which they aspire. With her magic at stake and a loose tooth in her mouth, Rabbit has little left to lose. And a revolution to gain.
About the Author.
Meg Ripley is a drawer, designer, and writer of horror and dark fiction. Born in Ontario and raised in Newfoundland, Canada, surrounded by whales and icebergs, she holds a BFA from the University of Western Ontario, and an MFA from The School of Visual Arts, NYC, in Illustration as Visual Essay. Her work explores family, power dynamics, and monsters (especially the ones we're related to).
When she's not writing scary stories from her Brooklyn apartment, she's singing the praises of boredom and the outdoors to her two sons in the Catskills.
About the Moderator.
Clay McLeod Chapman writes books, comic books, children's books, as well as for film and television. His most recent novels include What Kind of Mother and Ghost Eaters.