
Part of Series
Salem…the place where magic and mayhem meet.Charity Hughes is facing a twistier, turnier puzzle than ever before. As a witch with a peculiar talent for communicating with familiars, she’s used to mediating disputes between witches and their animal companions. Now, though, Charity must navigate the complexities of her blossoming relationship with handsome veterinarian Noah Jenkins while at the same time trying to keep her magical world under wraps. When Sela Warren, a witch from a neighboring town, entrusts her beloved hedgehog familiar, Lionel, to Charity’s care, it seems like a routine task. However, Charity’s intuition tells her that something is amiss, and her suspicions are confirmed when a series of mishaps begins to plague Lionel. It becomes clear that Lionel has been hexed, making him the target of dark magic. Determined to unravel the mystery, Charity enlists the help of her magical friends and dives into the secrets of Salem's witch community, even as she must always remain mindful to must keep her investigations—and her witchy nature—hidden from Noah. And when she stumbles upon a hidden tunnel beneath her shop, it leads to a group of mysterious witches who will stop at nothing to protect their secrets. Will Charity’s unique gifts be enough to untangle the web of mystery and danger that surrounds her?
Author

A native of Southern California, Christine Pope has been writing stories ever since she commandeered her family’s Smith-Corona typewriter back in the sixth grade. Many reams of dead trees later, she’s happy to announce that her debut novel, Fringe Benefits,was published by Pink Petal Books on April 8, 2010. Her short fiction has appeared in Astonishing Adventures, Luna Station Quarterly, and the new journal of dark fiction, Dark Valentine. Her paranormal novella, Playing With Fire, was released on August 5, 2010. While Fringe Benefits is a straight contemporary romance, she writes in a variety of genres, including paranormal romance, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and historical romance. She blames this on being easily distracted by bright, shiny objects, which could also account for the size of her shoe collection. After spending many years in the magazine publishing industry, she now works as a freelance editor in addition to writing fiction. She lives with her husband and an explosively fluffy Pomeranian mix. Her house is pink, but don’t hold that against her.