I have exciting news to share! Holiday House has purchased a third book from me, a spooky MG that I wrote in homage to a supernatural television show I fixated on as a small child — a show which is probably (definitely) responsible for my fascination with all things gothic and ghostly.

Here’s a slightly longer description:

Twelve-year-old Garnet Carrefour and her mother, Emerald, are summoned against their will to Crossroad House, their family’s ancestral home, to witness a transition of power.  Once a whimsical place where Emerald and her cousins employed magic to entertain their friends, Crossroad House is now a crumbling ruin. The dying family patriarch fights to retain his life by stealing it from others. Every accident that isn’t an accident, every unexpected illness, and every unexplained disappearance grants him a little more time.

While the wary family takes magical precautions and squabbles over who will inherit the old man’s power when (if) he dies, Garnet encounters a suspicious visitor in the family cemetery, ghosts in the attic, doors that lead to other times—and a curse that has decimated three generations of her family and now threatens Garnet’s existence.

Inspiration for this story comes partly from an Ambrose Bierce vignette entitled The Spook House, but mostly from the supernatural soap opera, Dark Shadows. When I was a small child, my mother used to put me down for a nap so she could watch the show. I would sneak out of bed, creep down the hall, and secretly watch from behind a sofa until I got caught (or until it got too scary and I had to run back to bed). I can’t wait to share THE CARREFOUR CURSE with everyone in 2023!

In other news, the release date for JADIE IN FIVE DIMENSIONS has been pushed back to October 5 due to a delay in the printing process, but on a brighter note, good reviews are rolling in!

Kirkus says: “A thrilling ride through a multidimensional universe and high-stakes action. Though the techno-speak is complex, the storyline is anchored by emotional themes of family, adoption, loyalty, and trust. Readers are invited to enter this imaginative world and consider the far-reaching possibilities.”

Booklist says: “A mind-bending, multidimensional adventure that also takes a deep dive into geometry and physics. Salerni offers a page-turning adventure tale and adeptly breaks down the math and science elements behind multidimensional theory for middle-grade readers. The book also has heart, touching on the emotional lives of two adopted 13-year-olds and the true meaning of family.”

Hurray for Jadie! I can’t wait for the world to meet her this fall — and Garnet Carrefour in 2023!