Mercury Retrograde by Laura Bickle

Mercury Retrograde by Laura Bickle

Something venomous has come to Temperance ...

It's been two months since Petra Dee and her coyote sidekick Sig faced off against Temperance's resident alchemist, but things are far from quiet. When an Internet video of a massive snake in the backcountry of Yellowstone goes viral, a chase for the mythical basilisk is on. Monster hunters swarm into the area, and never one to pass up the promise of discovery, Petra joins in the search.

Among the newcomers is a snake cult on wheels―the biker gang Sisters of Serpens. Unlike some, the Sisters don't want to kill the basilisk―they want to worship it. But things get complicated when the basilisk develops a taste for human flesh that rivals the Sisters' own murderous skills.

Meanwhile, the alchemical tree of life is dying, and the undead Hanged Men of Temperance who depend on it know the basilisk may be their last chance for survival.

With time running out for everyone around her, Petra will be forced to decide who survives and who she must leave behind in this action-packed sequel to Dark Alchemy.

Laura Bickle grew up in a little town in Ohio, reading way too many comic books to her Wonder Woman doll. She patrolled the shelves at the public library and worked with data systems in criminal justice after earning an MA in Sociology-Criminology from Ohio State University and an MLIS in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She now conjures up tales of creatures lurking beneath the steps. Her work was chosen for the Amelia Bloomer Project 2013 reading list by the American Library Association, as well as the State Library of Ohio's Choose to Read Ohio reading list for 2015-2016. Laura's website, www.laurabickle.com, has further information about her work.