The Still Place

“Greg F. Gifune and Sandy DeLuca are two formidable writers in their own right. Together, they have crafted a vibrant, haunting novel that follows an artist named Mina, who is starting to wonder if her life is a failure, when she is given the chance to shine at an exclusive artists' colony. But since this is a horror novel, that golden opportunity eventually becomes something much more sinister. I drank this book in like a fine wine, and you will, too.” – L.L. Soares, author of Teach Them How to Bleed and Something Blue and Other Colorful Deaths When Mina, a troubled and struggling young painter, is awarded an artist’s residency offered by a small collective of eccentric artists in the mysterious coastal town of Crow’s Cry, she’s hopeful the opportunity will help get both her career and life back on track. Headed by the enigmatic, elderly, and internationally distinguished German artist Klaus Riker, a brilliant painter known for his unorthodox practice of combining art with spiritualism, the collective warmly welcomes Mina into their fold and provides her with every opportunity to take full advantage of the residency program. But in time Mina senses there may be something more going on in Crow’s Cry than meets the eye. There is something strange and unsettling about the collective, about the dark old house on the cliffs where Klaus lives and hosts his community of artists, about the horrifying dreams Mina keeps having, and even something disturbing about the paintings Mina’s working on herself. As she becomes increasingly isolated from the outside world and drawn deeper into the collective and their unusual practices, Mina begins to suspect that Klaus and the others may not be exactly what they seem. Could their motivations for selecting her be far darker and dangerous than she imagined, or is it only Mina’s personal demons and paranoia at play? As she delves deeper into what may actually be going on, Mina creeps closer to the truth behind not only her own troubled soul, but the collective, their plans for her, and the unspeakable horror that awaits her in THE STILL PLACE.