A paranormal thriller about a deceased artist, obsessed with completing her "final masterpiece" who steals the soul of a young artist to do the job for her.
"Eccentric, world-famous Santa Fe artist Adelaide Moran, recently arrived in heaven, is obsessed with not having finished painting the masterpiece that she feels will be so different from all others that it will forever ensure her legacy in the history of art. Invading the dreams of her earthly assistant, Ramon Herrera, she elicts his help--and that of a Taos shaman and a psychic--to steal the soul of talented young New York painter Angelina Bonelli."
Excerpt
She recalled Ramon speculating, "If this could be done, it would be different from a movie, or even interactive television, because the experience would last for as long as viewers wanted to be engaged with the artwork, after which it would become static again.” Ramon is a genius, thought Adelaide. But so am I! Such a masterpiece would guarantee me a significant place in art history, putting me way ahead of my nemesis, Georgia O’Keeffe. Humph! If it weren’t for Stieglitz getting her career going, she’d be just like all the other Art Students League graduates who had to fend for themselves to stand out from a crowd. I, for one, made it on my own and am proud of it.
Professional Reviews
The Ghost Painter
The Ghost Painter is a cautionary tale of the importance of having positive self-esteem and vigilantly exercising your free will. A thriller told with the colorful backdrop of Santa Fe's Southwestern art world and its most often hidden Native American spiritual realms. A thought provoking and entertaining read." Bonnie Beck
Marilu has done it again!
A book by an artist, about artists connected to the paranormal. Just the right read for a hot, summer day. From the beginning, Marilu grabs you & doesn't let go 'til the world is back to normal. It's different, engrossing, Hope there are more in the offing.
Interesting, Fast-Paced Read!
Disclaimer. My mother wrote this book. Would I have read this book if my mother hadn't written it? Probably not - just because I have so little time to read novels these days. Just keeping up with all the business books on my list is difficult.
Am I glad I read this book? Yes, I enjoyed it.
As for the author, I can honestly say that Mom (Marilu) is an interesting person. She's 86 going on 27; she's a painter, author, dancer, singer, actress, and generally upbeat and energetic. Few people I've met in the world have as much energy and love of life as she has. She's surprisingly beautiful, even now, due in no small part to her unabashed enthusiasm for life.
This is her second novel; the first one, Unbridled, was a semi-autobiographical account of her time spent at a "divorce ranch," a type of place that actually existed back in the 1950s. Women went there - to the state of Nevada, but Reno in particular - to get a divorce faster (6 weeks) than they could in the states they lived in, and to tearfully throw their wedding rings into the Truckee river. There were cowhands on those divorce ranches, along with all those lonely divorcees, so you can guess that Unbridled isn't just about the weather out there in the desert.
The Ghost Painter, Marilu's second novel, is an interesting, fast-moving read. It starts with us being introduced to the main character, a very self-centered, self-important painter who suddenly finds herself dead before she has finished her last, most important masterpiece. Given her headstrong, passionate nature, she decides she's not going to take death lying down, so to speak. She endeavors to enlist the help of her still-on-earth assistant and some Shaman magic to temporarily inhabit the body of a budding young artist - so that all-important masterpiece can see the light of day.
There are some interesting twists along the way. Once I got started, I ended up reading it in one sitting. I wanted to see how it all turned out. This is the main criteria I use to decide if a novel was "good" or not. If I can't put it down, it's good.
This book will be especially interesting to anyone who loves art and/or the Southwest. Mom's life as a painter oozes its way in to the pages, as do her experiences living both on the East Coast and in the Southwest.
Admittedly, Mom isn't Grisham, so I could have given it 4 stars. But Ghost Painter is a tight, entertaining read, one that stays with you afterwards in a very pleasant way. Besides, she is my mother, and she did do a good job on this book. So of course she gets 5 stars.
So there you have it, my full-disclaimer review of my mother's book. I do think if you're looking for a pleasant "novel escape experience," Ghost Painter will not disappoint.
I have taken pride in writing this novel as so many people have the wrong impression on bikers because they dress in leather clothing which is to protect themselves in case of an accident. The majority of bikers are known Policemen, Firemen, Doctors,
A young man’s need for respect and his search for love enables him to be coerced into becoming an undercover cop. Follow this man to see how others see him and try to understand why the job he becomes obsessed with and his quest for love, tear him ap
