A few weeks ago I completed a very fun commission from my friend and Oklahoma author Sonia Gensler to celebrate the publication of her second novel, The Dark Between, Sonia writes just the type of stories that I adore– old timey spooky tales set in beautiful old buildings with plenty of ghostly encounters and mystery.
Her first novel, The Revenant, was set close to home at a Cherokee girl’s seminary in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Her latest novel, however, crosses the Atlantic to the beautiful and historic city of Cambridge in England at the fictional Summerfield College for young women, where a group of unlikely friends come together to explore the academic side of spiritualism as well as investigate a series of strange murders.
Here’s a little taste of what the story is about:
At the turn of the twentieth century, Spiritualism and séances are all the rage—even in the scholarly town of Cambridge, England. While mediums dupe the grief-stricken, a group of local fringe scientists seeks to bridge the gap to the spirit world by investigating the dark corners of the human mind.
Each running from a shadowed past, Kate, Asher, and Elsie take refuge within the walls of Summerfield College. But their peace is soon shattered by the discovery of a dead body nearby. Is this the work of a flesh-and-blood villain, or is something otherworldly at play? This unlikely trio must illuminate what the scientists have not, and open a window to secrets taken to the grave—or risk joining the spirit world themselves.
In order to create the painting, I was excited to get an advanced copy of the book to curl up with and read late at night (the perfect time to read spooky stories, of course!) The above piece is the painting I came up with— showing the main characters Kate, Elsie and Asher scheming beneath a tree on the campus of Summerfield, with the ghostly faces of those who have haunted them in one way or another peeking through vines and bramble.
Sonia had a few beautiful journals made up with the image on it as promotional materials, and she has so sweetly agreed to give a free copy to two of my readers here on the blog! She also has an amazing giveaway going on right now on her own blog where you can win an advanced copy of the book (official publication isn’t until August!), the journal and some great bookmarks and a postcard featuring the painting. Be sure to visit her there as well for a chance to win!
And if you’d like to win one of these beautiful journals, all you have to do is leave a comment here, and the winners will be chosen Tuesday, June 11.
Thanks so much to Sonia for trusting me with such a special project and letting me get a sneak peek at your wonderfully spooky story! I look forward to all your other work to come!~
Happy Friday everyone!~
~H
Sleightholm Folk Art 
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