Mona Lisa, Becoming a Ghost

GOLD MEDAL WINNER - Supernatural Fiction - International Book Awards by Readers' FavoritePulitzer Prize Contender - 2023 Distinguished FictionThe story begins in Paris...Pedro, a struggling artist from Madrid, stands at the Louvre, studying the Mona Lisa, ignoring the crowds of tourists as the painted woman calls to him. As the museum closes, he finally breaks his trance. He realizes that Da Vinci’s masterpiece could be a translation of love; yet there was only desire in Pedro’s heart. As a student of the immortals, he spent years studying their code, fascinated with the ancestry. He longs for a chance to become one of them; to experience an everlasting dedication.On a sultry night in Madrid, while he was in a state of artistic despair, one of the mysterious immortals visits him. He makes a pledge to Pedro: he will receive his wish. He will be transformed, but only with loyalty. Pedro abandons his life: no more canvases, no more oils. No more love for his sweetheart, Valentina. As she sleeps, Pedro leaves, without a word or a whisper. He is drawn to the immortals, indulging in his infatuation, longing for the fulfillment of the promise.The yearn for immortality remains as he travels to America in his new life. The immortals – and the witches – both welcome him into their sects, however he remains unfulfilled, sinking into a world of misery; tormented, still longing for his promised gift. As he races towards death, he discovers that the mysterious immortal who had broken the vow has lost his gift and was now dying himself. In a desperate search for a love lost, Pedro examines the consequences of his choices. Until he is faced with one final ultimatum: a destiny laced with the scent of the grave.A.L. Mengel, author of the critically acclaimed novel The Mortician, weaves a story of death, resurrection, loss and loneliness in a novel which examines the principles of judgement which humanity holds dear. A.L. Mengel is the author of The Astral Files series, The Tales of Tartarus series, and The Vega Chronicles series, all of which have released to critical acclaim.

anything at all

Entirely unique...a supernatural tale as old as death itself...ticks the most important storytelling boxes Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite Mona Lisa, Becoming a Ghost by A.L. Mengel is a work of supernatural fiction that explores ambition, longing, broken promises, and regret from the point of view of an artist named Pedro. Among the living mortals walk the immortals, those who are not susceptible to death by the ravages of time. Pedro becomes enamored with the immortals and their hiding in plain sight and infatuated with one in particular named Antoine. In pursuit of his desire to shed the life he has lived and pivot to the one he believes he wants, he leaves his devoted muse Valentina behind to embark on the journey toward transformation. Still, Valentina, who he once called his Mona Lisa, lingers in his thoughts and Pedro determines he will do anything

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