Stillwell in Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie

Jan 21, 2019 Miranda Reads rated it really liked it

Shelves: received-to-review

The air was still, not a sound to break the velvet darkness of the night. He pointed the flashlight into the well and peered down..he stopped. There was something in the well.

Paul Russo and his family are hurting - he just lost his wife to a brief but terrifying fight against cancer - and he has absolutely has no idea how to pick up the pieces.

Their three children, are not taking the loss of their mother very well. In particular, Stella, his youngest, isn't quite right.

He heard her whisper,

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Aug 01, 2013 Grady rated it it was amazing

Pareidolia: a vague or random image is perceived as recognizable

Michael Phillip Cash has a rich imagination, a gift that comes from being grounded and secure with life as being lived. That he is able from that strong stance to create stories such as STILLWELL embellishes his evident gifts as a writer. In his debut novel BROOD X he was able to create a terrifying tale out of things seen or magnify things seen to become ghastly distortions of credible possibilities. In his current exceptionally we Pareidolia: a vague or random image is perceived as recognizable

Michael Phillip Cash has a rich imagination, a gift that comes from being grounded and secure with life as being lived. That he is able from that strong stance to create stories such as STILLWELL embellishes his evident gifts as a writer. In his debut novel BROOD X he was able to create a terrifying tale out of things seen or magnify things seen to become ghastly distortions of credible possibilities. In his current exceptionally well-crafted novel he takes a step further in the arena of ghosts, and if the reader wants current thought on the subject, the following is an encyclopedic comment: `Ghosts have been a popular subject for millennia, appearing in countless stories, from "Macbeth" to the Bible, and even spawning their own folklore genre: ghost stories. Ghosts are perhaps the most common paranormal belief in the world. Part of the reason is that belief in ghosts is part of a larger web of related paranormal beliefs, including near-death experience, life after death, and spirit communication. The idea that the dead remain with us in spirit is an ancient one, and one that offers many people comfort; who doesn't want to believe that our beloved but deceased family members aren't looking out for us, or with us in our times of need? Most people believe in ghosts because of personal experience; they have seen or sensed some unexplained presence.'

Step into the Russo family. Paul Russo and his children, the twins Jesse and Veronica and their much younger sister Stella, are attempting to recover from the rather abrupt yet smoldering death of Allison, the wife and mother. The weakening, distraught Paul continues his profound mourning after the funeral until for the sake of his children (and for income) he re-enters his field of realty, deals with a hundred year old house, Stillwell, which is said to be haunted and through a series of well integrated subplots and twist and turns he discovers why the house is haunted, an explanation that is wisely left to the last pages of this engrossing rather short novel.

There are many factors to praise in the writing of this book. Cash has an affinity for describing relationships, both romantic and with children and friends: he makes us see every individual. Another is the a manner in which he treats childhood perceptions with respect: Stella, who is most like his lost Allison, quietly sees the ghost of her mother and knows her presence, and it is this trust that leads Paul to investigate the real mystery that indeed does lie within the arena of Stillwell. Tightly written with a graceful use of language, Michael Phillip Cash is carving his niche in the pantheon of successful young writers of the day.

Grady Harp
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Aug 25, 2013 Gayle Pace rated it it was amazing

REVIEW:

The author has such a vivid imagination. He has such a gift as a writer. I read his debut novel BROOD X, a terrifying tale of very real possibilities. STILLWELL'S main character is Paul who finds himself trying to deal with three children after the death of his young wife. He has not only the grief of his wife'/s death, 3 children to deal with, but he has the every day household chores and he has a job as a Realtor on top of that. Paul is having a hard time focusing. He is haunted by nigh REVIEW:

The author has such a vivid imagination. He has such a gift as a writer. I read his debut novel BROOD X, a terrifying tale of very real possibilities. STILLWELL'S main character is Paul who finds himself trying to deal with three children after the death of his young wife. He has not only the grief of his wife'/s death, 3 children to deal with, but he has the every day household chores and he has a job as a Realtor on top of that. Paul is having a hard time focusing. He is haunted by nightmares of his wife's soul being held by a demon. Being a Realtor, his friend, Craig asks him to sell Stillwell Manor, his parent's house. Paul thought this would be a quick way to get back on track, since he hadn't worked for a while, due to his wife's illness. Paul discovers that a former resident of the house resembled his late wife. Tales have it that she still haunts Stillwell Manor, full of grief after her own death and the death of her husband. Paul feel if he solves the mystery of Hannah and John he may be ablhauntingse to put the demons to rest. After a few pages I couldn't let go of the book. The author took all the different situations of the book and put them together for one novel that grabs your attention and holds on. I somehow felt that I was with Paul and going through all of his troubles with him. I felt sorry and sad for him, he'd just lost his love, he's trying to be a mother to his 3 children, trying to put food on the table and now he has demons to get rid of. What a load to deal with., About the time you think you have it all figured out and how it's going to end, you turn the page and, guess what? You're wrong. The book was a wonderful read. A real page turner. It kept you guessing and trying to figure it out all through the book. If you are a reader off ghost stories and love stories, you will love this book. I would recommend this book to anyone. Just make sure you have time to sit and keep reading because it grabs your attention from page one. Go get yourself a copy of the book and take a trip to STILLWELL and discover what the haunting on Long Island is all about.

I would give this book 5 STARS

I was given a complimentary copy of this book STILLWELL: A Haunting On Long Island by the author Michael Phillip Cash for this honest review.

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Jun 20, 2013 M.M. Hudson rated it it was amazing

There is nothing quite like a good ghost story to stir the hairs on the back of your neck. Michael Phillip Cash accomplishes that very thing in his new book, Stillwell.

I had the opportunity to read this book the other night, when the super moon was shining down upon us, which made it even spookier. *cue evil laughter*

Michael Cash writes his newest thriller in such a way that the reader is taken through a weeks worth of life in seven chapters and a prolouge. I found the style to be compact and in ...more

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Jan 10, 2014 Melanie Adkins rated it it was amazing

After fifteen years of marriage, Paul's wife was dying. She had cancer and it was slowly taking her away. Paul and his three children put life on hold as they said goodbye to the most important person in their life. They buried her and began the long journey back to normalcy. It wasn't easy for any of them. Paul's wife was the center of his family. Being a real estate agent, Paul began to slowly get back to work. The first house on his list to sell was Stillwell. The house was very old and well ...more

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May 28, 2015 Pat Byrnes rated it it was amazing

Real Estate agent Paul Russo’s life is crashing around him. His wife passed after a courageous battle with brain cancer. Paul is torn, he wants to be by his wife’s side in her journey, but he would leave his three children behind. With not having worked in months, the Russo’s finances are starting to hit rock bottom. Paul must get back in the game and sell a few houses.

An old high school friend phones with a lead that could refill Paul’s piggybank. The only issue, it’s the Stillwell Manor. The S ...more

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Feb 22, 2017 Ariel C rated it really liked it

A superbly eloquent and atmospheric supernatural thriller read.

Stillwell paints a flawless picture of the devastating impact of bereavement and the emotional roller-coaster that follows death of a loved one.
The intensity of Paul's pain is so palpable as he grieves for the love of his life whilst struggling to retain enough functionality to care for his children and get his finances back of track.
A very skillful interweaving of the three L's- Loss, Life and Love.
Such a realistic depiction of t ...more

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Feb 28, 2016 Wanda Maynard rated it it was amazing

You know how some books, after you read a few pages, leave you wondering
what you just read, and then, you have to go back and reread just to get a slight jest of
what might be happening? Well, this book is different. “Stillwell: A Haunting On Long
Island,” will stay with you long after you have read it. I found myself being drawn into a
deep void of emotions. Every intense page left me yearning to learn more of the hidden
secret that was haunting Stillwell Manor. An awesome obsessive tale of love ...more

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