Painter and former art professor Peter Gooch will release his debut novel, Seren, with Apprentice House Press on April 8, 2025.
Inspired by Detroit’s Cass Corridor, Seren brings readers into the world of renowned gallery owner, Fairchild Moss, as he embarks on a journey to uncover the mystery behind one famous painting and the muse who inspired it.
“A page-turning thriller, a meditation on art, and a touching exploration on second chances, Peter Gooch’s Seren is a novel that does all that.” —Adam Prince, author of The Beautiful Wishes of Ugly Men.
Available wherever books are sold.
Description:
It’s 1978, and the art scene in the Midwest is booming. Successful Detroit gallery owner Fairchild Moss secretly yearns to return to his first love—painting. When he comes into possession of a mysterious masterpiece, his life takes an unexpected turn. Perplexed by the imprint of a nipple in the thick paint, Moss is determined to unravel the painting’s mystery. So begins a darkly comic quest to uncover the story behind the eerie masterpiece and to locate the elusive muse who inspired it.
About the author:
Peter Gilchrist Gooch is a painter, writer, and former art professor living in New Mexico. He is the winner of the Bosque Publishing Prize for Fiction, and his short fiction has appeared in numerous literary magazines and online. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, he holds an MFA from Western Michigan University. His short fiction has been published in The New Guard, Bosque Publishing, Etched Onyx, and Light and Dark Literary Magazine, among other publications. He resides in Corrales with his wife, Dr. Sharon Ransom.
About Apprentice House:
Apprentice House is the nation’s first and largest entirely student-managed book publisher. Students at Loyola University Maryland are responsible for every aspect of the publishing process, from acquisitions to design and publication of every book. Our mission is, first and foremost, to educate students about the book publishing process.
As a program within the Communication Department at Loyola University Maryland, it is driven by student work conducted in four courses: Introduction to Book Publishing, Manuscript Acquisitions and Development, Book Design and Production, and Book Marketing and Promotion.
Students in these courses serve as staff in Apprentice House’s acquisitions, design, and marketing departments, respectively.
