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A Blood Witch
A Blood Witch by Joseph Stone is a dark and richly layered horror novel that spins a multi-generational tale of supernatural possession, trauma, and resilience. The story begins with a shocking and disturbing prologue and stretches across decades, recounting the legacy of a family of women who are haunted, physically and emotionally, by a mysterious spirit named Daedrian. Told through a mix of modern narrative, historical documents, and deeply personal journals, the book gradually uncovers the cursed lineage of “witches” bound by blood, secrets, and spectral violence. At its core, it’s a ghost story steeped in abuse, inherited suffering, and the complexity of female power.
I found the writing bold and fearless. The book kicks off with a gut-wrenching scene that made my skin crawl, and that tone doesn’t let up. The prose is polished but visceral, with a rhythm that grabs you by the collar. The way Stone weaves historical entries, letters, and journal fragments into the plot makes the story feel deeply rooted in time, almost like unearthing a family’s buried past. That format worked well for me, even though it occasionally slowed the pace. Some passages made me stop reading just to process what I’d read. The emotional weight, the steady dread, and the lyrical yet brutal style are a lot, but it’s good. Really good. This book doesn’t aim for comfort. It forces you to look at what happens when silence, shame, and supernatural power converge across generations.
I admired the ambition of this book. Parts of the book horrified me, not just the ghost, but the humanity behind the horror. The sexual violence, the incest, the generational trauma. It’s all portrayed unflinchingly. There’s a point where you stop being afraid of the ghost and start being afraid of the people, or worse, the way pain becomes inherited. But there’s a strange beauty in that too. Fran’s arc, from confusion to clarity, from being haunted to facing down the legacy, gave the novel its emotional heart. And even though Daedrian is a terrifying figure, he’s written with eerie magnetism that makes you understand why these women, generation after generation, could fall prey to him. That’s good writing.
I think A Blood Witch is best suited for readers who don’t shy away from heavy themes. If you want a haunting that lingers in your chest, something that feels intimate and epic at the same time, this book delivers. I’d recommend it to fans of gothic horror, intergenerational dramas, or anyone who’s not afraid to be uncomfortable.
Pages: 431 | ASIN : B0FMKRR6H3
A Mirror of Truth
The Wolf Esprit follows a 17-year-old carnival performer in 18th-century France who is hiding dark secrets that, when they come to light, threaten everything he has. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
A central theme of my wolf novels is the outsider who finds strength of character through physical transformation. And while there are queer characters in all my stories, they’ve never led the tale. So, I couldn’t think of a better outsider than a young gay man, who would be invariably closeted because of the period, while living among people who are social outcasts themselves. Esprit’s is a life of constant change as his family travels from town to town performing, so he already has the constitution for the transformation ahead of him from the first page. I wanted to know what a young gay man could do with that nearly invincible power.
I’d fallen in love with Gabrielle, the POV character from the previous chronicle, Wolf Omega, and decided she would be the perfect springboard to bring Esprit into the lycan world. Gabrielle finds herself living in France after nearly three hundred pages of her story, but she tells the reader very little about her time there before leaping her tale forward in huge bounds from the 18th to the 20th century. So, I started Esprit’s tale there and let him find and lose himself again and again while he struggled with transitioning from one challenging life to the next.
Werewolf love stories are a popular theme, with certain aspects that readers expect. How did you come up with the unique characteristics while blending traditional motifs in this genre to create the captivating characters and storyline you have?
For starters, I’ve never read a single werewolf love story! In fact, the closest I’ve ever come to one was when a friend dragged me to watch Twilight fifteen years ago. And my stories bear little resemblance to Stephenie Meyer’s. So, I have no idea if I’ll rise to genre reader expectations when Esprit finds love. My goal was for him to fall for an older man (a common enough trope) who would guide him through the challenges of young romance and ultimately change Esprit’s life. And because they are werewolves living through several potential lifetimes, I hooked him up with the hottest, oldest guy to be found.
But since this is a dark fantasy tale, the actual romance was the least interesting part of that romance in my eyes. Observing love through the lens of a 48-year-old man, I knew well enough how the frenzied tale would likely end. In fact, Esprit begins his story by playing the title character in Romeo and Juliet on stage, the best way I could think of to foreshadow how the dopamine high of adolescent love tends to meet its match.
Espirit Lenoir struggles with his identity and his desires. His story of self-discovery and coming into himself is awe-inspiring. Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
All my characters, whether they’re regular people living with everyday challenges or fantastical beings facing impossible odds, each approach their struggles with my imagination to get them through. So, everything I’ve ever lived through comes into play to some extent. Beyond my imagination, Esprit lives through his transformation, armed with all I learned from my own struggles as a gay youth. His altercations with his father, who despises Esprit’s truth, mirror my own.
Every father role I’ve ever written contains elements of my real father in the character’s voice. In A Perfect Night, the eight-year-old Richie lives with the world’s sweetest, most loving father. Seventeen-year-old Esprit lives with a father who cannot speak to him without contempt in his words. Both men were true to my experiences with my real father when I was the boys’ ages.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
I have just begun an untitled sequel to last year’s A Perfect Night, which will continue my Haunted Women series. It is the story of a young girl who discovers she comes from a bloodline of women who possess the ability to see spirits. The tale will take Fran, the central character, well into adulthood as she faces the truth of what her lineage has in store for her. I expect the novel to be out in the fall of next year.
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Among the tightly held secrets of 18th-century France, young Esprit Lenoir finds himself entangled in a web of passion, magic, and self-discovery that will span centuries and continents. The seventeen-year-old carnival performer conceals a truth threatening to tear his world apart. His queer desires are unspeakable, and his family’s rejection looms large.
But destiny has other plans when he crosses paths with the glamorous Baron and Baroness du Roussade. The enigmatic nobles help Esprit discover his dormant werewolf nature and release him from the chains of human fear. As his wolf awakens the power within, he embarks on a journey through the pages of history, guided by love and an insatiable longing for freedom.
Weaving together history, supernatural intrigue, and the complexities of identity, The Wolf Esprit by Joseph Stone is a captivating tale that flies through time to explore the enduring quest for belonging and the transformative power of love.
The Lykanos Chronicles are dark fantasy, stand-alone memoirs that may be read independently.
Content Warning: This story contains scenes of sexual violence and abuse, which may be triggering for some readers.
The Wolf Esprit
In The Wolf Esprit, esteemed author Joseph Stone takes readers on a dark fantasy exploration of identity, societal norms, and hidden legacies. The tale unfurls around Esprit, a talented and strikingly handsome member of a nomadic performing troupe. Beneath the spotlight, Esprit conceals a profound secret: he’s attracted to men, a truth not embraced in his milieu. Only a select few are privy to his truth, but a twist of fate exposes him, leading to a harrowing incident that catapults him into a world of mystery and wonder.
Suddenly, Esprit is connected with Max, an enigmatic figure with the dual identity of a seasoned bureaucrat and a formidable wolf-like being. With revelations about their shared werewolf lineage, Esprit finds himself at Max’s lavish abode, confronting truths that could alter the trajectory of his life forever. Stone deftly melds layers of supernatural intrigue with heart-wrenching human emotions, offering readers a panoramic view of a world marked by love, acceptance, betrayal, and power struggles.
What distinguishes The Wolf Esprit is Stone’s eloquent prose, which paints a vibrant tapestry of emotions, settings, and relationships. The narrative isn’t merely another paranormal tale; it’s a rich saga rooted in character development, setting it apart within the dark fantasy genre. The ethical quandaries faced by Esprit, combined with the tension of supernatural revelations, form a plot that’s both riveting and deeply moving.
The Wolf Esprit is an enthralling amalgamation of fantasy, romance, and the ethereal, presenting readers with a novel perspective on dark fantasy. Its cinematic potential is undeniable, making it ripe for a screen adaptation. For those enamored by tales that challenge conventions and transport into beguiling realms, this book is an exemplary pick.
Pages: 451 | ASIN : B0CHBR9BYR
This Is a Coming-Of-Age Story
A Perfect Night follows a young girl who witnesses her mother’s death and discovers that her family has paranormal abilities and dark secrets. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Over cocktails, a dear friend of mine named Fran once revealed how she and several of her family members have been haunted all their lives. Some siblings are more attuned to the spirits than others, but all have had multiple encounters with them. Growing up in her aunt’s home, several angry spirits caused so much havoc that Fran won’t return to the house even for a visit to this day.
What struck me most about Fran’s stories was her insistence that her mother’s spirit has been with her ever since the woman died. She plays pranks on Fran, hiding trinkets for days or weeks, only to return them somewhere unmistakable, like on Fran’s pillow before she goes to bed. I’ve always been interested in ghosts and the occult, but the idea of a parent remaining on earth to guard over their child struck a unique chord with me.
Frances is traumatized at a young age and as she grows learns more about herself and her family’s past. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
This is a coming-of-age story, and if the challenges of puberty aren’t a great set-up for a horror novel, I don’t know what is. Frances must learn to become a successful adult while shouldering heavy baggage. She’s lost her mother, her father has abandoned her, and she finds herself planted in her aunt’s house with other children and zero privacy for the first time. Further, she’s dealing with a ghost who does terrible things to discipline her, all of which Frances condones because she believes they are her mother’s loving and deserved punishments.
This story focuses on how someone in these unique situations finds her voice in the chaos. My ultimate goal for Frances is to overcome her fears and take charge of the legacy she’s about to be handed by the other haunted women in her family.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted to approach themes of misogyny and women’s rights in the early 1970s. Aunt Laura gives Frances quite an education about women’s sexual identity and the mores of the times they live it. There’s an entire chapter where she schools her niece on the word ‘slut.’ Laura insists Frances understand what it truly means when she calls another girl (or woman) a slut, and how she will not tolerate its use by a member of her household.
Several young readers have pointed out to me how strange they found that conversation. To modern youths, that stigma feels like it belongs to a different universe. Much of Generation Z has not only embraced the term, but they’ve also turned it into an honorific title. They feel ‘slut’ now represents feminine empowerment from the patriarchal dogma the word once harbored for their grandmothers.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am presently writing the third werewolf book in my Lykanos Chronicles for early next year. After that, I will head back into Frances’ mind to write the second Haunted Women novel.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Frances Tarantino has felt her mother’s spirit by her side ever since the woman’s tragic death. Fran’s mother sends beautiful ladybugs to land on her dress whenever she feels lonely or afraid. The little red and orange jewels always bring a smile to the girl’s face. And on those rare occasions when Fran misbehaves, her mother disciplines her. As Fran falls in love for the first time, she learns how dangerous a parent’s discipline can be.
Fran’s grand aunt, Aurora Ciconne, vowed never to take another husband when she became widowed at twenty-two. To a chorus of would-be suitors, she insisted her heart could never belong to another. And now, at fifty-eight, Aurora insists she does not need a man. But in secret, she has always been a bride.
When Fran develops their family’s gift of sight, Aurora searches for a way to free them both from the diabolical enslavement they can speak of to no one else.
The first book of The Haunted Women series follows the lives of two extraordinary women capable of seeing the spectral world—and all they must sacrifice to free themselves from it.
**WARNING: Contains scenes of sexual violence and abuse.**
A Perfect Night
A Perfect Night by Joseph Stone is a fantastically thrilling story that will keep every reader glued to the page until the end. Frances Tarantino is just a girl, and at a young age, she had to endure and witness her mother’s death. It isn’t long until she notices that her mom never truly left her. She’s still with her in spirit, making sure that no harm comes her way. When she’s upset or sad, her mom brings her ladybugs, her favorite, to make her feel better. Even though Fran never gets to see her directly, she feels her and understands her intentions. Sometimes, her mom leaves her gifts under her pillow, so she never feels completely alone. But Fran soon notices that it’s not all good, her mom is also willing to punish her every time she misbehaves, and as she is always with her, she sees it all.
Joseph Stone knows how to build the tension of a story so well that the reader is always on edge looking for the next clue. Readers will wonder what’s going on from the first chapter and be immediately interested. The plot structure is expertly formed, with every chapter leaving readers wanting to know more. Throughout the novel, readers will find twits and turns, leaving them thrilled and excited.
After her mother’s death, Fran has to move in with her aunt and cousins, and there she starts to wonder if she is the only person in the family with this strange gift that sometimes feels more like a curse. This introduces many supporting characters that enhance the storyline. With the help of her family, Fran navigates the paranormal world she has been thrust into and discovers herself and the dark history behind her family’s past.
There is so much intrigue surrounding the story. It’s hard to guess or know what to expect. Fran’s story presents itself as an enigma that slowly turns dangerous and makes readers worry about the characters’ safety. There are paranormal elements in the story, but it still feels real. The other characters that interact with Fran are also interesting, each possessing an intriguing storyline that differs from everyone else’s, which consistently offers new and refreshing points of view.
A Perfect Night is an immersive and compelling novel. This is the first book in The Haunted Women paranormal mystery book series that promises not to disappoint fans of thriller and suspense stories.
ASIN: B09TZ98R7J
LITERARY TITAN 