Once In A Blue Moon: Book One: The Silver Crescent Witch

by M. Ramsay-Scales

Immerse yourself into the world of Callista Lucas-Spellcaster as she navigates her life in this dark, paranormal romance, thriller. Nurse by day, witch by night, and having love triangles thrown at her left and right.

Are you a fan of paranormal romances, mystery thrillers with a touch of suspense? Allow this book to seduce you with troupes including possessive Alpha males, dark romance, murder, mystery suspense, drugs, alcohol, SA, and kidnapping.
Welcome to Capital City, home to supernaturals everywhere!

Meet Calista Lucas-Spellcaster, known as Callie by friends, is a nurse working at Capital City Hospital. She is one of the few SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) certified nurse, who is also a witch. Which proves handy when needing to take care of hostile patients without getting injured.

Born into a werewolf pack, with werewolf parents and being daughter of the Alpha, she spent her whole upbringing as if she had no place within their lifestyle and traditions. So, when the opportunity arrived to leave, she left the pack, and has never looked back on that decision.

Her familiar, Shadow, is a wolf the size of a horse, with fur as black as night; he always has her back and offers guidance, if only Callie would listen. Especially, when it comes to her love-life. Full moons are weird enough, but this one has all the men in Callie’s life going crazy for her.

She’s just living her own life, creating a name for herself with her second job of medical and magical baked goods. She does her best to keep her nurse life separate from her magical one, until one day when a patient shows up to the ER of her hospital in a magical, drug-induced hysteria. At first it seems to be SANE related until further investigation takes a turn toward supernatural and the patient dies.

Then another body shows up. Come to find out these aren’t even the first two… How many bodies will pile up before this mystery can be solved?

Who is behind it all?

Werewolves?

Vampires?

Witches?

Humans?

Just remember, not everyone is who they say they are…

216 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Virginia Duley · Rating 4 out of 5]

First thing first thank you to the amazing Author for picking me as your arc reader for this book you have created.

Now into the nitty-gritty…. This story is very well written I freaking love the story I couldn’t put it down as soon as I started. There is love triangle and the twisted and turns that leave me speechless. The spicy scene with the Alpha and the main female character was like holy crap.

For future readers please make sure you read the trigger warnings before continuing with the story. And I really appreciate the author taking the time and make sure if others have experienced any of the trigger warnings to please seek out professional help.

Once again thank you again to the amazing author for allowing me to read your story. I’m truly honored. I can’t wait for the book to come out for others to read it.

[Jax · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story tells about a girl named Calista, who is a daughter to her werewolf pack’s alpha but manifested as a witch instead of a shifter and lives a fairly normal life as a nurse, using her magic to help others and provide assistance to those in town. The world also has vampires, including Callie’s best friend at work. But all this changes when she gets a summons back to her pack, reigniting feelings she kept dampened over the years and pulling her back into a world she left years ago. It comes to many twists and turns that get Callie kidnapped, and so much more!

I enjoy books including shifters and I loved the way that this world unfolds as well as the rules of this magic system and it’s simplicity. I love Callie and Shadow as well as the other characters in the book, and the cliffhanger had me begging for more!! I’m so glad I got my hands on this book and I’m super excited to read more about this world as the series unfolds more in the future. Definitely was a little difficult with the topics that are triggering in this, but I enjoyed the story too much to be too turned away and I’m curious where life will take Callie next.

[Kristina Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

A witch, a vampire and a werewolf work together...

Well, I just you going to have to read this book for the full story! This is masterfully woven tale of magical realism where vampires, werewolves, and witches coexist under a magical pact. The FMC, Callie Spellcaster, is a nurse and witch who is called down to the ED to assist with trauma patients. During one very difficult trauma, she learns that similar patients have been coming on 3-4 times per week. Can she and her colleagues get a handle on what is happening?

[Larae Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMGOSH, This book will have you captivated. Very descriptive, as well as well written. It's an interesting read all the way around. You won't be able to put it down.

[Geri Banuelos · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ This is a really great debut. Callie is a strong FMC with so much unexpected talent she is still learning and then some. Galin is very Territorial and very Masculine and does not like to take NO for an answer while Brody is very heart felt and understanding and patient. But they are all in a twisted era of there rural home and so much to figure out and so much damage to clean up. This literally has you wanting more especially since it was left with like 5 cliff hangers. The real question is really who can you trust????

[G. W. reviewers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books pull you into their world so completely that you lose track of time, and Once in a Blue Moon did just that. M. Ramsay-Scales introduces us to Callista Lucas-Spellcaster, or Callie, whose life is a whirlwind of danger, magic, and emotional chaos. She’s not just a nurse; she’s a healer for both the body and the soul, a witch navigating a dark and complex world, and a woman caught between love and survival. Capital City, with all its supernatural secrets, felt alive—thrumming with energy, danger, and the kind of suspense that makes you hold your breath without realizing it.

What touched me deeply was Callie’s journey of self-acceptance. Born into a werewolf pack but unable to shift, she never felt like she truly belonged. Her decision to leave and forge her own path resonated with me in ways I didn’t expect. We’ve all had moments where we felt out of place, like we didn’t quite fit the mold. Callie’s strength, her refusal to let that define her, reminded me of my own struggles and triumphs. Her work as a SANE-certified nurse was another layer of her character that hit hard—her compassion, her fight for justice in the face of trauma, felt so raw and real.

I was as torn as Callie. The Alpha, her childhood connection; the vampire nurse, with his dark allure; and the witch cop, whose charm is impossible to resist. Each brought their own tension and tenderness, making every moment between them electric. But this isn’t just about romance—it’s about trust, betrayal, and the gray areas in between. The mystery of the magical drug had me on edge, and just when I thought I knew what was coming, Ramsay-Scales hit me with another twist. It’s the kind of story that keeps your heart racing long after you’ve turned the last page.

I’d recommend Once in a Blue Moon to anyone who loves a story that’s as emotionally deep as it is thrilling. M. Ramsay-Scales weaves romance, mystery, and magic together beautifully, creating a tale that feels both fantastical and deeply human. Callie’s journey is one you’ll carry with you, and I can’t wait to see what challenges and revelations await her in the next book.

[Swati Rohra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once in a Blue Moon: The Silver Crescent Witch is a thrilling blend of mystery, suspense, and sinister paranormal romance. The first novel in the Once in a Blue Moon series introduces readers to Callista “Callie” Lucas, a spell caster who works as a nurse by day and as a witch at night. She is entangled in a web of romance, mystery, and paranormal peril.

This book, which follows Callie as she negotiates the difficulties of her double existence in Capital City, a sanctuary for supernatural creatures, is an exciting blend of dark mystery and paranormal romance. The narrative follows Callie as she faces both supernatural and human difficulties throughout her life, including a troubling investigation into unexplained deaths at her hospital.

Growing up in a werewolf pack and being the daughter of the Alpha, Callie has always felt cut off from her own family. Despite having a close relationship with the pack, she chooses to leave them in order to pursue a career as a nurse and a part-time job baking magical treats. But it's not at all like that. Following the mysterious death of a patient at her hospital, Callie finds herself in a series of increasingly bizarre and dangerous circumstances that make her life even more difficult.

The plot, which examines a mysterious string of murders involving humans, vampires, werewolves, and witches, keeps readers guessing as the stakes grow. Fans of paranormal romance and suspense will find Once in a Blue Moon to be an exciting read since it combines dark magic with an engrossing mystery that takes place in the center of a supernatural city. This tale will leave you wanting more if you appreciate dark, paranormal thrillers with a tinge of romance.

[Fathima Shahzadhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book whose FMC is a witch born in the family of werewolves, CALISTA LUCAS SPELLCASTER who is also a nurse working in the Capitol City hospital with an additional specialization of SANE (SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINER) , who also runs a magical baked goods store, is about witchcraft , wolf packs, series of murder and mystery.
Callie as her friends call her has a familiar, a wolf , who is her guardian, guide, best friend and mentor. She along with her familiar moved out of her pack despite the fact that she was the daughter of the Alpha, when the opportunity arrived. She hasn't returned there ever since.
Dr. Galen Saunders, the then Alpha of her pack, works in the same hospital and one day when a patient arrives at the ER in a magical drug induced hysteria , she is demanded of magical intervention so as to bring the patient to normalcy. Initially it looks like SANE case, but further investigation reveals it is supernatural and the patient dies. What will she do when there's another who arrives in the same condition? Will there be many more murders? Will she be able to prevent from the piling up of bodies? Will she succeed in her mission or the attempt would be futile?
Read the Book to know the full story....! This book has unexpected twists, romance, erotic scenes, death, physical violence and a thrilling story to unravel.
This book makes you cry, think, angry, sad , hot and what not. I enjoyed reading every line and would recommend readers above 18 years of age to fasten your seatbelt before reading this thriller book. This book beautifully portrays the bond she shares with her familiar.

[berrgiebooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Callie is a witch born from two shifters because her family's bloodline has witches in it. So every so many years of which is born. She works at a hospital with Brody, her vampire best friend, and Forest, a doctor who is also a witch like her. The other character you interact with a lot is Galen, who is the alpha of the pack that Callie was originally born to. A key detail is that Callie left her pack when her father tried to hand over it to her because he was the original alpha but she would not be accepted by the pack because she was not a shifter.

Callie is used in the hospital as someone to help with solving cases for the police officers as well as other regular hospital duties but with a twist because she's a witch. This story follows how there is an epidemic happening of people having these crazy freakouts and then finding out that there's a drug involved. I really like how Ramsey- Scales writes the storyline for you to be able to really enjoy how Kelly finds herself involved in this situation and what the story is leading to through details like making the world aware of the supernatural creatures existing amongst them. That detail plays a nice impact on how things are handled and the steps that people take.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and I look forward to seeing what Ramsey-Scales does with this series.

This book does have torture, mental abuse, shaming, forced sexual actions, kidnapping, drug overdose, unknown ailment, fighting, and death. Please keep all of these things in mind when adding it to your TBR.

[Shanna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

For being a debut author, this read was amazing. I haven't read something involving witches, werewolf's, and vampires in a long time and with a strong FMC to boot. Callie, who was born to two werewolves, is a witch but has werewolf vibes. With her familiar, Shadow, she is a nurse that specializes in SA cases. After a few events that take the lives of a few human, Callie is determined to figure out who is doing this to them.

Galen is a doctor at the same hospital as Callie but also the Alpha of her pack, taking over for Callie's father when he stepped down. Galen and Callie have a past and when they get together the connection is strong. Galen wants Callie to come back to the pack to be closer to him, but Callie has built a life outside the pack and wants to keep it that way.

One night while letting go, Callie is kidnapped and with that comes the horrors that she didn't even see coming. Her kidnapper seems to be someone that wants to possess her in a way that isn't normal but Callie is determined to save herself. Will she be saved in time to figure out who kidnapped her or who is drugging humans and eventually kill them.

This book had the right amount of spice and mystery. It does end on a different kind of cliffhanger but the book does not disappoint. Happy reading...

[neus.dreamybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

Callie is a witch with werewolves parents and a wolf familiar. Because she was the alpha's daughter, when he retired she leaved the pack because she wasn't a wolf, and her childhood friend Galen became the alpha.

Some years later she works as a nurse at the hospital where Galen works as a doctor, and one of her closer friends is also a nurse and a vampire. Because of some strange attacks resulting in victims being drugged so they became violent resulting in them dying soon after arriving to the hospital, she start to work more alongside Galen and Forest, a police & witch friend.

While investigating, her relationship with Galen and Forest start to be more physical and less like friendship.

There are some dark chapters with kidnapping, abuse and other things, so keep that in mind.

This story is different with a love/lust triangle, mystery about the drugs and who is the mastermind behind it, and some plot twists i didn't see coming. But let me tell you that i knew who was the masked man :)

- ARC read -

[sycokittykat - Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witch born from Wolves

Callie grew up in wolf territory since she was the daughter of the Alpha. However, she was born a witch and was not able to shift so when it was time for someone to take over the pack the son of her father's beta took up the position. This allowed Callie to leave the pack lands.

She became a nurse and is trained in SA trauma. The Alpha also works at hospital. Her best friends are a gay vampire nurse and a witch police officer.

Everyone is brought together when a drug enters play that makes humans combative and crazy and then they die.

When the pack shamen who has been helping investigate suddenly loses her magic and starts to age and die Callie is called back in to take other place even temporarily. As this is going down Callie suddenly finds herself in the middle of a love triangle between the Alpha, the vampire and the witch...

This book was freaking crazy and I can't wait to see what other secrets are to be unraveled.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book so good! There was a very neat storyline about vampires and werewolves. Doctors who were werewolves and nurses that were half human and half werewolf. Very unique hospital! Callie is the main female in book and Galen the male. The storyline was so interesting and the characters were very intense. I loved this book. It is obviously a book one cause ends with a shocker. I thought book was done with storyline then boom! A shocker.

The characters were well developed and detailed. The storyline was great and interesting. This book makes me want more! I can’t wait to read the next book to find out what happens. Great job to the author! I enjoyed reading this ARC of the book and hope to read the next one!

[Mrs. K. Book Reviews · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5⭐
DNF @ pg.75

Here's the think with shifter romances and wolf pack trope in general: They seem to rely on an already innate understanding of the wolf shifter world rather than seamlessly integrating it along the storyline.

The mind link is excruciating to read through. The dialogue is stiff and irregular. The fact that our MMC has no concept of boundaries when it comes to the men in her life - She claims to be irritated with them all but allows them to meet with her in private. - is disconcerting at best. I'm not sure I like any character in this novel.

This wasn't my favorite read. I couldn't finish it. The plot didn't advance at a rate quick enough to really grab me and suck me in.

[Stephanie Douglass · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of editorial errors on the KU version but but being a indie author there's bound to be some! With that being said....
READ THE BOOK!!!
The best book i have read from an indie author in quite a while.
I was hooked from the start.
For real I did not want to put it down.... fell asleep at 88%.... then woke back up to finish it at 3am lol
The plot was 5 stars all the way!
I wasn't too sure how the author was going to work everything out with werewolves, vampires AND witches but wow!
Mind your trigg€r w@rnings bc it's heavy on the SA which we figured with the FMC being a SANE nurse.
Almost border line thriller... gosh i loved this book and I will be first in line for book #2!!!

[Natasha Chudakova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wolf shifters, witches and vampires.
The story follows Callie, a witch with wolf shifter traits which become more prevalent in the story at the end.
I didn't really connect with the writing and this felt more like just being told a story rather than being shown a full vision. The emotional connection just wasn't there for me and when it came to the explicit scenes, they were just dark and clunky.
It wasn't until the last few chapters and the epilogue which contained a few twists, which I didn't see coming, that had my attention.

3⭐️
2.5🌶

I appreciate the opportunity to read this as an ARC.

[Yesenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dive into the enchanting world of "Once in a Blue Moon" where M. Ramsay-Scales weaves a tale that grips your heart and soul. Callista Lucas-Spellcaster, aka Callie, embarks on a riveting journey of self-discovery amidst a whirlwind of magic, danger, and love. Her struggle for acceptance, coupled with her role as a healer and a woman torn between conflicting emotions, is nothing short of captivating. The intricate relationships and unforeseen plot twists will keep you at the edge of your seat, craving for more. Experience the raw emotions, the thrilling suspense, and the undeniable charm that this novel exudes—it's a literary treasure you won't want to miss!

[Stashia Campbell (readingraven_nevermore) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

This book immerses you in a captivating fantasy realm filled with werewolves and vampires.

Our main female character, a nurse, finds her life intertwined with her best friend from these two worlds when she is summoned back to her pack. The story is packed with unexpected twists and plenty of excitement.

With elements of kidnapping and suspense, it keeps you eagerly turning the pages.

Thank you for providing such a well-crafted book and for the opportunity to read it as an ARC.

[Eliza Rockwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like dark romance with a twist and a not quite HEA…

This genre is outside my normal romance reads, but the author does a good job of creating a supernatural world that pulls the reader in right away. If you like dark shifter romance with a FMC that can’t seem to pick which alpha man to be her “mate,” then this is the perfect read for you.

Triggers: violence, sexual assault, CNC

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please read trigger warnings!

I loved that this was a short book, and I finished it in one sitting!  This is a great quick read. It is told solely from Callie's POV. I enjoyed the characters and the love triangle. There are a couple of plot twists that caught me by surprise. The cliffhanger left me in total shock, and the character revealed!  😲😲

I need the next book today!

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting story line, unique. You can tell the author is passionate. I like Galen as the MMC, Brody is enjoyable as well but Forest completely gives me the ick. Callie is a frustrating FMC. It’s probably just because I’m more decisive as a person.

Overall it was a good read and it leaves us on a cliffhanger and I need to know what’s next.

[Kristen Moran · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brings all the supernatural to life. between the vampires, werewolves, and witches, you don't know which one to love most. The author makes you fall in love with the characters only for you to feel betrayed by one at the ens. The twist at the end is remarkable and makes you want more.

[Ashley Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slow start but omg is this book good! Twists and turns that will have you spinning! The story line is amazing!

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first ever ARC read!! This story is captivating. Please check your trigger warnings before proceeding. I won’t give anything away. But I can tell you that I can’t wait to read the next one!!!

[B.D · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting start to what sounds like an interesting series.

This was an enjoyable read if you like shifter romance. It was easy to follow.

[Erica Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great. The story line was great and towards the end it was one you didn't want to put down.

[Megan Barclay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read, of course ending on a cliffhanger. Definetly want part 2 of this witch, wolf shifters, and vampire story.