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Zephyr Stone and the Moon Mist Ghost
From the moonlit canals of her North Carolina Outer Banks home to the mysterious dark pools of the Great Dismal Swamp, Zephyr Stone searches for answers to supernatural puzzles while navigating the quicksilver waters of middle school.
Twelve-year-old Zephyr's primary goal is just getting through school while drawing as little attention to herself as possible. Well, that, and surviving the boredom of a weekend without Internet connection. But Zephyr’s world is turned upside down and expanded in directions she never dreamed possible when she and her beloved dog, Sam, spend an autumn evening at her grandma’s house by the Great Dismal Swamp of Virginia. At midnight, after Sam beagle-bolts into the night, Zephyr stumbles through an eerie milk-white fog searching for him. There, she encounters the 300-year-old ghost of a Native American woman who comes paddling in on a ribbon of moonlit mist. The apparition tells Zephyr she is her last hope and begs her help in finding her long-lost child. It's not only the peace of a restless spirit hanging in the balance, however, when the ghost’s phantom cat springs into Sam’s body and Sam’s spirit leaps into the ghostly canoe. Unless Zephyr solves the mystery by November's full moon, the ghost will be doomed to wander the swamp for eternity, her only companion no longer a cat, but a dog named Sam.
Facing the weight of three centuries of time and the sinister warnings of her grandma’s neighbor to not open that “Pandora’s Box,” Zephyr makes it her mission to track down the fate of the ghost’s little boy. From disappearing tombstones to genealogy research to a screaming, miniature, spectral tornado, Zephyr gathers her clues. As her experiences with the supernatural grow, she reluctantly accepts the idea that she’s becoming, what her Grandma June calls, a Ghost Charmer.
Pre-order through Page 158 Books and complete the Contact form for Thank-You gifts from the author.
Twelve-year-old Zephyr's primary goal is just getting through school while drawing as little attention to herself as possible. Well, that, and surviving the boredom of a weekend without Internet connection. But Zephyr’s world is turned upside down and expanded in directions she never dreamed possible when she and her beloved dog, Sam, spend an autumn evening at her grandma’s house by the Great Dismal Swamp of Virginia. At midnight, after Sam beagle-bolts into the night, Zephyr stumbles through an eerie milk-white fog searching for him. There, she encounters the 300-year-old ghost of a Native American woman who comes paddling in on a ribbon of moonlit mist. The apparition tells Zephyr she is her last hope and begs her help in finding her long-lost child. It's not only the peace of a restless spirit hanging in the balance, however, when the ghost’s phantom cat springs into Sam’s body and Sam’s spirit leaps into the ghostly canoe. Unless Zephyr solves the mystery by November's full moon, the ghost will be doomed to wander the swamp for eternity, her only companion no longer a cat, but a dog named Sam.
Facing the weight of three centuries of time and the sinister warnings of her grandma’s neighbor to not open that “Pandora’s Box,” Zephyr makes it her mission to track down the fate of the ghost’s little boy. From disappearing tombstones to genealogy research to a screaming, miniature, spectral tornado, Zephyr gathers her clues. As her experiences with the supernatural grow, she reluctantly accepts the idea that she’s becoming, what her Grandma June calls, a Ghost Charmer.
Pre-order through Page 158 Books and complete the Contact form for Thank-You gifts from the author.
- GenresMiddle Grade
261 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2021
13 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Louise Wood
4 books16 followersKathryn Louise Wood was born in Washington, North Carolina and received her BS in Education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Having spent her life on the coasts of North Carolina and Virginia, she developed a particular fascination with lighthouses as stalwart guides to ships at sea, and as timeless sentinels of mystery, adventure, and romance. They were the natural inspiration for her first novel, Sea Snow- the gentle haunting of a 19th century lighthouse .
Another of Kathryn's interests is the supernatural, born of her own experience and the experiences of friends and family. She has always held a soul-deep feeling that there is more to life than what is obvious to our physical senses. Her first children's novel (Middle Grade readers) taps into that special interest. Zephyr Stone and the Moon Mist Ghost was published by Blue Ink Press in April, 2021. The second in her Zephyr Stone series was published October 21, 2022: Zephyr Stone and the Haunted Beach House.
As a life-long learner, Kathryn has worked as a teacher, social worker, television re-enactment actress, nationally certified massage therapist, and writer, and is an award-winning photographic artist.
She lives with her husband and kindred spirit, William Francis Ahearn, in a little turn-of-the-20th century cottage (that makes up in quirky charm what it may lack in size) in the beautiful, historic town of Edenton, North Carolina.
They share their home with their dear pups, and the memories of loved ones forever in their hearts.
Another of Kathryn's interests is the supernatural, born of her own experience and the experiences of friends and family. She has always held a soul-deep feeling that there is more to life than what is obvious to our physical senses. Her first children's novel (Middle Grade readers) taps into that special interest. Zephyr Stone and the Moon Mist Ghost was published by Blue Ink Press in April, 2021. The second in her Zephyr Stone series was published October 21, 2022: Zephyr Stone and the Haunted Beach House.
As a life-long learner, Kathryn has worked as a teacher, social worker, television re-enactment actress, nationally certified massage therapist, and writer, and is an award-winning photographic artist.
She lives with her husband and kindred spirit, William Francis Ahearn, in a little turn-of-the-20th century cottage (that makes up in quirky charm what it may lack in size) in the beautiful, historic town of Edenton, North Carolina.
They share their home with their dear pups, and the memories of loved ones forever in their hearts.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 6, 2024
This middle-grade mystery is the first in the Zephyr Stone series.
Zephyr Stone is a 12-year-old who discovers she has a gift for talking with ghosts, a “ghost charmer.” Given how mystery novels can often stay on the surface, Zephyr Stone and the Moon Mist Ghost goes into surprising depth. The story delves into the history of the Great Dismal Swamp, that straddles Virginia and North Carolina, as Zephyr is contacted by the ghost of an Indigenous woman, Kanti, who has been searching for her lost child for the past 300 years. Somehow, as Zephyr is speaking with Kanti, Zephyr’s beloved sidekick dog, a beagle named Sam, switches bodies with Kanti’s spirit cat. Zephyr must now solve the mystery of what happened to Kanti’s child in order to release Sam’s spirit back to his body, and all by the next Beaver Moon.
The actual history of the Great Dismal Swamp is woven throughout the story, with a scene even depicting two bounty hunters searching for enslaved people who, back in the 1800s, escaped to the relative safety of the swamp to live in freedom. While the mystery was exciting and satisfying, the overall heartfelt tone of the story made it rich in feeling and connection. Wood writes of fully rounded characters from all walks of life and all cultures, and creates a sense of community, even with those who have passed to the next world, and the power of friendship. There are themes of redemption and forgiveness (no spoilers, here, though) that satisfy.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story and am on Book Two, Zephyr Stone and the Haunted Beach House, as I write this. The only comment I would say, and it’s more a matter of opinion than fact, is that the cover in some ways conceals the depth of the story. It is eye-catching, however, and I believe middle-grade readers would like it as much, if not more than something that was more realistic.
As a fellow author, I appreciated Wood’s research into the Underground Railroad (the Great Dismal Swamp was one of its “stops,”) and her consultation with a member of the local Nansemond Indian Nation to ensure her portrayal of Indigenous culture was accurate.
I highly recommend this book for middle-grade readers who enjoy a thrilling, heartfelt mystery, and give this book five stars.
Zephyr Stone is a 12-year-old who discovers she has a gift for talking with ghosts, a “ghost charmer.” Given how mystery novels can often stay on the surface, Zephyr Stone and the Moon Mist Ghost goes into surprising depth. The story delves into the history of the Great Dismal Swamp, that straddles Virginia and North Carolina, as Zephyr is contacted by the ghost of an Indigenous woman, Kanti, who has been searching for her lost child for the past 300 years. Somehow, as Zephyr is speaking with Kanti, Zephyr’s beloved sidekick dog, a beagle named Sam, switches bodies with Kanti’s spirit cat. Zephyr must now solve the mystery of what happened to Kanti’s child in order to release Sam’s spirit back to his body, and all by the next Beaver Moon.
The actual history of the Great Dismal Swamp is woven throughout the story, with a scene even depicting two bounty hunters searching for enslaved people who, back in the 1800s, escaped to the relative safety of the swamp to live in freedom. While the mystery was exciting and satisfying, the overall heartfelt tone of the story made it rich in feeling and connection. Wood writes of fully rounded characters from all walks of life and all cultures, and creates a sense of community, even with those who have passed to the next world, and the power of friendship. There are themes of redemption and forgiveness (no spoilers, here, though) that satisfy.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story and am on Book Two, Zephyr Stone and the Haunted Beach House, as I write this. The only comment I would say, and it’s more a matter of opinion than fact, is that the cover in some ways conceals the depth of the story. It is eye-catching, however, and I believe middle-grade readers would like it as much, if not more than something that was more realistic.
As a fellow author, I appreciated Wood’s research into the Underground Railroad (the Great Dismal Swamp was one of its “stops,”) and her consultation with a member of the local Nansemond Indian Nation to ensure her portrayal of Indigenous culture was accurate.
I highly recommend this book for middle-grade readers who enjoy a thrilling, heartfelt mystery, and give this book five stars.
July 23, 2021
Forget “ages 9 – 12”. Enjoy it yourself,
THEN give it to your granddaughter.
I love the sarcastic and funny conversations
(and texts) between Zephyr and Lorie, priceless.
Not just a spooky ghost mystery, and
grandmother – granddaughter book,
it’s a friendship story,
and beautifully written.
THEN give it to your granddaughter.
I love the sarcastic and funny conversations
(and texts) between Zephyr and Lorie, priceless.
Not just a spooky ghost mystery, and
grandmother – granddaughter book,
it’s a friendship story,
and beautifully written.
August 22, 2024
This book is perfect for ages 9-12 who are avid readers and love a good series. I'm partial to anything that remotely reminds me of Nancy Drew, and this book fits the bill beautifully. A young newbie ghost whisperer tries to solve a 300-year-old mystery when the ghost of a Native America woman shows up in the Great Dismal Swamp behind her grandmother's house. Sound enticing? It is. But nothing dark here folks, everything is PG and with just the right amount of spooky. With interesting history tied to the mystery, this story is one that will keep you turning the pages. Add this one to your "to be read" list!
August 13, 2025
Very good adventure story for middle grade. Not scary, although ghosts are involved. Plenty of parental support throughout. Kids aren't left on their own.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews