About
the BOOK
In a country ravaged by the atrocities of war, a young boy witnesses the brutal murders of his family. Years later, with the stain of murder like a cancer in his mind, he creates a fighting ring where good and bad alike become unwilling participants in his twisted game.
When their paths cross, military officer Zachary knows only one thing for sure. He does not want to fight anyone to the death in the bizarre Ring of Horrors where he is being held captive. Much less be responsible for the torture meted out to helpless women because he refuses. He would rather die than compromise his basic human decency. But the razor wire-wrapped monstrosity is not even the worst of it. His kidnappers have a psychotic desire to turn him into a killer, at any cost. Their methods are unthinkable; their manipulative games despicable. And the harder he resists, the deeper he’s pushed towards an abyss he’ll never escape with his sanity intact.
Hear what lurks between the lines
“What does it cost? This trust of yours?”
“Everything. Trust costs everything. When you enter the cage, you trust that I control Caleb, that I will protect her.”
“What if you can’t? Every time he touches her…” Zachary held the masked man’s eyes. “I’m not stupid, I know you’ll never let us leave here alive.”The man fidgeted under that intense stare. “You will never leave the arena,” he agreed cryptically. “But your actions dictate how she lives and dies… here… today. If you comply, I will carry her from this Hell myself.”
Zachary sucked in a breath. Time beat a staccato in his heart that foretold how quickly it was running out. Before he died—before she died—he needed to see her one last time. Then an epiphany blossomed, and the black dog of despair finally devoured him. If he held her face and twisted quickly, he could break her neck. Death would be instantaneous, and she would never know it was him. He would be both savior and murderer, but she would be free.
“Fine.” He feigned acquiescence. “I’ll do what you want. It hardly matters how many men I kill to keep Jovannah safe.” It didn’t, but he’d never let the masked man carry her out of this Hellhole only to live in another version of it. And Caleb—that sick fuck. Her death would rob Caleb of the torture he wanted to inflict.
“Agreed. It hardly matters.”
“If I do this—you keep him away from her… before he—” He gulped. “Just keep him away from her.”
The man nodded, and his fate was sealed.
Zachary Grayson Winchell Bellechere bowed under the weight of that damnable decision. He dropped his hands and stepped back, done with bargaining.
The man concealed behind the all-over ski mask, whose lab coat flapped when he walked, turned from the ring of horrors. He was pleased. Today’s lesson had been well-received. The soldier was ready to pay the ultimate price, which was far more precious than his miserable life. But he looked back at the cage, disturbed by something in the black eyes.
The disquiet was lost to a great rush of tenderness when he reached Jovannah. Her beautiful eyes were closed in sleep, as they had been so often over the years. He stuck a finger under her nose. Although it seemed impossible, she was still breathing. His Beloved Angyalka. Alive, then dead. Dead, then alive. This time, at least, when he delivered her to Heaven, she’d stay there and stop chasing him.
Available as PAPERBACK, HARDCOVER, and eBOOK
The masked man absently fingered the metallic object in his pocket. The article was a talisman, given to him ten years ago by a girl he cherished. Little Angyalka. So eager to please, so quick to offer a monster in sheep’s clothing her selfless love.
He squatted and brushed a lock of hair from her face. As he looked at her, a shadow elongated over him. Too ethereal to be seen by the naked eye, the shadow reached through the lab coat. Death’s wispy fingers trailed a cylindrical object. Ice crystals formed on the metal surface, and the die was cast.
The masked man would never realize the talisman’s true cost until his experiment claimed her life. For in that moment, while he looked down upon Jovannah, and Zachary strained to see her from the barbed-wire cage, none loved her more than Death. Death stole her away while those who would save her haggled over her life.
...to be continued.
Death’s covenant fulfilled.
Two souls for the price of one.
When the next leg of THE WEEPING begins, ready yourself to pay the toll.
“Thou art bound together, tethered by time. As one dies, so must the other.”
Will you forfeit, or will you fight?
Die three times to Death’s delight.
LACRIMOSA: THE WEEPING | BOOK 2
COMING in 2027
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About
the AUTHOR
Joy Lupo Bell lives in coastal South Carolina with her husband and two dogs. She prefers books and movies about human monsters, although DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN, and the supernatural have their own special appeal. She is also an artist, having spent years designing and making custom gowns, wedding gowns, and dinner show costumes. That creativity blossomed into building and refinishing furniture. Joy loves classical music as much as hard rock and can spend days wandering through a museum. When she’s not rummaging around in a killer’s mind, she can be found traipsing the coast for antiques and vintage treasures.
Stories and their characters have always spoken to Joy, so from a very early age, she knew she wanted to write a book. Instead of a single book, however, she wrote a 2500-page manuscript, which became the foundation for her debut novel, THE SOUL EATER: RING OF HORRORS.
Her fascination with a murderer’s mind and the ancient conflict between good and evil began many years before the manuscript was written. That fascination raises deeper philosophical questions about fate, death, and what makes a conscientious man become a monster. The belief in “something more, something beyond this world” is the cornerstone of her personality. She is always searching for answers to that age-old question: What lurks in the heart of man? Is it only good? Or only evil? Or a mixture so convoluted that only God can unravel it?
With a lifelong interest in psychological horror and modern serial murder, Joy draws upon years of study to create both villainous and heroic characters while immersing the reader in their realistic nightmares.
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EVENTS
Meet The Author of THE SOUL EATER: RING OF HORRORS
Charleston Horror-Fest
18
October
Sunday, 10 a.m - 5 p.m
2026
Embassy Suites by Hilton Charleston Airport Hotel & Convention Center |
5055 International Boulevard, North Charleston, SC 29418
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24
October
Saturday, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
2026
114 US-17
Surfside Beach, SC 29575