Welcome to SPQR Press:
Samurai. Centurions. Gunslingers. Detectives. Serialized Cinematic Fiction
SPQR Press is for readers who love stories like Shogun, Star Wars, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Westerns, historical action-adventure, Japanese Light Novels, and classic samurai films.
What You Get Free as a Reader
Twice-weekly episodes of high-intensity, cinematic stories
Serialized novels, originally written for film and TV
Immersive escapes into samurai sagas, westerns, neon noir, and beyond
Optional paid extras for readers who want to go deeper to support our work
Subscribe for twice-weekly serialized fiction adapted from Hollywood-optioned scripts.
Current Serial:
A Calligraphy of Blood: The Way of the Samurai
Our launch title is FREE.
It was originally written for TV to be produced by Ed Bernero (Criminal Minds) and directed by Tim Matheson.
Prepare for a bloody and brutal journey through the beautiful world of Edo Japan in this epic historical action adventure where the way of the samurai is resolute acceptance of death.
They killed him as a child. Now, twenty years later, they’re back to kill him again.
Hashi’s only crime, surviving his murder two decades earlier. His reappearance threatens to upend the delicate balance of power in a Japan teetering on the brink of war between the Shogun and the Emperor. Danger lurks around every corner as he’s hunted by….
Samurai. Yakuza. Pirates. Assassins. And even the woman he loves… A mysterious, beautiful Ninja.
In a race against time and treachery, Hashi, with the aid of a once great dying samurai, an American privateer whose compass points only to trouble, a beautiful castaway Russian ballerina colder than a Siberian winter, and a mysterious goldfish, Hashi embarks on a blood soaked path of vengeance that spans the entire Japanese archipelago.
Experience A Calligraphy of Blood — forged in brutality, written in blood. Subscribe free to start at Chapter One.
About SPQR Press
Our stories are crafted like films: tight pacing, vivid visuals, and sharp dialogue.
I am the author and copyright owner of A Calligraphy of Blood. I will also be publishing this novel through my official author account on RoyalRoad.com.
Meet the Writers
Joseph “Joe” Ferrante
Joe is a multi-award-winning screenwriter, novelist, and producer who creates high-intensity historical narratives. His first produced TV Show was in Japan for the Fuji Network. He has written for Robert De Niro, John Cleese, and Tim Matheson, and partnered with showrunner Ed Bernero (Criminal Minds). At Warner Bros he led 200+ global digital campaigns for films and franchises including The Dark Knight, Harold & Kumar, and Blade Runner.
Joe has worked in Hollywood for over 15 years and produced TV shows in Japan. Currently, he is a producer on JOHN CARTER OF MARS®: The Audio Series, a dramatic adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs featuring Sean Patrick Flanery (The Boondock Saints, Young Indiana Jones), Bruce Boxleitner (Babylon 5), Tim Russ (Star Trek Voyager), Wasé Chief (Kevin Costner’s Horizon), Katy Manning (Doctor Who), and Ian McDiarmid (the Star Wars saga). The project secured audience backing and press interest and is in active production.
Andrew Houston
Andrew is an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker. He has directed television in Japan, co-produced award-winning shorts, and co-written multiple award-winning screenplays. His early short film, a hybrid of grindhouse and classic western influences, won the White Gloves Film Competition.
Together, Joe and Andrew have over 30 -years of experience in Japan and bring a visual storytelling style to the page: cinematic structure, relentless pacing, and characters who feel like they walked off a movie set.
Free vs Paid: Choose Your Path
Free Subscribers
Twice-weekly episodes of our current serial
Access to the archive of completed chapters
Community features: comment on episodes, share reactions
Updates on new series launches across samurai, Rome, westerns, and more…
Paid Supporters (Optional)
For readers who want to go deeper and help us keep telling these stories:
Paid subscribers receive:
Early access to future releases
Bonus chapters and extras when available
Access to community features reserved for supporters
Founding Member (Optional)
All of the Above plus…
Monthly Q&A sessions about the story and craft
Opportunities to become beta readers for upcoming projects
The satisfaction of supporting independent, high-quality genre storytelling
Become part of the inner circle.
Community & Events
We want SPQR Press to feel like a saloon, dojo, and writer’s room all in one.
Comment on each installment
Join our monthly livestream Q&A, for Founder level members, about the story, characters, and behind-the-scenes process
Help shape future projects through feedback and beta reading
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Our promise is simple:
No spam. No ads. Just stories.
You can unsubscribe anytime with one click. Your inbox is a sacred space — we only enter it with chapters worth reading.
Ready to Enter the Story?
Every week, readers are stepping into a world of swords, guns, shadows, and shifting empires. The only way to miss out is not to subscribe.
Bring your whiskey, cards and a gun.
