Across Centuries

In the misty expanse of the afterlife, two souls from vastly different worlds collide in a tale of love, redemption, and eternal bonds. *Across Centuries: Love in the Afterlife* by Josh Stories weaves a captivating romance that spans five hundred years, blending the ancient elegance of the Ming Dynasty with the gritty resilience of modern rural China. When Zhang Hao, a hardworking farmer from 2025 Henan, drowns in a flood while saving his family's harvest, he awakens in a shimmering realm of rice fields and lotus ponds—dead, but not alone. Bound to him through a rare ghost marriage is Xiao Yu, a defiant noblewoman who perished in 1500, fleeing a brutal warlord and her father's ruthless ambitions. What begins as a clash of snark and stubbornness soon unravels into a journey neither expected: a love that defies time itself.
Forced together by their families' desperate ritual, Zhang Hao and Xiao Yu must confront a centuries-old feud sparked by her father's land theft from his ancestors—a wound that has festered across generations. Armed with his cracked smartphone and her sharp wit, they haunt the living world, guiding their descendants to a forgotten shrine where rice, lotus flowers, and a burning scroll of grievances promise reconciliation. Along the way, Xiao Yu's brattiness softens into vulnerability, revealing the pain of her past, while Zhang Hao's quiet strength blossoms into courage, proving he's more than the "dirt boy" she first mocked. From playful pranks to tender moments—like crafting a wooden comb to match her cherished jade one—their bond deepens, turning duty into devotion.
As they face the Ancestral Spirits and Xiao Yu's unrepentant father, the stakes rise: complete their quest for a ghostly divorce, or choose a love that could last forever. With ethereal fireflies dancing and their combs glowing, they opt for eternity, becoming guardians of their healed families. *Across Centuries* is a heartwarming blend of historical intrigue, supernatural adventure, and timeless romance—a story of two souls finding peace and passion in the afterlife. Perfect for fans of cross-cultural love stories and mystical journeys, this novel promises laughter, tears, and a love that transcends death itself. Will you cross centuries with them?

Josh Stories - Author Biography
Josh Stories was born in 1978 in Portland, Oregon, where the rain and gray skies sparked his love for crafting stories. A widower, he's raising two daughters in a quiet home filled with books and the occasional chaos of teenage life. When he's not writing, he's wrestling with an irritating tabby cat that insists on stomping across his keyboard, a furry muse he tolerates with a wry grin. His debut, Five Hundred Lies, blends dark desire with raw truth.