This is the sequel to The Jack of Souls. As of today, March 12, 2017, it is95% complete. S

************************************************************************************** An outcast rogue must break a curse put on his fate, or die on his nineteenth birthday. To survive, he'll need the sword of a maiden, the aid of an immortal, and the power of forbidden magic that could cost him the only girl he ever loved. ************************************************************************************ *** THE JACK OF SOULS won a Silver IPPY this year! *** THE JACK OF SOULS won 1st place in the PNWA Competition in Fantasy! * *** THE JACK OF SOULS won 1st place in the Southwest Writers competition! * *** A "Featured Book" on Wattpad! * *** Now a "Staff Pick" on Kickstarter! * *** Available on Amazon in paper, hardback, and ebook ! * *** My contract with Kindle Select won't allow me to post more than 3 chapters here, but... *** Sign up for my newsletter on stephenmerlino.com for alerts when it's free on Amazon! * MY INSPIRATION I wrote this out of pure love of trickster rogues; I love the wit over brawn motif -- Odysseus over Achilles, Raven over Eagle -- so I like to play with it in my stories. In JOS I set the rogue and con-artist Harric against a foil of warriors in a land threatened by magic and civil war. Whenever possible I turn familiar tropes on their heads: instead of a handsome young Lancelot, I cast a broken-down ex-champion addicted to pain-killing herbs; instead of a dashing Squire Brian, the old knight reluctantly takes an ambitious young woman as squire. Similarly, I re-imagine the standard medieval milieu by infusing aspects of two of my favorite historical periods, Elizabethan England, and The American Frontier. Both eras boast a kind of nationalistic arrogance that borders on hubris, and a magnificent spirit of resourcefulness and re-invention that is fun to play with. SERIES The Jack of Souls is first in a series. I am posting parts of the sequel here now (The Knave of Souls), to help me refine the story.

***Featured in YA SCI-FI & FANTASY, SECRET TREASURES and WATTPAD UNDISCOVERED STORIES 2019 *** "The truth can be weathered, eroded; it's every shade of grey that lives in the mist; it's sunrise and sunset and everything in between. . ." Kass is a goat-farmer who dreams of escaping his hopeless village. Sammi is an outcast, determined to save her sister who is slowly dying from the toxin-sickness. And Rai is a privileged drone-racer who works hard, parties hard, and feels. . . nothing. One cracks the earth. One weaves the wind. One dances with the waves. They have never met - but together, they are The Elementalists: weapons created by the resistance to overthrow the dictatorship of their toxic world. Life-changing events rip the trio from their homes, from their lives, and the resistance sends them on a perilous quest: to destroy three mysterious 'capsules' that hold the dictatorship together. But in the face of so many lies, twists and betrayals, Kass, Sammi and Rai - the most dangerous weapons on Tellus - must make tough choices. About who to save. . . And who to destroy.

My writing tips, blog posts and assorted musings, all in one easy location!

Eighteen-year-old Kali McAlister enters her steam-powered "dogless sled" in a race, intending to win the thousand-dollar prize and escape remote Moose Hollow forever. The problem? Fortune seekers and airship pirates are after her for the secret to flash gold, her late father's alchemical masterpiece. With her modified rifle and a pocketful of home-made smoke bombs, Kali wouldn't normally hide from a confrontation, but taking on a whole airship single-handedly is a daunting task. Unfortunately, the other racers won't assist her--they're too busy scheming ways to sabotage her unorthodox sled. When a sword-slinging stranger shows up, wanting to hire on as her protector, she's sure he has ulterior motives, but he's the only one interested in helping her. The question is...why? Flash Gold is the first in a series of steampunk novellas.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... 'Troopers, the @Ooorah Republic needs you. This fourth issue of Tevun-Krus faces a very real threat. With your uncanny ability to read kickass stories, reviews and articles-including the next episode of Smith & Jones-we can push back the Empire and save Earth from the wrath of Darth Khan. Beam us up, Scotty.

Join the crew of the good ship @Ooorah as they take on the often confusing world of Alternate Universe SF! Short stories, articles and reviews abound. Plus further adventures from Smith & Jones and as usual, our infamous caption contest! Buckle up, 'troopers! It's guaranteed to be one wild ride!