"Magick ain't pretty, it ain't stars and sparkles. Magick is dirty. It's rough. Raw. It's blood and guts and vomit. You hear me?" When Prime Lord Hark is found in a pool of his own blood on the steps of his halls, Tonmerion Hark finds his world not only turned upside down, but inside out. His father's last will and testament forces him west across the Iron Ocean, to the very brink of the Endless Land and all civilisation. They call it Wyoming. This is a story of murder and family. In the dusty frontier town of Fell Falls, there is no silverware, no servants, no plush velvet nor towering spires. Only dust, danger, and the railway. Tonmerion has only one friend to help him escape the torturous heat and unravel his father's murder. A faerie named Rhin. A twelve-inch tall outcast of his own kind. This is a story of blood and magick. But there are darker things at work in Fell Falls, and not just the railwraiths or the savages. Secrets lurk in Tonmerion's bloodline. Secrets that will redefine this young Hark. This is a story of the edge of the world. ---------- You can also now read the second book in the trilogy-Bloodmoon-at: https://www.wattpad.com/story/45459244-bloodmoon-scarlet-star-trilogy-2. The third and final book-Bloodfeud-is also now out and available from www.bengalley.com or all good bookstores.

****Taken down for publication with Parliament House Press in 2019*** ****Bonus Story Available: The House of Seven Smiles***** ***Wattys 2015 Winner!!!*** Magic runs bone deep... In a world overrun by monsters, humans struggle for survival underground. Magic is feared and reviled, but rooted deep in the bloodlines of families, cropping up once a generation. These individuals are cast out, banished to the Above where humans are far, far down the food chain. When her younger brother is tainted by magic and forced to the surface, Azzy follows, determined to save the only family she has left, no matter what he becomes. ***Lovely Cover by @mulanjiang*** ***#2!! in Adventure 2/28/16*** ***#6!! in Fantasy 8/15/16***

An ex-spy's quest for redemption leads her into an uneasy partnership with a genetically-engineered dragon. For decades, an elite group of spies within the CIA has kept the existence of magic secret from the world. Katrina Harris counted herself among their number, until a drunken brawl with a co-worker got her fired. She’d do anything to re-enter the thrilling world of supernatural espionage—even infiltrate a terrorist cell without backup. Dr. Phyllis Harper has an Arctic fortress, a dozen magic-wielding soldiers, and a flock of genetically-engineered dragons capable of knocking American warplanes from the sky. All she needs are pilots. A chance encounter lets Katrina talk the doctor into recruiting her. If Katrina escapes Harper’s fortress with intelligence, she can convince her old bosses to take her back. But neither magic nor science can prepare Katrina to have a dragon in her mind. A creature cunning enough to ferret out all her secrets . . . and one whose own fierce memories tell Katrina she might be working for the wrong side. This story contains mature themes, including alcoholism and suicide. Now complete!

Religion rules Constantine's world...and she has been condemned as the Spawn of the Devil. She is a Champion, a human being blessed with superhuman abilities by the deities of her world. However, her patron happens to be the Lord of War and Strategy - and women were never supposed to be Champions of War. In order to survive in a world that would rip her apart, she disguises as a boy, training to fulfil her supposed destiny. But fate has other things in store for her. An ancient evil is rising - and only Constantine may have the power needed to fight it. Along with a brash warrior and a too-perceptive scholar, Constantine begins to unravel secrets of a prophecy foretelling the end of the world. Now, she must learn how to fight evil with nothing but a magical knife as well as powers she knows next-to-nothing of. The real problem though? She may have been the one to call the great evil in the first place. ************ Now a Wattpad Featured story! Highest ranking: #1 in Fantasy Cover by @seventhstar Previous cover by @TrafficCop Original cover sketch by @MissBookNut, colours by @AFlyingPug

************************************************************************************** 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.

Relic and Ruin is now published as a Hardcover and E-book by Wattpad Books! As a Wattpad reader, you can access the Wattpad Books Published Edition here upon purchase. ***** In a place unlike any other, two brothers set off an ancient, epic, and never-ending battle ***** The world is controlled by the Necromancers and Reapers. And Nyx Lahey, born a Necromancer, but raised a Reaper, is on the front lines. While chasing a creature that's killing young girls, Nyx gets mixed up with Erebus Salem, an undead hunter on a mission to return home but with no memory of who he is. But other beings are lurking in the shadows. They know the truth about Erebus and Nyx. They know that the pair are the Relics, the only two powerful beings in the world capable of taking down the greatest evils known to any kind. Soon, Nyx and Erebus become the hunted, and must try and escape the evil plans of the war lord, Bellum. Can Nyx and Erebus master their newfound powers, and even if they do, can they survive? [[word count: 150,000-200,000 words]]

An ill-prepared queen, a soft-hearted mercenary, and a crippled warrior struggle as a kingdom falls and an empire rises. For years the High Mages of Cadonia have maintained an uneasy peace among the nobles disgruntled with the rule of the king. In the aftermath of a tragic event, Elyse, the king’s daughter, is thrust into a role she is not ready for. As queen, she must now determine who to trust while struggling to keep the kingdom from collapsing around her. The Hell Patrol, a legendary mercenary outfit commanded by Jonrell, finds itself disenfranchised with their current employer. Recalling a promise he made over a decade ago, Jonrell breaks his contract in order to right the wrongs of his past. On the continent of Hesh, the Blue Island Clan has long been ignored by its neighbors. Tobin, a warrior and son of the Clan’s ruler, struggles as an outcast as he watches his brother Kaz lead his father’s army to glory. Emboldened by a new friendship with a mysterious shaman, Tobin finds himself gaining the respect he always wanted. An epic fantasy tale, Rise and Fall is the first book in the completed Blood and Tears Trilogy.

As rumors swirl across the war torn lands of Eos of a possible Candidate-the long prophesied savior of peace-young Raden Nite finds himself unexpectedly chosen to discover the truth to these rumors. Raden's top-secret mission will send him and his closest friends on a heart-pounding adventure through the mysterious Voras Mountains, the impenetrable fortress of Sargatum, and deep into strange new lands where dangerous enemies await. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Disputed Lands, Prince Aric sits third in line to the crown of Vicedonia. Seeking to escape the overwhelming shadow of his elder brother, and to prove to his father, the king, that he is indeed a worthy successor, Aric embarks on a path into the darkest corners of Eos. On his journey, he will encounter the sinister magic of the Dark Forest, the epic battlegrounds of Lake Raphia, and discover the harsh realities of what it truly means to be king. In the first book of the Prophecy Rock Series, fates will collide in this epic tale of action, loyalty, and love, where the ultimate meaning of true sacrifice will be discovered.

A sweeping epic fantasy series full of mystery and adventure, rare jewels and mythical creatures. Ancient legends don't come back to life. Until they do... The vast, winged draykoni once ruled the skies of the Seven Realms, uncontested and unstoppable - so the stories say. But they are only tales. Aren't they? A shy young woman is about to learn that sometimes, even the most far-fetched story might prove to be the plain, simple truth. In book one, Draykon: When Llandry Sanfaer discovers a new type of jewel, her life changes forever. Wonderful and terrible, the gem exerts a strange influence over those who behold it. Soon people are dying for it - and Llandry herself becomes a target. This is only the beginning. In book two, Lokant: the long-vanished draykoni race have returned, but with them comes another mystery. Who are the enigmatic, white-haired sorcerers stalking the draykoni across the Worlds? And what do they want with Llandry? As war builds between humankind and draykoni, Lady Evastany must uncover the truth about her own unique heritage - before it's too late. In book three, Orlind: War has broken out between the humans of the Seven Realms and the long-lost draykoni race. As Llandry fights to defend her home, Eva begins a desperate quest into the heart of the mystical Lokant Libraries - a quest that will lead her deep into the mysteries of the long-lost Seventh Realm.

They walk among us. All three, living normal mortal lives. Cloe is graduating college; Lacey is getting married; Atria is bar-hopping and breaking hearts. Today, they are human. But they are also the three Fates—the all-powerful directors of human destiny. And they don't even know it. Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos did not always take mortal form. They dwelt in the Cave, working the Loom, till something happened on Olympus that changed everything one day. Since then, they've roamed the earth and led thousands of lives throughout its history. The Fates may not remember who they are, for now... but their legacy is not to be forgotten. And their story is just begging to be told. *A Wattpad Featured story* *Winner of 2014 Watty Award – Best of Interactive Storytelling* [PG-13 for adult language, non-graphic sexual content, mature themes]