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

He was the prince who got away. He had it all - power, fame, glory, honor. (Did I mention the unlimited supply of money, alcohol and women?) Yet he chose the human world. She wasn't shy, quiet or even remotely sweet. She wasn't your girl next door and she certainly was not a princess. When Victoria is hired to kill a mysterious stranger, she didn't know she was dealing with royalty. Of the immortal kind. Their worlds are about to get intertwined in a way neither could've foreseen. Welcome to a place where pretences are everything and everyone lies to get what they want. There will be scandals. Conspiracies. Betrayal. Love. Vampires, angels, magic and smoking hot men. And of course, a whole lot of "What the hell just happened?" *** Current ranking - #1 on Fantasy Wattpad Featured book Fiction Award Winner 2017 Completed

Mikhail is the son of a flower shop owner. He's hard working and sometimes a little too serious for his own good. He has a few good friends he socializes with, but that's about it. He helps his father run the flower shop after his mother died. They're both trying to keep the business open no matter what. Though, his father is a bit of a handful and a drunk so he often gets into debt with the wrong people. Mikhail is one day met by Nico, the son of a powerful Mafia boss. Nico demands payment for his father's debt but Mikhail brushes him aside. For Nico, that was the first time someone wasn't afraid of him. This chance encounter leaves Nico breathless and in a need to see Mikhail again. The problem is that Mikhail doesn't want anything to do with Nico. With a new group, 'Zechna', killing off Mafia members one by in the background, will Nico survive unscathed? Friendships will be tested, family will be damaged, and love will falter. Whether these two meeting will be a blessing or a curse is still unknown. They differ in personalities but, hey, opposites attract, right? ((POV's switch and change)) •Completed: April 2, 2017•

All Poppy wanted was that damn stupid chocolate bar. She didn't expect to ran into a werewolf ritual. She also didn't expect to get marked and have to be a werewolf's mate. Man, what she does for a stupid chocolate bar.

16 year-old Jocylen Danes is a theif, and a special werewolf. She's quite unpopular in the world, being hunted down by pack leaders of the highest ranked alphas and wanted in fifteen different countries. When a little birdy tells Jocylen that an alpha has a very old and expensive necklace hiding in his bathroom, she does what she always does. She goes for it. Jobs like these always go swiftly, Jocylen has everything timed and knows when to be and not to be in a place. But when she's just about to escape with the necklace, the alpha of the pack is standing in front of her, toothbrush hanging in his mouth as he stares shocked. And guess what, they're mates.

"Remember when we were little? Death seemed like a nightmare, terrifying, but you woke up." A collection of twisted thoughts formed into poetry from one person's mind. **Big thanks to https://www.wattpad.com/user/TheBlackCatBook for making the cover!**

It's always hard to start at a new school but even harder for a girl named Lianna. This Academy seems like a normal average high school but little does she know about all the secrets it holds. Even after she meets the mysterious smoking hot guy, she still has yet to uncover the dark secret about the Academy. She also has a hard job of hiding from her past and struggles to keep it where it is.......in the past.

I couldn't stop my eyes as they wandered around his body, looking at each and every curve and line. Though what caught my interest was his wolf mark, one that every wolf has. His was a intricate design on his bicep that I was itching to touch. It went perfectly with his tanish skin and blonde hair. He was like a Roman $ex God, and I wouldn't mind "praying" to him, any day. "Eva,'' I looked up at Will's face, but my eyes decided to do they're own thing and traveled down his muscular body, eventually landing on his abs. God! They don't even deserve to be called abs. They're more like a diamond washboard, that I feel tempted to wash my clothes on! Someone bring me the Downy! His eyes turned a few shades darker then, his skin so close to mine that the heat radiated between our bodies. He moved closer, his crystal blue eyes a midnight blue, warming me to my core. He wanted me just as badly as I wanted him. This was a battle between Alphas, who will dominate? Game on Mr. Sexy Piece of A$s.