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]

From the internationally bestselling authors who brought you the Krinar Chronicles comes a captivating tale of intrigue, love, and danger in a world where sorcery is entwined with science . . . Once a respected member of the Sorcerer Council and now an outcast, Blaise has spent the last year of his life working on a special magical object. The goal is to allow anyone to do magic, not just the sorcerer elite. The outcome of his quest is unlike anything he could've ever imagined - because, instead of an object, he creates Her. She is Gala, and she is anything but inanimate. Born in the Spell Realm, she is beautiful and highly intelligent - and nobody knows what she's capable of. She will do anything to experience the world . . . even leave the man she is beginning to fall for. Augusta, a powerful sorceress and Blaise's former fiancée, sees Blaise's deed as the ultimate hubris and Gala as an abomination that must be destroyed. In her quest to save the human race, Augusta will forge new alliances, becoming tangled in a web of intrigue that stretches further than any of them suspect. She may even have to turn to her new lover Barson, a ruthless warrior who might have an agenda of his own . . .

The world as we know it ended 209 years ago. From a desert wasteland springs a single kingdom, ruled by a tyrannical King and trapped in an endless war against the shadowy desert warriors. As a desperate bid to save what remains of humanity, society has been split into two distinct classes, nicknamed the Court and the Commons. For an oppressed population on the brink of revolution, a common thief could be the last hope. Up until now, Kay has survived by her wits alone. Reckless and impulsive, wanted by the King's guard, Kay has become known as the Runner. Using the city's rooftops as her personal domain, she manages to keep one step ahead of the King with one hand buried in the purses of the courtiers. Driven by the plight of the commoners and the unjust death of her family, Kay seizes the chance to graduate from small-time thievery to full-scale rebellion. Her opportunity comes in the form of Will, a wealthy ex-soldier with a dark past. Plucked from the streets and thrown into the shimmering palace court, Kay must use her every strength to blend into a world where she doesn't belong, closer to the enemy than she ever thought she would be.

Don’t miss this imaginative new short story set in the magical world of Watersong—a realm of enchanting beauty…and terrifying secrets. Aggie is a mythological creature on a secret mission. Lydia is a young woman from a magical family with no real powers of her own. And Daniel is a high school boy who’s made it his duty to protect his deeply troubled older brother. Then one fateful night, their lives collide in a terrifying accident that changes them all forever. And beneath the surface, the ripple effects of the accident will have more impact than anyone could ever guess...changing not only their future, but the fate of an entire town.

Enter the year 2099AD - a living hell of industrial wastes, a dying planet, poverty, and high tech crime. When a mismatched group of youths are thrown together under dire circumstances, they learn that Time will be reset. They are the Octad - the eight mortals with Divine Blood, prophesied to save the world from a dismal end. With help from a benevolent Olympian god, they struggle to learn everything they need to know in the new Earth. The Age of Man is coming to a close, and Time will be reset... © Gina Maye Millar 2013 - 2017 Cover image by Darshelle Stevens (www.darshellestevensphotography.com)

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

The Dragon Oracles THE NEW EPIC FANTASY SAGA A continent on the brink of war. A journey to save a kingdom. Forced onto a path he does not wish to follow, a young man finds himself the focus of ancient powers. When Gialyn accompanies his father on a dangerous trek across their homeland, he attracts the gaze of an ancient dragon. The dragon offers Gialyn power, but the price may prove too much to bear. Meanwhile, Brea, the Dragon Guardian, has plans of her own. With the power of her dragon charges, she summons an ancient warrior to aid in their cause. But will this powerful being help them, or add itself to their growing list of enemies? http://geni.us/B014LXVQP4/

Lacey is a bat girl. Seven years ago, her mother wished at the well in the heart of the Wish Wood, transforming a young bat-ling into a human girl--mostly human. But Lacey is growing up, Mama has a real daughter now, the kids in town tug on her pointy ears, and the schoolmistress chides her for hissing and baring her sharp teeth at her tormentors. Lacey is overwhelmed by all the typical angst of being a teenage girl, being an outcast, and the animal nature inside her--which seems to be out of her control. Will she give in to her baser instincts or will she be the daughter Mama wants her to be? The struggle brings her back to the haunted Wish Woods, where she learns just what kind of animal she can be. A/N: I appreciate feedback and votes very much. My dedicated readers, you are like gold to me! Every time I see a comment and vote from you I think how lucky I am and how amazing you are. Thank you so much for reading!!

ALL IS SILENCE finished #37 of 151 for Wattpad's Story of the Year! Also a WATTYS 2015 - Dream Collections Winner! Thanks to everyone who added me to their collections! You made my year! The sequel, STRAIGHT INTO DARKNESS, is available in print and e-book on all major ebook sites. If you are interested in hearing about special deals on this or any other works, please sign up for my monthly newsletter at www.desertedlands.com. #1 in Science Fiction - 57 days so far! Thank you, readers! PG-15: [Yes, you read that right. I would recommend teens not read it until they are 16!] Profanity, violence and sexual situations. Warning: There is talk of cutting and suicide. If any of these are triggers for you, please consider that when reading. Take care. Rob What if death forgot you? In a future that could be ours, Lizzie, a suicidal teen-age girl, barely navigates her own life. Then everything falls apart. In an apocalyptic land nearly deserted by disease, she lacks reasons to live until a shocking turn of events reveals a phone number. Her call pulls her dangerously cross-country to meet a stranger she thought was dead. In a world where there is plenty of food, plenty of gas, plenty of space... fear, anger and a lust for power still control the patterns of human life. This coming of age, edgy young adult novel is the debut of a former alternative high school teacher. If you like this, try Toils and Snares, a Deserted Lands novella, sampled on Wattpad.

Nightingale is human - or would be, had it not been for the manner of her creation. Genetically engineered and grown to adulthood in a lab, she was created, not born. Why? For the sole purpose of the entertainment of rich men as one of the many Inamoratas in the bordello business . Beautiful, elegant, a superb dancer and an even better singer, she is the perfect lover for any man. Perfect, that is, except for her personality - the one thing you can't engineer.