UNEDITED VERSION ( edited version on my page) In a world where every year, five male children from each city and village between the ages 15-18 are chosen to become dragon riders, what happens when only four males get chosen from one village? And what happens when they test the girls and the fifth child is chosen? Editor Credits: @Weylyn_Wolf @arvialle

Thief. Murderer. Mage. Prince. Warrior. Heroes. 16 year-old Sabin's plans to join the army change when he learns he is a Serien - a warrior who wields an element. With a sentient sword, he must find the other Seriens. His goal: unite them into a force capable of defending humanity from the Guan, a humanoid race believed to be extinct. His charges are a belligerent thief, sarcastic assassin, adorable mage and arrogant prince. Each with their own agenda. Stand together or die alone. The hero price is never fair. ------------ Book 1 of the Path of Light and Fire series. Book 2 - Dragon & Phoenix (Completed). Book 3 - Frozen Light (Under Construction) The Appendix and extras can be found in the companion book "A World of Light and Fire."

It begins with a plant. It begins with Baz. In the old days of the Empire, only talented Casters could eat the Baz grains and tap the power that lay in the seed. Bazza'Casters were powerful, legendary figures with abilities that were limited only by their talent, skill and imagination. These days, Casting is for everyone. Bazza'Jo brought the power of Baz to every corner of the Empire, using it to bring all the lands of the world together. Because of Bazza'Jo, everybody can Cast. Everybody does. Living in the furthest reaches of the Empire, Raina Ratherham doesn't care about Casting. She's more concerned about the conflict that is brewing between the people of her home town and the people who live in the woods that surround them. Raina is just as fiercely loyal to her friends in the woods as she is to her family in the town. Caught between field and forest, Casters and warriors, farmers and hunters, Raina is determined not to choose a side. She is going to fight to protect them all against the distant powers who are trying to break them apart... Bazza'Jo is a Young Adult Fantasy inspired by the wonderful books of Philip Pullman, Kenneth Oppel, Frances Hardinge, Diana Wynne Jones and others! I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

ONE MILLION PEOPLE A GAME OF LIFE AND DEATH ONLY THE STRONGEST WILL SURVIVE Zen Everett joins a new world of Virtual Fantasy. With the help of the Dive Network Link, living the experience of video games becomes more than possible. Out there fighting slimes, bandits, and even dragons, he's playing to win. But when players start dying in real life, playing to win becomes playing to survive. His courage, strength, and trust in others will be put to the test in a realm where everyone is the enemy. Bonds will be broken. Players will fall. And the competition for survival begins. The gate to the land of fantasy is brought by the power of science. An epic adventure awaits! Updates Mondays or Fridays. :) Cover made by @Callmesteffie *These are drafts edited fellow teen/YA Writers. A Professional copy will be released at a later date. For now, enjoy the unpolished version while waiting for the perfected release. :)

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

Sam is the most promising swordsman among this year’s crop of Paladin trainees...and knows it. Brash, cocky, and unbeatable with a sword (well, almost), Sam is the kingdom of Thule’s best hope against the violence wrought by demons. The only problem is that Sam is really Lady Samantha, daughter of the seventeenth Duke of Haywood, and if her father has his way, she’ll be marrying a Paladin, not becoming one. But Sam has never held much interest in playing damsel-in-distress, and so she rescues herself from a lifetime of boredom and matrimonial drudgery. Pity that Tristan Lyons, the Paladin assigned to train her, is none other than the hero of her childhood. He hasn’t recognized her as Lady Samantha--yet-- but if he does, he’ll take away her sword and send her packing. Sam is not the only trainee hiding secrets: Braeden is a half-demon with a dark past that might be unforgivable. Sam, Braeden and Tristan set out for the western coast, charged with rooting out an infestation of demons that has made the West unlivable. As they travel, they uncover a deep-seated corruption of power that threatens to derail everything they stand for. Rebellion stirs, led by a rival faction of warriors who tempt Sam to join them with an irresistible offer. A war between men is coming, and Sam must pick a side. Will saving the kingdom cost her life -- or just her heart? Reminiscent of Mulan, but with a medieval fantasy twist, Paladin is a tale of adventure, action, and romance.

SAMPLE OF PUBLISHED BOOK THAT WAS FIRST WRITTEN ON WATTPAD. Fletcher was nothing more than a humble blacksmith's apprentice, when a chance encounter leads to the discovery that he has the ability to summon demons from another world. Chased from his village for a crime he did not commit, he must travel with his demon to the Vocans Academy, where the gifted are trained in the art of summoning. The academy will put Fletcher through a gauntlet of gruelling lessons, training him as a battlemage to fight in the Hominum Empire's war against the savage orcs. Rubbing shoulders with the children of the most powerful nobles in the land, Fletcher must tread carefully. The power hungry Forsyth twins lurk in the shadows, plotting to further their family's interests. Then there is Sylva, an elf who will do anything she can to forge an alliance between her people and Hominum, even if it means betraying her friends. Othello is the first ever dwarf at the academy, and his people have long been oppressed by Hominum's rulers, which provokes tension amongst those he studies alongside. Fletcher will find himself caught in the middle of powerful forces, with nothing but his demon Ignatius to help him. As the pieces on the board manoeuvre for supremacy, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of an empire is in his hands ... Did you know that the Wattpad version of Summoner: The Novice is just a large sample of the first draft? The professionally published version is longer and 100% completed, with more demons, more lessons and more action! You can buy it now in all good bookstores and online, including Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, Amazon, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo and Nook. Please vote, follow and add my book to your reading list if you like my writing :) The cover is by Małgorzata Gruszka, one of my favourite artists: This book is represented by Juliet Mushens at The Agency Group.

Arcturus is just an orphaned stableboy, when he discovers he has the ability to summon demons from another world. As the first commoner to have this skill, he is sent to Vocans Military Academy, where the lost arts of summoning, spellcraft and demonology are taught to the noble children of the Hominum Empire. With no one but his demon Sacharissa to help him, Arcturus must survive the gruelling challenges of the Academy, whilst navigating the political fallout that his discovery set in motion. ************************************************************************************ This is the first part of THE OUTCAST, prequel to THE NOVICE, but you don't need to read them in any particular order. You can buy THE NOVICE now in all good bookstores and online, including Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, Amazon, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo and Nook. THE OUTCAST will be available in the same places in May, 2018.

For Kay Amegonan life has always seemed to have been easy. Life can be like that when your family owns a large and successful business. All his life he had been watching people fight for things against the werewolves that he thought simply didn't matter. But one day all that would change when what would seem like an ordinary trip to a city would turn into a deadly affair as Kay becomes sick with an unknown illness. And one night his life would change forever. People he thought he could trust now turned their backs on him as he became a sharp fanged creature of the night. Not everybody is who they say they are and that we should never let our guards down because we never know who that person might be behind closed doors.