Evil spirits. A cursed prince. Death itself in disarray. Iris just wants to go home, but fate has other plans for this young priestess and her odd companions. /// The land of Erinlin is dying, its ancient traditions choked out by the Kaerent church and its true priestesses, the Candlemaidens, increasingly regarded with fear and suspicion. All Iris wants is to tend her candles, win her shade battles, and chat with the spirits of her realm. But when she is torn away from her home by the Kaerent king, she learns that her country needs her to be far more than a typical Candlemaiden-- she must be as the legendary priestesses of old and walk through Death itself. *** Cover help from the awesome @ArdenBrooks. Special thanks to @rainersalt, @giveitameaning, and @piperjones033 !

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

A silence to keep and a wicked queen to defeat. An exiled princess returns to her kingdom, bent on slaying the immortal sorceress, the Queen in the Glass Mountain. By her side is the Caster, guide and protector. Perils await them on their quest, and will test not only their strength but their hearts as well. Yet how will such thirst for vengeance serve the Princess, if not to lead to her own ruin? Follow the story of the silent Princess, from the fairy tales "Seven Ravens" and "Six Swans", retold as one of grief and hatred, of lost dreams, and above all, of how love can emerge from even the darkest of places. Cover art by Oliver Barcelon: http://oliverpaulobarcelon.daportfolio.com/

Hailey always thought she had a pretty ordinary life. The only thing that could be called unusual in her life was that her mother had disappeared into thin air not long after Hailey's birth. Soon, though, her mother is not the most important thing on the young girl's mind as she discovers a hidden side of herself and meets a strange winged boy who pulls her into a magical world she could never in her wildest dreams have imagined. Follow Hailey in her adventure as she learns more about her true heritage and discovers things she never would have believed before. (COMPLETED) Featured in Wattpad's magazine, Wattzymag. All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2013 and 2014

⭐️Silver Medal winner in the 2016 Readers' Favorite Book Award, Silver award winner in IBPA's 2016 Benjamin Franklin Awards, Semifinalist Winner in the 2016 Kindle Book Award, Finalist in the 2015 USA Best Book Awards, Winner in Wattpad's 2015 Watty Awards, Awesome Indies Approved & A Wattpad Featured Story⭐️ She never felt like she belonged...until magic pulled her into a world beyond her wildest imagination. Perfect for fans of the Throne of Glass series and the Grisha Trilogy. Sixteen-year-old Aurora wishes she were anyone else. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she believes things can't get any worse. But when she's kidnapped and dragged through an ancient tapestry into the magical world of Avalonia, she soon discovers that some dreams can easily turn into nightmares. Hunted by the evil tyrant Queen Morgana, who will stop at nothing to get rid of the last surviving heir to the powerful Firedrake dynasty, Aurora struggles to fit into her new life as a mage at the prestigious Academy of Evolon. Threatened by treachery at every turn and desperate to prove herself worthy, she uncovers a dark, complicated web of political intrigue that threatens the very existence of the seven kingdoms of Avalonia. Aided by the powerful Duke of Silverthorne, a fae friend, and a handsome but mysterious outlaw called the Black Wolf, Aurora struggles to master her magic and get her rare powers under control before it's too late. If she fails, her new home and her family will be enslaved forever... The Last of the Firedrakes is the first novel in The Avalonia Chronicles series of enchanting YA fantasies. If you like resilient heroines, plentiful magic, immortal fae warriors, and sizzling romance you'll love Farah Oomerbhoy's enthralling story. You can now purchase The Last of The Firedrakes in ebook, hardcover, paperback, and audiobook format at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo, and more.

Requires finishing both seasons of b-daman. [ B-Daman Crossfire and B-Daman Fireblast ] On the very day that Kamon became the grand b-master, everyone thought it was already the end of story. Wrong, it was a lie-- everything was just getting started that day. Being the grand b-master, he is idolized and looked up by many b-shots of all places. Yet, nobody's perfect, so someone will and always try to get in your way. After five years, Kamon ponders more secrets about b-daman's history, confronts new friends and foes, and perceives that life as a grand b-master doesn't just change you as a b-shot; it changes you as a person.

#Wattys2014 Award Winner: This candid, heartfelt collection of essays addresses many of life's thorniest challenges. Whether you struggle with a perennially messy house, run away worrying, depression, an unhappy relationship, mega-stress or even the devastating loss of a loved one, give yourself the gift of The Power Of Rest. You'll find comfort, encouragement and inspiration here, and come away with a renewed appreciation of your own inner wisdom and innate desire for peace, gratitude and simplicity.