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.

They buried him with a broken heart, unable to go on after his wife of 50 years passed away from cancer. Then they dug him up 300 years later, gave him a new body, new abilities and made him fight in a war to defeat the Velkin, a race of terrible alien invaders. He helped the Risen destroy the Velkin armies, defeat their Fleet Master and obliterate their massive siphon before it could drain the Earth of its vital goa. But the war didn't end there. It was just beginning. The sequel to Risen, Risen: Darklight is the second book in the Risen saga as it follows juggernaut Max Niekro in his quest to defeat the Velkin and save the Earth.

Imagine living a full life, dying months after your beloved wife passes and being buried. Only to wake up 300 years later, called out of the grave to fight a final war against an alien invasion. Join Max Niekro, formerly living and now Risen as he deals with this reality as the forces of Earth, both living and dead, are marshalled in a last ditch effort to save the world. **cover by hellvis

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.

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)

***This story takes place 100 years before the events of Falcon and ELEMENT WIELDER. It is a novella prequel to Element Wielder!!!!**** On planet Va'siel, there exist beings who can control basic elements like fire, mind, void, and, water. Some even have power over advanced elements like poison, space, and lightning. These gifted people are known as element wielders. But times are changing. For reasons unknown, no earth wielder has been born in over one hundred years. Without an earth wielder to keep balance, the planet has undergone a scorch. Food is scarce. Plants no longer grow in abundance. Humanity is headed toward extinction. Young orphan, Aadi, knows all this. He spends his days scouring the rowdy streets of Missea, doing his best to keep himself and his best friend, Zoen, alive. He takes life one day at a time, not giving the future much thought. But an ancient evil is headed on a collision course with him. And a hidden power within him is urging to be set free. Aadi tries to ignore it, but it relentlessly calls to him. Will he be able to overcome his past and face the threat to Va'siel? And at what cost?

A Prophecy. A Shipwreck. The Battle for Britain begins... They hardly remember the May-children. The one hundred and forty children King Arthur exiled from Britain. Mordred – he’s the one they talk about. They say he was the only May-child who survived. They were wrong. This is the story of the children King Arthur sent to their deaths on the strength of Merlin’s prophecy. This is the untold history of the Children of the May. Children of the May is the first novel in S. J. Moore’s Children of the May saga. Inventively adapted from tales in Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur and other medieval sources, the Children of the May stories are full of action, adventure, mystery, humour and romance - a version of the Arthurian legends for today.

Can a natural killer learn to be human again? Regan's unique talent for murder makes her a perfect assassin. After a lethal encounter leaves her broken body washed up on a beach, she finds herself adopted by a group of teenage bodyguards. She doesn't intend to stay for long, but soon Regan finds herself faced with a choice: become a hero or stay a villain? *** The boy played with the flat brim of the cap in his hands and looked around the room. He sat back in his chair, trying to look casual, but the heel of his hi-top sneaker drummed rapidly on the concrete floor. Regan sat opposite him with her legs crossed and her hands folded on her tartan skirt. She watched him without a word and brushed a strand of blue-dyed hair behind her ear. Somehow this seemed to unsettle him more. 'Calm down,' she said. 'It's just murder.' *** Author's Note: Darkness Girl: Trickster God is represented by Louise Fury from The Bent Agency. P.S. The epic cover was made by Paul Kopetko (you can stalk him at paulkopetko.com). Enjoy!

When Vincent Tucat learns he's to be robbed, he turns the tables on the thief to enhance his own reputation. However, in city ruled by thieves, burglary and politics often go hand in hand, and things are rarely as straightforward as they appear.

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