Zurik D'Vordi finds himself in the back of an SPD squad car almost as often as he finds himself in a new woman's bed. But what is a human hybrid to do? He has to save a world that does not know it needs saving from things it doesn't want to believe exist. ​ When co-eds start disappearing, bad-boy Zurik finds himself Detective Jennifer Morgan's number one suspect. Trouble is, he's the only one who can find the missing girls. If Morgan doesn't start believing him, and fast, she'll have a multiple murder case on her hands. ​ ​The Starsboro Chronicles are the perfect combination of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Law and Order: SVU. A new novlette in the series is released each month. I am only posting the first chapter of each episode. They will be released for sale starting January 16.

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

Shay is kinda shy, Rekness is sort of withdrawn. She'd rather study history than her society's renown Artwork. He's the academy's star Artwork pupil. Normally they'd never talk, but a chance encounter and a certain graduation dance are about to change all that. Meanwhile, a stranger with a blue cloak and pink hair slips into town, trailing blood and sweet lies in her wake. She seeks an ancient lock, and knows that a certain student is the key. The Mountain Dancer is the story of a girl at a crossroads, a boy who doesn't know his own strength, and a lost secret that has slept for far too long. ~ This completed novel contains strong language, sexual themes and scenes of violence. Cover illustration by Joe Pelow Length: 99,000 words

​Some heroes are as broken as the world they must reforge. ​​A mad king's genocide destroyed Alea's home and left her sanity in tatters. Wracked with grief, she now faces a lonely life in a strange city. The war has other plans. Caught in the crossfire between the gods and their creators, Alea's new friend Arman abandons his idyllic jeweler's life-and his humanity-to protect them both from the coming terror. Across enemy lines, bastard lieutenant Brentemir Barrackborn is horrified by the blood on his hands. If he has any hope of redemption-or surviving the war-he must choose between his newfound family and the gods he worships. As Arman and Brentemir's sacrifices grow, Alea realizes that only the darkness inside her can end the bloodshed. https://books2read.com/smokeandrain

​Dr. Nel Bently has barely dug into Chile's dry earth when her pristine site is vandalized. Her archaeologist's dream of a ground-breaking project funded by a private patron turns into a nightmare: local activists Los Pobladores take issue with anyone brave--or stubborn--enough to set boots on their land. And foul-mouthed Nel is stubborn as they come. Despite the danger, Nel refuses to surrender her site to vandals. Easier said than done, however, with the greenest crew she's ever trained, absurd radiocarbon dates, and angry militants who may actually have a point. When Los Pobledores land a blow that turns Nel's world upside down, she realizes her mysterious benefactor is playing chess with their lives. Grief-stricken and angrier than ever, Nel is ready to fight dirty.