Stuart Windes was an Englishman and a seasoned sailor; an old salt with 30 years at sea. When his mother passed on leaving his younger sister alone, duty called him home. But his sister, Emmaline, was *gone*! Ran away with a bloody Yankee! Summer Marshton was an Englishwoman. Sort of. Forced to leave her Father's ranch in America and return to England her life was very different...until a letter arrived from America. Or rather, her brother's letter *didn't* arrive. Summer chased answers. Emmaline chased adventure. Stuart chased his sister. But none of them were prepared for what waited across the Atlantic. *This work has shortened chapters for e-readers. In book form it would have about 24 chapters. Best ranking: #284 in Historical Fiction (11-9-2017)

Q. E. McClintock has never shied from his duty and when the Civil War starts, he once again answers the call even though it means leaving his young children and pregnant wife behind. As the war drags on he sees the body count rise and prays he can keep his promise to his children who begged him: Come back home soon, Papa! Quin must survive against incredible odds if he is to make it back to his ranch and begin living the life he dreams of. *Currently switching over to shortened chapters for e-readers. In book form, this story is approximately 31 chapters Best ranking: 6 weeks at #1 in Historical Fiction (10-25-2016)

The fate of the entire kingdom lies in the hands of the masters of the game. And they are all women. ***** When Ellise St. Vincent takes on a role she never asked for, she is forced to use her cunning wit to be one step ahead of the game, all the while navigating a simple yet interesting love affair. But she is not the only master in the game. Others are at play, all equally capable, and all eager to win. Manipulation is delicate more than ever in this fourth and final installment of the Sutherland Series.

Iris is a Lycanthrope. A moon-child, born into a world fantasy and dreams. However, raised in isolation, she has no desire to venture beyond the comfort of what she knows and loves. But beyond the borders of home, the Earth Kingdom - recently released from banishment - is changing, and this change brings a new threat - a race that was suppressed, and now thirsts for revenge. And somewhere far beyond, something is calling to her, something that exists beyond reason. When fate comes knocking at her door with eyes as cold as a snow filled sky, will she be prepared to meet the one who waits for her on the other side? He is part of a nightmare she had no desire to face, but he holds the key to her very soul. And as the escalating war between Lycans and Shifters threatens to harm what Iris holds most dear, how will she answer the call of battle? One such as Iris was never meant to sit on the sidelines. Her crown is waiting for her - she just needs to reach out and claim it. You thought the battle was over? It was just beginning. - THE MONARCHS (Circe's Story) A Pirate's Kiss A Siren's Crown A Dragon's Heart (Iris's Story) The Crimson King The Scarlet Prince

Lord Erec, Baron of Greenwood. Years of service earned him glory, honor, wealth and even a title or two. While contented, he felt no real joy...until he met her. Resourceful and brave, Gwyndolyn twice escaped death at the hands of treacherous villains. But she found herself quite alone...until she met him. War loomed ominously from Far North. Treachery and treason lurked within. The King and the entire kingdom were in danger. Falsely labeled as traitors and hunted like animals, Erec & Gwyndolyn desperately searched for the real traitor. But how could they possibly beat the odds and win the day before time ran out? *This work has shortened chapters for e-readers. In book form it would have about 34 chapters.

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

Two of the Weapons of Power have been found, but their Wielders are lost. Tjor'riin and their shadow kin assault the mortal nations of Ramnor and the Kaal Eran demons are making forays against the southern lands of the Elves. The Last Battle looms on the horizon and the Wielders, along with their allies, are nowhere close to being ready. Will Ramnor fall to the Shadow? Will the universe be unraveled before the forces of darkness are defeated? Join the beleaguered forces of Light as they struggle to finish their preparations and unify before the very fabric of Reality comes undone around them.

Emily Weatherly was no gently-bred London debutante. In fact, she had thrived on the streets of London, a pickpocket and urchin, until Fate threw her lot in with the Weatherly's, a prestigious family who unselfishly raised her as their own and protect her from a heinous secret that could destroy her life. Despite this, she is never truly accepted as a proper lady, always scorned and ridiculed, and she vows to do her adopted family proud by making a respectable match with a gentleman of some rank and notoriety. Sebastian Weatherly harbors a secret that could thwart his carefully constructed bachelorhood. Indiscriminate rake, scoundrel and downright rogue, he has had to endure Emily Weatherly's presence for as long as he could remember. Now that she intends to make a respectable match, which he knows cannot ever be him as he is not respectable, he can hardly ignore the bitter jealousy residing in his heart as he is forced to watch Emily courted by various beaus.

A great evil has been destroyed, but what replaces it may rend the peace hoped for in two... Agnir is dead. Six months have passed, and, still grieving heavy losses, two of the fivesome struggle to maintain a foothold in the precarious politics of a recovering Serpentine court. With nearly everyone against them and the world unwilling to help the race that struck down countless souls over the course of history, they fight for each other, but their own unhealed wounds and the pressure of the crown threaten to drive a wedge between them. A boy, mastering his magic, wants more. Craving to have something more than the hum in his bones, he joins an academy which hones physical and magical skill--and runs into an old acquaintance. A noble pirate finds a girl in a dungeon--a broken girl, who doesn't remember why she's there, or what she's missing. A prodigal son seeks freedom across the sea, but fate and a red-haired wraith have other plans. And beyond them all, a mage weaves his game and searches for a storm powerful enough to sink a city... *** Cover art is not mine unless specified. The same goes for any pictures I use for character or setting visualization. *** ~Winner of the 2018 Rune Awards "Most Engaging Characters" award in Fantasy~ ~1st place in the Pen and Ink Awards "Fantasy" category~ *** If you are reading this story on any platform other than Wattpad you are very likely to be at risk of a malware attack. If you wish to read this story in its original, safe form, please go to Wattpad.com and find it there.

The Ice Lady... She is not the most charming. In fact, she is too cold, too frank, and too flat. Worse, the only home she has known all her life has been taken away from her and she has to find a way to keep it. Upon her mother's strong suggestion, she has to at least try to seduce the next Lord of Langworthy. The Cursed Friend... He is charming and rich. He is handsome and smart. Women wanted him. If only he was not cursed. For now, having everything leaves him with nothing to do but be the friend to help the future Lord of Langworthy escape from Lady Ice. When these two completely opposite individuals cross paths, sparks fly. (This story is a standalone prequel title in the Everard Family series.)