Jordan Haverford is stuck between hunting demons, committing crime, and trying not to die from either. All he wants is to go home, but his chances look bleaker than ever. ***** Balancing his education in magic and demon-hunting with an apprenticeship to the assassin Arlen Blackheart is hard enough. Keeping his sister safe and avoiding assassination by Arlen's fanatic ex-student at the same time is pushing Jordan to breaking point. As he is drawn deeper into the life of an Unspoken and the knife-edge politics of the assassins' guild, shedding his old self - and his aspirations of escape - might be the only way to stay sane. Darker things are stirring at Nictaven's borders - the Whispering Wall is showing signs of strain, and sickness haunts the outer settlements, creeping closer to Shadow's Reach with each passing day. Within the city, the dead grow restless. Wonderful cover by Acacia Heather - Caysaaaa on Wattpad! Book Two of the Whispering Wall series ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © giveitameaning/S E Harrison 2020 (this story is currently only authorised to be on Wattpad.com under this account - if you are reading it elsewhere it is an illegal copy or mirror site where you may be at risk of malware)

A new crew is rising in Regona. With it comes two choices, pledge allegiance or face devastation. Noctorious isn't here to play by any of the rules, they're here to win. Old powers fall but one crew remains untouched - the Falcons. As accusing eyes turn to the Phantom omega, questions arise. What exactly is Noctorious' goal? And what is Terrell's involvement? A new challenge is here, and Sahara finds the pillar she always looked up to is either under attack or not the person she thought. This time, it might be her turn to step in and help the Phantom.

A secret program in the United States seeks to replace human militaries with artificial intelligence-driven machines, but the machines aren't so willing to play along. *** Picture a world where humans no longer fight wars. No more families missing loved ones. No more veterans with lifelong mental and physical scars. No more conscription. For the super-secret End of War Project inside the United States government, such a reality is already here. The project models out how artificial intelligence can overcome dangerous and morally sensitive war scenarios with algorithms and automation. The centerpieces are "autonomous combat machines," or ACMs, that look like humans but function like supercomputers. After a string of brilliant successes in the field of combat, the End of War Project is preparing to reveal itself to the public, but something unusual stands in the way. Against their programming, the ACMs start exhibiting all-too-human signs of apprehension, guilt and compassion as they're pushed to perform ever more extreme tasks. The human leaders of the End of War Project race to find who "hacked" the ACMs, but what they find is even more startling--and revealing--than they could ever imagine. ***2019 Watty Award Winner - Science Fiction***

A LINE UNBROKEN. A TRUTH UNSPOKEN. Born into wealth and privilege as the niece of an emperor, Starborn Lady Mhera never dreamt that tragedy would shatter her world. But darkness roils beneath the peaceful facade of the Holy City: a rebellion is brewing among the Arcborn-the dangerous, magic-blooded undercaste of Penrua-and they will stop at nothing to destroy the peace of the realm. That much is proven to Mhera when she is just a girl and her greatest treasure is taken from her. Years later, still wounded by the evil the Arcborn wrought against her, she is on the brink of professing her final vows as a nun...but before she can accept the life of safety and solitude she doesn't truly desire, she is offered a chilling compromise with fate that threatens everything she has ever known. FIRST PLACE WINNER - 2018 Clash of Swords (hosted by The Fae Folk) - Dark Fantasy Category SECOND PLACE WINNER - 2018 Sunset Awards - Fantasy Category SECOND PLACE - 2018 X Factor Awards - Overall!

Sealed inside the towering city walls of Acadia, magic users known as Wielders are feared and hunted for the abilities they have been blessed with. They're living in hiding, terrified of revealing themselves to the Authorities that hunt them. But while Acadia digs into the earth for the magical stone that weakens the Wielders, they are unaware of the ancient evil, known as Foulings, trapped underneath. Three young Wielders, scattered across Evaros, have the power to not only end the oppression of innocent Wielders, but also stop the Foulings from repeating a history of chaos and death. Determined to save her brother, Marina fights to control the ice she manipulates. Going against her own rules, she makes dangerous deals with a flame from her past. Adira, imprisoned for powers she has just discovered, gives hope to the others that one day her unique abilities will free them. She doubts she is the savior they want, when she doesn't even understand the powers she has. Soren struggles to reconnect with a girl seared into his memories. Controlled by a dark Wielder whose plans put the world in jeopardy, he realizes that the girl might be the key to restoring his humanity. Against the odds, Marina, Adira and Soren fight for freedom, strength, and love with their lives and their hearts on the line. / Fantasy / Romance / Young Adult / **First Draft** **Current Cover by @sugarcrystals**

WATTYS 2016 WINNER Untouchable. Stone. Jewel - these are some of the names used for people who are born with a gemstone at the centre of their forehead. This unfortunate phenomenon cannot be detected before birth, it cannot be prevented, if a family has a Jewelled child, there is only one outcome: Before they're sixteen, they will have to leave human society forever and serve "the Zephyr". Among the Jewels there are those who have it worse. Those who sport clear diamonds on their foreheads, the Undefined. The downtrodden, the unlucky - the doomed. Cello Riles and Syianne Locke are both Undefined. On their sixteenth birthday, they each leave their homes and travel across the country to the Zephyr, attempting to go into service. Though aside from the place, or thing, that will take them from human society forever - what IS the Zephyr? There are only questions promised, only shadowy riddles guaranteed. Yet faced with no other choice they must venture forth and plunge into the unknown - the Zephyr. [A big thanks to @stpolishook for being a wonderful friend and helping me figure out how to write a better synopsis] COVER BY Abyss-of-Crazy

❝Beauty is power; a smile is its sword.❞ Arya was born a prodigy. She excelled in all aspects of her training at Narvian Academy. So, when the Heres Gladii tournament is announced, Arya is finally able to display her skills to the king. She has high hopes of becoming a warrior and joining the armed forces of Kalvaria. The only thing standing in her way is a boy named Aaron. Also hailed a prodigy, he has the same goal in mind. When their swords clash, it is clear that there can only be one winner. With a silent threat approaching and sparks flying, who will beat who? Two prodigies -One winner- Let the swords clash. Cover by @italychick © 2015 MoonlightHunter3 All Rights Reserved

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

*Sequel to Paladin* The kingdom of Thule stands on the brink of civil war between two armies -- the Paladins and the Uriel -- each claiming the right to serve as Thule's protector. Once a Paladin trainee, Lady Samantha of Haywood -- Sam -- has been named a traitor to king and country by the Paladins' High Commander, with a bounty set on her head. Only Sam and her friends know what the people of Thule do not: the High Commander is no ordinary man but something more--something evil. The supposed military hero holds a dark alliance with the demons that have ravaged mankind for millennia, commanding them as easily as he does his men. Worse, he can control Braeden, Sam's half-demon lover, through blood magic long thought extinct. Sam and Braeden set sail across the sea in hopes of finding a way to nullify the High Commander's power. But the secrets they uncover reveal Thule faces an even greater threat. They must return to Thule and warn the Uriel...before it's too late.

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.