Abandoned on the steps of a church as an infant, Evelyn Ferne finally feels as though her life is coming together. At long last she has the parents she's always longed for, as well as her first taste of real romance and love. But try as she might her life has never been normal. Abilities to which she has little control and even less understanding have always threatened to derail the life Evelyn worked so hard to build. Abilities that are steadily growing in strength and diversity. And now Evelyn's tenuous hold on life has been threatened further still. A friend, once thought imaginary, has made a very sudden, very real re-appearance, bringing to life secrets and dangers from a past and a world Evelyn never knew existed. A world that wants nothing more than to tear everything she loves apart. Will Evelyn be able to hold onto the life she's always wanted and protect those she loves, or will the unknown darkness from her hidden past claim her for its own.

All of London believes Evie's husband is one of the world's greatest inventors, rivaled only by the reclusive Earl of Westmorland. Nobody knows that Evie, not her husband, is the real mastermind behind his genius inventions. When Evie's husband is brutally murdered, she is forced to seek out a new partner through whom to sell her creations. Desperation leads her to seek out the earl, a man her late husband despised and returned the sentiment. Though he neither likes nor trusts her, he can't help but feel that her husband's murder is more than it seems. And when Evie's name is added to the suspect list, he has to intervene. Striking a reluctant partnership, Evie and the earl search for the man--or woman--who killed her husband, and uncover a much larger threat--one that threatens all of England.

Lyra knew that one day she would be set into an arranged marriage like a chess piece. She had been preparing for it her whole life, and she was almost alright with her fate. But she never thought that her father would choose the man that he did. That decision changed everything. The King of Whales is ruthless, more than twice her age and surrounded by tainted gold and loads of unsavory rumors. There have been many wives of his before Lyra, with no explanations to the untimely deaths of the previous five. With each dead Queen came more money from their kingdoms, straight into the King's portly lap. Disguised as a young man, Lyra runs from her duty as the only Princess of Nordic. She cuts her hair, takes her steed and disappears into the night with her father's men hot on her heels. Enter Kaladin's team. Occupation: Mercenaries. Lyra uses skills taught to her by a close, childhood friend and plays herself into the trust of the dangerous strangers until they accept her, or rather, "Navani", into their group. What will happen to her once they see through her web of lies and tricks? Will Lyra give herself up as Princess when she is reunited with her long-lost friend, or will she carry on as a boy with the mercenaries? Follow Lyra to see what she will do when she comes to realize that things have gotten far too big for her to handle on her own. There are assassin's out for her head, king's thirsting for her blood, and an underground network of people who live for her ruin. But there is also an unlikely Prince to defend her, who has some tricks of his own to rely on. The Princess soon sees that she is not nearly as alone as she may have once thought. What will Lyra do when she comes to terms with her destiny? Will she face it this time with her new friends, or will she chose to run away again? Cover made by @-rebellixus-

Book II of SEIZE THE DAY, Winner of the 2014 Wattys Instant Addiction Award. If you haven't read Book I, SEIZE THE DAY, please do! There are spoilers ahead! **** Lannie Brackenbury never thought she would be sent on a dangerous quest to save the world. But after she discovered her destiny as a Harbinger, that idea took a drastic twist. Bestowed with abilities that she is still learning to use, Lannie is sent on a journey that will take her across Etheia, where she must negotiate a peace treaty between the magical kingdom of Eremith and the human kingdom of Nor to break the vicious cycle of slavery. But making peace in the world of Etheia is not as easy as it seems. Therin, the bloodthirsty Drakain that ruined Lannie's life, is still moving in the shadows, convincing the world to doubt the existence of the Harbingers. And when a terrifying beast cloaked in darkness attacks Lannie, she realizes that defeating Therin is the least of her worries. Humans and magical creatures are on the brink of another war. This time, it is far more dangerous than Lannie could ever have imagined. There is a dark force at work that is bent on destroying not only Nor, but Eremith as well. And it will take everything that Lannie has to stop it. ---- Cover: Model © Ylenia Manganelli via PrincessandDragon.deviantart.com; Background © Sean & Ashlie Nelson via AshenSorrow.deviantart.com; edited by me

Years ago, the Trolls were banished into the Nether, a void of evil and darkness between the magical realms. With their greed and treachery locked away, peace has reigned throughout the worlds. But not for nineteen-year-old witch, Aramina. Being discovered to be a non-magic-a witch with waning powers- has cost her everything. A place among her people, her future as the next High Mistress of Magic, and the man she loves. Determined to live a life without magic, Aramina's plan is foiled when Roane, a man of many secrets and tattoos thwarts her kidnapping. He introduces her to a world where non-magics are being hunted and sent into the Nether. She will never be safe unless she finds out why the Trolls need non-magics and who is smuggling them into the Nether. To get her answer, Aramina will be forced to face an evil that's had a chance to grow, and to defeat it, she'll need a different kind of magic. The kind she'll only find within herself. That is if she can finally face her demons, and if Roane's secret doesn't get her killed first.

Everyone knows the story of Beauty and the Beast.........at least one version of it. But what if the beautiful girl decided that maybe the Beast wasn't her only Prince Charming after all?

** Winner of the 2014 Wattys Instant Addiction Award ** Book 1 of the SEIZE THE DAY series In a world of magic and chaos, seventeen-year-old Lannie Brackenbury has only ever wanted to be alone in Aria. Two years after her mother's death, Lannie has finally found a place in the world where she can live peacefully. But when she is forced to tutor at Aria's castle and encounters the infuriating Prince Titus, her life takes a turn for the worse. Unwillingly forced into a realm of pompous Royals and unpredictable magic, Lannie must survive murderous naiads, man-eating water horses, and the antics of a prince who can't seem to leave her alone. But when Lannie discovers that someone is out to destroy the royal family, she must do everything in her power to uncover the truth before it's too late. Even if it means sacrificing all that she has ever known.

Born with a damaged heart, Leanna Weston has lived a sheltered life with little chance at adventure. When she hears that Finvarra's Circus is coming to her small town, she sneaks off to witness the magic first hand, sure that this is her only chance at experiencing true magic-even if the frightening rumors about the heartless Ringmaster, Finvarra, are true. Caught by Finvarra, Leanna is given one chance at survival: she must join the circus. As slowly she becomes part of the strange family, Leanna learns that there is more than magic to this circus, but an ancient curse that has tied Finvarra's life to its rings. If the circus fails, he dies. Leanna vows to save the circus, but when a ruthless enemy emerges, set on destroying it and Finvarra, will Leanna be able to save them both, or will her broken heart fail her just when she needs it most? Cover Artist: Lisa Rhodes

~ Winner of Wattys 2015 Hidden Gem Award , The JOURNEY THAT BEGINS THE FIREBIRD CHRONICLES. "You are my daughter, and you have grown up so kind and innocent and just," she said, "You are everything I could have wished for. But it is not enough. The King will take your kindness, and use it to crush you. He will trick you with your innocence and perverse justice as we know it. You will die as you are now. Do you hear me, Lumina? You must become stronger. One day you must become Queen." Lumina, a young thief, is desperate to find her best friend and sister, Reia, when she vanishes one night in the woods. Following her trail, Lumina finds herself travelling across the mysterious floating island, a kingdom within the clouds that is inhabited by angels. The kingdom has fallen to an oppressive ruler with a dark magic. Fabian, a powerful elemental lord, enrols Lumina, an eligible candidate for Queen, in the fight for the throne. Instead of finding Reia, Lumina discovers that friendship, love and adventure lurk at every corner, and a journey intended to find another is really about finding herself. Highest ranking #7 in Fantasy. Completed. Check out Book 2, Solstice!

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