This is a second view point from my original story - A Different Virus - Heartfire. I highly advise reading the original book first. Intro: Laura was a happy child without a care in the world. She loved her parents and life was perfect. Nothing seemed like it could go wrong. People started talking about a bad flu that was spreading and sending some into a coma. Her parents grew worried and stocked the house in case of a pandemic. Months later another virus appeared. Her family was shocked when the news people started reporting that zombies were actually real and not just part of a horror movie. They were appearing in every country. Her parents reassured her that none of the zombie sightings had been anywhere close to them. Her life is turned upside down when her father ends up in hospital with the bad flu and mother exiles her upstairs for her safety. She was never allowed downstairs again. Weeks pass and the streets become deserted with the exception of the red eyed zombies that wandered around. One night she notices a swiftly moving figure with glowing blue eyes in the street below. Should she call out or remain silent? Is this fleeting shadow something that can help her or could this mysterious figure be even more dangerous than the zombies themselves? ---------------------- Ranked #1 Apr 10, 2018 (A huge thank you to all who read and voted!) This story is copyright and built from my own imagination. This book was a special request from someone who helped me a lot. This viewpoint has less action than the original. The cover was made by @All_AboutAssymetry. A huge thanks to her! Copyright September 2016. All Rights Reserved. Readers may not copy, alter, or steal this story. Fanfictions are allowed to use my *world* and *zombie rules* as long as credit is given.

Life is always fun when you never get into trouble for causing mischief. Julie is a pro at keeping her packmates on their toes with her innocent fun. It's a perk of being a Comforter and never losing her puppy-like appearance. Admittedly, there are times when her skills are needed, and she takes her job quite seriously then. She isn't a fighter, but rather, is one who cares for others' hearts. A Comforter. After all, who doesn't want to hug a puppy? But those in need of comfort are often in pain and feel surrounded by darkness. To be a light in someone's world, you will have to walk through the darkness. --------------------- What do most werewolf books have in common? They either focus on mates or on fighting. I decided to try a more unique route. No romance will be found here - this book focuses on the ties of friendship and hope. Thank you to Christine Leonardi from DeviantArt for the cover, and to @JimenaVivancoo for polishing it into an ebook cover! Copyright December 2019. All Rights Reserved. Readers may not copy, alter, or steal this story. Fanfictions are allowed to use my *world* and *werewolf ranks* as long as credit is given.

(Highest Ranking: 14 in Science Fiction) 1 year ago, all of humanity was changed in an instant by an event known as the Singularity, a massive shockwave of energy that encompassed the entire planet. Anyone who was exposed to it was altered on a genetic level. Some were given extraordinary abilities and powers unlike anything ever seen before. Others were mutated into terrifying creatures that now roam the Earth as monsters. Civilization has now collapsed, and humans have become an endangered species. Wren Sawyer and his younger sister Ivy are two of those endangered beings, and struggle to survive in the remains of what was once their lives, but also manage to uncover a strange mystery that will unravel the terrible truth behind the Singularity...

(#12 in Necromancer)Cody has heard all the stories, read all the myths, and knows everything about his world, Semiones. Or does he? When he finds a dragon egg, he discovers that everything he knew about his world, isn't true at all. He and the rest of humankind have been shielded from reality, and as enemies grow stronger, the shields grow weaker. Only, the fate of the elves, dwarfs, and dragons are on the line as well. Life itself may vanish from Semiones forever, if he can't at least subdue his opponent long enough to learn the ways of the riders. He alone can save his friends and family from destruction. He alone will bring back the Dragon Warriors. As long as the enemy is stopped before it is too late. (I was inspired to write this book by the 'Inheritance Cycle' series, so there are a few similarities...Enjoy the book!)

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

Hordes of strange, unranked zombies are appearing and threatening to overrun the remaining human Strongholds, as Trinity and her companions race to find out who's behind it. Season 5 of The Virus Within *** As if a handful of zombies with strange traits weren't bad enough, they're now appearing in hordes...And there are still no leads on who's creating them or where they're coming from. Trinity tries to protect the humans while Nina struggles to understand the zombie triggers, only to make a surprising discovery. The triggers are coming undone on their own. The unranked will eventually disappear-but this means Wren will lose her mind and sanity unless Trinity can find the group responsible and help Nina save her. The clock is ticking and the hunt is on as both human and zombie lives are on the line in this action-packed fifth installment of 'The Virus Within' series.

**THIS IS A SAMPLE. The Greykin series has left Wattpad and is available in Paperback, Hardcover, and Ebook through Amazon and other retailers. Greykin Mountain and Greykin Valley are available on my Inkitt profile (T_Csernis) through subscription tiers, and Greykin Depths is releasing a new free chapter every Friday** • Season 1 of Greykin Mountain • When investigating the disappearance of seven fellow journalists, Jackson discovers Ascela's mountains hide more than wolf walkers and undead monsters. *** Jackson, a 23-year-old trans-man journalist heads to the remote, snow-covered mountains of Ascela in search of his missing best friend and six other journalists, all of whom disappeared after investigating the same thing: Greykin Mountain. What starts as a desperate attempt to uncover the truth quickly turns into a nightmare when Jackson is bitten by a monstrous creature and transformed into a wolf walker. Thrown into a hidden world of ancient wolf-shifters, undead creatures, and dangerous secrets, Jackson must learn to navigate his new reality. Under the watchful eye of the cold and enigmatic Alpha, Daimon, he struggles to control his inner wolf and uncover the mystery of the deadly virus plaguing the region--a virus that threatens both humans and wolf walkers alike. As tensions rise within the pack and darker forces close in, Jackson finds himself torn between his quest for answers and a growing connection to Daimon. With the fate of the pack and Caeleste-kind at stake, Jackson must confront his own hidden past and face the looming threat that could destroy everything. ❅ MxM Romance ❅ Enemies to Lovers ❅ Possessive Mates ❅ Mystery-Thriller ❅ Word Count: 260,000 ─────────────────────────────────── ✵ Numenverse year: 1332 | April & November 2023 Editor's Picks | {Alpha Awards 2023 Winner} 2022 - 2024 © Tate Csernis

Lyra Cinder is cast out from the Fort, the largest remaining training settlement for human mages outside of the Alliance. Without a killer extinct and far too much use of her conscience, she is of no use to the mages who have refused peace with their vampire neighbors. With a band of misfits and Fort rejects, Lyra sets out on a journey to find her place as well as a meaning to all of the fighting around her. It seems like a straight forward path until Lyra comes back from a supply run to find the boys have made sport of kicking around a stray vampire. Though she wishes to release him, the sharpness of his ice eyes cuts right into her soul even shackled and beaten on the ground. This stranger could just be the death of all of them, or perhaps he could be her destiny. When Lyra runs face first into the carnage caused by a notorious masked murder known only as The Fool, she is helpless to stop him from slaughtering the soldiers of the Zero rebellion. Though the Zero started as a vampire-hating group that threw society to the brink of extinction, most now are just humans run from their homes in times of war and desperate for shelter or food and willing to fight for it. The world is brittle and broken, and Lyra finds herself walking the same path as The Fool, whether it be breaking bread or chasing him down to stop his rampage. On that path, she meets allies, a man she loves even though their chances are slim, and she hopes that all of them can find a way to peace.

When back-alley mechanic Elijah Garret is approached by the company who destroyed his family, he has to decide whether to repair and upgrade their androids or let the machines rebel and start a war. Season 1 of Conduit *** For years, mechanical genius Elijah Garret has kept a low profile. As the world struggles to survive with minimal resources, he illegally repairs essential androids for those who can't afford certified technicians from megacorporation Lyons. The very same corporation that caused his father and grandfather's deaths, leaving him alone in the world save his beloved personal android, Victoria. When Elijah is betrayed by a client, he's thrust directly into Lyons' crosshairs. And the company he's spent most of his life hiding from wants his help. The androids are malfunctioning, rebelling against their creators, and without their assistance, humanity is doomed. Lyons wants Elijah to program the next batch of androids-obedient and incapable of being otherwise-and ensure the survival of everyone in the world. But Elijah must determine whether what's being asked of him is the correct path, or even possible; and he must do it quickly. Because the androids have their own plans and Elijah is key to those as well...

Once a forgotten Omega, now the next Luna of the Blood Moon pack. Nova must uncover the secrets of her heritage while unraveling the reason her new mate is keeping her at arm's length. Season 1 of Lost Luna ****** Rescued from a wolf pack who abused and bullied her, Nova must relearn what it means to be part of a family, and that she, too, is worth fighting for. Finding it within herself with the help of new friends, Nova grows stronger and braver than ever before. But danger lurks along the pack borders and she must navigate this all new strained relationship with her mate along the way! #enemiestolovers #slowburn *** Complete✨ 2022 1,000,000 reads ~ 17/07/21! 2,000,000 reads ~ 27/07/21! 3,000,000 reads ~ 07/08/21! 4,000,000 reads ~ 20/08/21! 5,000,000 reads ~ 09/09/21 6,000,000 reads ~ 10/10/21 7,000,000 reads ~ 22/10/21 8,000,000 reads ~ 01/11/21 9,000,000 reads ~ 12/11/21 10,000,000 reads ~ 27/11/21 11,000,000 reads ~ 13/12/21 12,000,000 reads ~ 31/12/21 13,000,000 reads ~ 20/01/22 14,000,000 reads ~ 26/02/22 15,000,000 reads ~ 20/05/22 16,000,000 reads ~ 22/08/22 17,000,000 reads ~ 01/11/22 18,000,000 reads ~ 04/06/23 19,000,000 reads ~ 10/10/23 20,000,000 reads ~ 21/12/23 21,000,000 reads ~ 09/08/24 22,000,000 reads ~ 16/09/25 Top Ranked Tags : #1 werewolf (for 10 weeks) #1 beta #1 lycan #1 mates #1 luna #1 king #1 omega #1 alpha #2 wolf #15 romance #19 love word count 210,000 ~ 230,000 ✨