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

Ten years after her family avoided imminent imprisonment by sneaking aboard an airship headed for Wyoming, Nova Radcliffe is once again on the brink of losing everything. But things are about to get worse. An outlaw has entered Little River to escape persecution from the powerfully corrupt. Jese Calhoun searches for the only man who can help him, but finds the drunk inventor long deceased, leaving his headstrong, mixed race daughter, Nova, in charge of their idyllic property. Jese soon has her where he wants her... However, he hasn't taken into consideration his wife's stubborn streak. They must learn to trust each other, or find themselves hanging from the noose. ***

Crime-solving with eccentric aristocrats. Chasing dragons through the sky. Grisly murders in an opera house. Tallison didn't expect all this to happen her senior year, but when your school's founder is the one dragging you off on adventures, it can be hard to say no. *Feedback appreciated* Barrowby's School for Psychic Girls is an episodic fantasy steampunk adventure novel. In an ideal world, it would be a wacky cartoon, but you'll just have to survive me writing it instead. As always, feel free to comment on what you like, dislike, and think could be improved! Special thanks to @Herogue_Knight!

{ EDITING } Kristen Mays never thought her life could change as fast as the speed of coffee going down her bra. Unfortunately for her, it did. She thought everything was going great only come to find out her boyfriend of forever has been cheating on her with her best friend. Then Lucas Granger shows up. Charming, handsome, and let's not forget British (swoon). He's looking for friends, and fortunately for him, he meets Kristen. BOOK ONE Rankings: #2 in Teen Fiction

'Tell me then, does love make one a fool or do only fools fall in love?' * * * Jess has had a rough time of it lately. And when she gets shipped off to a Catholic Boarding School, she's sure that her time there is going to be boring as hell. But with the Bad Boy, the Queen Bitch and the Hot Head Boy, she realises pretty soon that life is just about to get interesting and now she has to make the hardest choice she's ever had to. Jess knew she'd learn a few lessons from going to Catholic School, but she never guessed that the one to stay with her the longest would be 'Only Fools Fall in Love'...... / / / / / / / / / / / This story is PG. There is mild sex references, mild language (no real cursing). If you're not sure whether this story is going to be appropriate for you then inbox me so I can advise you. Saying that, with the age limit on Wattpad being 13 it should be fine for everyone! Enjoy! :D *trigger warnings - cancer, divorce*

They're worlds apart, and this isn't high school, so how the hell did a homeless female writer end up renting a billionaire's mansion? And - hold your breath - becoming his fake girlfriend? ➳ full blurb inside ➳ first reached #1 in humor on july 6, 2015 ➳ first reached #1 in business on august 29, 2023 ➳ winner of best humor book in the fiction awards 2016 ➳ featured by cadbury (marvellous creations) and secret lives of the americans (pivot) P.S. This is a SATIRICAL BILDUNGSROMAN. Proceed with caution. (cover by @glueeater)

Highest rank #1 in humor [30 chapters] The hermit Ryder Quin never thought that one day, her crush of three years now, the very handsome Aiden Caley, would suddenly want to be her friend. What's more, a stranger broke into her backyard one night, his face hidden underneath a hood, and ever since then he would show up at night and leave before midnight. The quiet and uninteresting life of hers, unexpectedly was thrown into chaos. Having an introverted personality, Ryder struggles to keep up with the very energetic Aiden. However, because of the lack of her social skills, all of Aiden's flirty remarks and hints miss the mark, leading to Ryder accidentally friendzoning her crush, all while trying to figure out who the stranger that meets her every night is. With the mystery of the stranger's identity and the awkward moments spent with Aiden pickling her mind and heart, Ryder realizes that she has been dragged into a whirl of feelings she has never experienced before.

Twenty-two year old Grace McCaffrey is humiliated when she can't find a job after graduating college and has to move back in with her parents. She always assumed she'd do something big with her life-create change or do something that matters-not work at the Banner Market as a cashier. Soon, Grace gets roped into being a chaperone for a high school backpacking trip with her ex-boyfriend, Miles Dalby. However, she quickly learns these students are part of a mentorship program for troubled youth. As she tries to get them to open up, Grace starts to doubt herself. How can she make a difference in the world if she can't even help these students? Or is her mom right and sometimes it's the little things that can make all the difference?

*Now a featured Wattpad story! Zara was never meant to be an outcast. Once upon a time, she was a Red Cape- a member of the respected forest guard. That was before the accident, though. The one that left her partner dead and her to blame. Now expelled from the guard and living a life of shame, all Zara wants is to redeem herself and earn back her coveted position. The perfect opportunity arises when a mysterious Hunstman shows up in the kingdom...looking for her. Somewhere deep within the dark forest, a princess is being held captive by the werewolves and their king. As the royal Huntsman, it's Ronan's job to find her and bring her back. And who better to guide him than a former member of the renowned Red Capes? While Zara isn't thrilled at the idea of working side by side with the irritatingly charming Huntsman, she's in no position to refuse his proposition. Especially if she wants to impress the guard and earn a second chance. Together, they enter the forest to face the myriad of terrifying creatures awaiting inside. Ardon, the werewolf king, has an agenda of his own...one where he and his pack rise from exile to reclaim their place at the top of the food chain. When he begins to make unexplainable appearances within Zara's dreams, she realizes things are far from what they seem. The truth behind their strange connection may not be one she's ready for. However, the werewolf king is far from the only one harboring dark secrets. What began as a simple rescue mission will soon turn into a challenge not only for Zara's life, but for the world outside the forest.

#26 in Fantasy ~ In six months, Cinderella will be free. At nineteen, she comes into her inheritance and will be rid of her wretched stepfamily. All she has to do is: Behave: (to a point) Do as she's told: (for the most part) Stay out of sight: (well, her stepmother doesn't need to know her closest friend is the personal attendant to the Crown Prince) For the most part, Cinderella does as she's told... until a royal ball. And with that... comes a secret. She has no idea what that secret might be but Cinderella knows there's something there. Something hidden by her Stepmother that sits below a tangled web of lies that span years. And Cinderella is going to find out what it is - less she gets caught in that web like those who went before her. ~~~~~~~ Far, Far Away Trilogy: Reading Order: Dancing on Glass Dancing on Ice TBA ~~~~ Cover image: Lisa Keene