Januya's quiet life flips over when she discovers she's a Nuliian, a magical being capable of possessing the ability over an element. However, Januya does not possess any elemental ability, rather she possesses the Blood gift of life. A very rare and strange ability. With children mysteriously disappearing, blood affliction plaguing nullians, a hired trio of deranged killers hot on her trail, the case of her dead parents who leaves behind a city and the strange ability she has to learn to control, Januya finds herself entangled in things she had never bargained for and is left with no option but to unravel and not get killed In the process. Hope is the bee that makes honey without flowers and Januya might just be that bee.

"You're forcing me to work with them and I'm telling you now that I can't do it." "You've worked with teams before." "Yeah, but none with a jackass in charge." *** They're all a part of the biggest secret agency in the world and they've begun disappearing. Agents have begun disappearing. Gone without a trace, only to show up weeks later. Dead. Everly Kingston is the best agent the agency has, and now she's been put in charge of finding the missing agents and preventing more from vanishing as well. She's forced to team up with another team of agents after one of their team members, Agent 34, vanishes during a mission. And she's none too happy about it. With one overbearing and controlling team leader, one agent who really can't focus, an agent with an all-around bad attitude, an agent who redefines the term bitch, another who's stuck trying to keep everyone from killing each other, and one agent that's best described as a sociopath, this mission is bound to be a disaster before it even starts. Fortunately for Everly, she's got a handful of friends she can count on to help pull her out of this mess and keep her from killing her new teammates. But this mission just might be the toughest one she's ever had. She'll have to learn to put aside her differences with her new team as agents continue to disappear. Because it soon becomes clear that the last target, the last agent to disappear, will be her . . . ***2nd Trilogy in the Agent Series. Book 1*** First Trilogy does NOT have to be read to read this one.

Dirty Lying Faeries is now published as a Wattpad Book! As a Wattpad reader, you can access both the Original Edition and Books Edition upon purchase. ***** With a kiss of her hand, Thea is transported into the faerie world. Now she's trapped in the faerie court, with fate drawing her to Devin and into danger. ***** When recent grad Thea gets dragged to a black tie gala at an art gallery, she didn't expect to meet the handsome Devin. With a brief glimpse at some art and a kiss to her hand, Thea is unknowingly pulled into the world of the fae. She never believed in faeries, until she started seeing them for herself. With strange creatures visible on the street and fangs and colors flashing in the shadows, Thea has to accept the truth: Faeries are real and she is a part of their world. Will a blossoming romance keep her afloat in a world of magic, or will she be drawn into the darkness by threats she's only beginning to understand? For better or worse, the newest changeling has arrived. (This story is a standalone title set in the Dirty Lying Creatures universe.) [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

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

The best agents are the ones who don't question orders. They lack their own morals and trust their directors in the same way a dog trusts its master. Amber Knight is one of those agents. After being sent on a mission to retrieve rogue agent Derek Barnes, Agent Knight finds herself stranded across the sea with the arrogant, flirtatious traitor with one order: bring him back ALIVE. But there's something wrong. Barnes doesn't resist Amber's efforts in dragging him across the country as another group of pursuers chases the two in an effort to dispose of herself and Barnes. She soon discovers that the people in her life may not be as trust-worthy as they appear. And, with dozens of lives hanging in the balance, Amber is forced into a position where she must make her own rules and become her own master. REVIEWS: "From great grammar to an extraordinary plot line, this book honestly deserves everything." - @filletetlivre "Thank you so much for writing this book. It has been a blast to read." - @geekgurl24 "This is like the best pace of a love story yet!" - @fanfics_anon Book I in the Agent Rogue Series Cover by @E_A_Hard Word Count: 110,000 - 120,000

"They call him The Storm for a reason. He's Jackson Storm, you should be running in the other direction." I shook my head. "I'm going to catch that arrogant bastard. I'm going to catch 'The Storm'." *** Jackson Storm. If you were to look up that name you wouldn't find anything. At least, not anything incriminating. The police have been after him for years with no luck of ever finding any evidence to put this guy away. He's a professional at what he does, and he's a conman. Jackson Storm can be anybody you want him to be. He can become a person you'd trust your life with, or a person who can make your life a living hell on earth. He's sexy. He's confident. He's charismatic. This is the guy you'd bring home to introduce to your parents. Unfortunately for anyone who's not a friend to him and who just so happens to be filthy rich, he's your worst nightmare. When he gets it in his head to con one of the richest families in the world out of millions of dollars, he's all too eager to get the job done. And he knows his best bet at successfully pulling off the con is the daughter of that family. Crystal Carver is the picture of perfect. Her father's a big hotshot CEO, and her mother is a highly successful movie actress and model, but her parents have darker pasts than she's aware. Crystal herself is a model and portrayed as a real-life Barbie Doll. Always wearing the latest styles, always wearing the most expensive jewelry. She's Daddy's little princess. No one dares to tell this girl no to anything. Unfortunately for her, Jackson sees her as his ticket to stealing millions from her and her family. Charming her won't be a problem, and he's actually looking forward to it. This job would be just like any other he's pulled off except for the added bonus of seducing one of the 'hottest' girls in the world according to all the magazines. But the greatest conman of all makes his biggest mistake... He judged the book by its cover, and he ended up conning the wrong girl...

As the first Lady Knight of Monrique, Juliette Van Helsing regularly deals with criminals who threaten the peace and security of her country. When a string of brutal murders among the nobility take place in quick succession, leaving behind one puzzle after another, she begins a race against time to find the murderer. Along the way, webs of lies, betrayals and greed are unravelled, and at each turn, she finds herself questioning her beliefs and assumptions. In the midst of all of this chaos, will she be able to fulfil her duty, and mayhap, find love?

Lucy McLean returns home to help her parents win a national cooking competition, only to fall in love with its host: handsome celebrity chef, Quinn Allen. ***** Lucy McLean arrives back in her hometown with her confidence shattered. She's been dumped and fired by her fiancé (who was also her boss), but she has more than a broken heart to contend with: her parents' restaurant is failing so they're taking part in a television contest run by hothead celebrity chef, Quinn Allen. Distracted and distraught, Lucy struggles to embrace the contest, but as she gets back on her feet, she's slowly charmed by the attention of the handsome, famous chef. The two of them grow close, but being together would end Quinn's TV career and doom her family restaurant. Can she wait until the show is over, or will she give in to the heat of Quinn's kitchen? (Book one of the Local Flavour series) [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] Cover designed by Ren T

Aerith always believed she was an ordinary mortal-clumsy, geeky, and completely out of place in the world. But on the eve of her 18th birthday, she discovers a shocking truth: she's no ordinary girl, but the long-lost daughter of the Fates, destined to rule the Underworld as Hades' queen. Thrown into the realm of gods and monsters, Aerith must learn to navigate her new life among immortal beings, where loyalty and power shift like the winds. Tutored by gods, pursued by ancient rivalries, and bound to Hades-a brooding, powerful god who's been waiting for her for centuries-Aerith faces the daunting challenge of learning how to rule an entire realm while still figuring out how to be herself. Can she rise to the challenge of ruling alongside the enigmatic Hades, or will the forces that oppose her destiny tear their fated union apart? With humor, heart, and a touch of magic, Aerith must learn the ropes of royalty and love in a world where even the gods themselves play by their own rules. How to be a Queen is a fun and fresh take on Greek mythology, blending romance, adventure, and self-discovery into an unforgettable journey through the immortal world.

The royal city of Port Cressida has a new King. Casper Ashe. After spending years chained to the floor of a dungeon, haunted by visions of a beautiful woman, Casper is finally free. As Port Cressida's new King, he has two priorities: restore peace to his Kingdom and find the woman of his visions destined to become his Queen. Thanks to social media, he finds his bride, a mortal named Sophie Reece, campaigning to save her town's community centre. Sophie is having a tough time. First, she's lost her grandparents and home, and now she's about to lose her beloved community center. Just as all seems lost, a mysterious stranger comes to the rescue. Casper offers to save Sophie's precious community centre in exchange for a dinner date. Sophie is shocked that someone as handsome and charismatic as Casper is interested in her. But from the moment they meet, Sophie knows that despite Casper's good looks and charm, there is something odd about him. Will Casper be able to convince Sophie that he is the only man for her? Book 1 - Married to the Prince of Darkness Book 2 - Married to the Vampire King (You do not need to read the first book to read this book)