The brooding and mysterious Cameron St. Laurent isn't intimidated by the feisty woman at his doorstep. And when she asks him for the impossible, Cameron knows just how to sweeten the deal. ***** Spitfire in Love is a published book! As a Wattpad reader, you can access both the Published Edition and Original Edition upon purchase. When Cameron's prized motorbike got side-swiped, he had no clue that repayment would come in the form of an irresistible spitfire and struggling university student named Kara. But she's determined to pay back the debt, and Cameron can't let the deal slip through his fingers. He needs to pursue her; the two of them together are combustible, their chemistry an undeniable ticking time bomb. But Kara is used to being alone, forced to grow up fast to protect herself and her brother. Having built up walls, she has a hard time trusting Cameron, who has deep wounds of his own. And when his dark past comes knocking, he realizes that he'll have not only slay his demons, but lay himself on the line, to win Kara over, body and soul. Book 1 in the In Love Series

~COMPLETED~ "Hi El." I stared at her for a few seconds then I Said "Uhm, I was thinking maybe we can go out on a date?" "What is date?" "A date is something that you do for having fun with your uhm-" "Mike?" "You bring your girlfriend on a date. Your girlfriend is someone that you like." I added, because I knew that she was gonna ask the meaning of girlfriend. "Okay." She nodded.

{For those who HATE student/teacher stories, TRY THIS ONE ANYWAYS. I dare you to read it and say it was a waste of time} Alice 'Ace' Spade had fled her horrible foster family by the time she was sixteen and found a way to survive by dancing in a sleazy strip club. One night a man named Malcolm is brought in by his friends and Ace and Mal hit it off. Until the cops crash the club and discover that Ace is only seventeen and a runaway. They force her back to school and back to the foster family that abused her. Her only solace is that Malcolm is now her teacher and sometimes protector. But what happens when they still have powerful chemistry and a growing affection towards each other?

This isn't a deep book about first loves or self-discovery. If you want a book like that, I'd be happy to recommend one, but I don't have that kind of story to tell. Instead my story is about rash decisions and finding out that your dream guy is bad in bed. It's the story of when I finally went skinny dipping, and how my life was never the same again. Oh, and it's also the story of my freshman year of college and realizing Mr. Right might have been there all along.

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

After escaping a stalled elevator into a zombie apocalypse, Emily must learn how to trust people again or risk losing everything in this terrifying world. ***** For Emily, every day of the last two years have been a blur. She keeps her head down, takes her college courses online, and only goes out to work at her mandatory internship. But all that changes on the day the office elevator breaks down, leaving her trapped when the screams begin. And when the doors finally open, revealing a dystopian world ruined by bloody teeth and disease, Emily is launched into a terrifying run for her life, caught between the strangers she's not sure she can trust and the man-eating monsters that hunger for her flesh. Now she must learn not only how to survive in this new and dangerous world, but also how to overcome her own inner demons before they cost her something more precious than her life. [[Wattys' Shortlist]] [[Promoted by AMC]] Content and/or Trigger Warning: The story contains some gore, violence, strong language, and dark themes. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]

When Rocio's boyfriend invites his best friend on their trip to Ibiza, she thinks nothing of it--until his smoking hot body makes her think again. ***** The summer before her last year of university, Rocio plans a romantic, drama-free vacation to Ibiza with her boyfriend Axel. But nothing goes according to plan when their party of two becomes a party of six, and when Axel invites his best friend Levi--who Rocio has never met--on the trip. Because Levi is everything that Axel isn't: he's charming, flirtatious, and rocks a sexy Australian accent just as easily as a six pack. But as Rocio continues to deny their instant, irresistible connection, she can't help but wonder...what's the worst that could happen if she gave in to temptation? All she has to do is kiss Levi to find out . . . Content/Trigger Warning: contains references to sexual assault. [[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]

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-

Cathellyn Anders is born in the Outlands during a night of winter- a birth that is rare in her land, doomed to be a peasant ever since she stepped into the world. Though the fate was inevitable, she fought and manage to gain knowledge of hunting from her father who she loves to death. At the age of twelve, she was a fierce hunter, providing food for her family and keeping them alive. Also, at that age, she was already fatherless. Great grief struck her as her father was taken and executed by the Valarians, the nobles that lay comfortably in their gold-riched land of Valaria. Three years later, Cathellyn grows cold and alone in the forest. Her days becomes still and unmoving, falling in a routine of; hunt, kill, provide. Hunt, kill, provide. Hunt, kill, provide.Until one day, she met someone that she thought she would never meet in the forest. Valarians were normally stoic, nose-high-in-the-air kind of people and uncaring of the people of the Outlands. But this one is... different. She decided she would take her chances with Ethan, the prince of Valaria. In the Outlands, the flame of hatred towards the nobles have been bigger than ever. Curses are being shout out and blood threatens to spill. It doesn't help that Cathellyn's twin sister has a strange habit that she doesn't knows about. In her life, friends are made and lost like the wind in the forest. But this 'friend', she wants to keep.

Athena believes her world is perfect. Direct democracy means that everyone votes, on everything: from how their healthcare is funded to the colour of the clothes they wear. When an explosive encounter with the mysterious Dyo throws Athena's beliefs into turmoil, Athena is soon drawn into a society on the outskirts, where she discovers a darker side to the world she lives in. But there is danger in the truth and this new knowledge comes at a heavy price. Can Athena turn her back on everything she has ever believed in? And what will happen to her if she does? This story is a draft version of Democary is Dead, which I am currently posting on Wattpad weekly. If you would like to read the updated version, please find DiD on my profile!