Alyssa Barnes must conquer her monsters or risk becoming one herself - but gang leader Daimon Kross might be a dangerous distraction. ***** Past traumas have taught Alyssa Barnes to not shy away from dangerous men and to show no fear, not even when she encounters the deadly biker gang leader, Daimon Kross. But the notorious Kross bikers may not be all they seem to be, and Alyssa might not be the only one with secrets to protect. Will the power struggle lead to bloodshed? In ways she never expected, Alyssa finds out that sometimes love doesn't just bite...it howls. Content and/or trigger warning: This story contains scenes of sexual activity, abuse, self-harm, and suicide that may be triggering for some readers. [[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] Read Fatal Contingencies (Book 2, the Fatal Trilogy Series) here: https://www.wattpad.com/story/142024187-fatal-contingencies-book-2-the-fatal-trilogy Cover designed by Ren T

For years, the faceless terror known as the Hand of Fate has been secretly manipulating the port city of Reyza for her shadowy ends. Those she favors rise in status while those who betray her are never heard from again. When the opportunity to eliminate a powerful dynasty presents itself, the Hand of Fate conspires with a sadistic diplomat who shares the king's bed. Together, they hatch a plan to assassinate their rivals. The plan is flawless-every variable calculated-except for one. On the night the Hand of Fate's hired assassin makes his move, a notorious thief is also making his. Jarle Jadien has had it with the gray-haired harpy whom he serves and succumbs to the greatest temptation of all: The Ensther estate is home to the king's betrothed and a fortune in jewels. When the risky heist takes a disastrous turn, Jarle finds himself in possession of a treasure he has no intention of keeping. Avaren Ensther is beauty and intrigue in one, and a keeper of secrets that reach far beyond Jarle's world of whiskey and disrepute. Reyza's infamous thief has had his heart stolen from under his nose, but time will tell if his sirenic temptress proves worthy. Within the city walls, a retired war-hero investigates the conspiracy and attempts to uphold justice, but his efforts may not suffice to prevent an all-out war. Too many vengeful plots have festered; too much blood spilled. As the moons reach a cataclysmic alignment, unleashing the terrible force of the tides, neither hero, criminal, nor all-powerful monarch; can escape the tendrils of fate.

Two assassins, a young man with white eyes and an ancient N'aian set out on a journey to find the one who can save the world or become their ruin. They seek Io -- he who returns. However, finding him seems to be the lesser of their problems. A world in chaos, a world at loss... where minds are weeping and children lost. A raging heart, a raging soul, a hero reluctant to save them all. -Willow scrolls, third passage- This is the story of a journey through the dark, a mission to find hope where none exists. It is a story of how to find what is worth living for when no one longer dreams of the light. The Earth is shaking, the Fire is raging, the Wind is wailing and Water is flooding the lands, while everyone awaits the savior -- the one man who can save them all. Come along now... let the story begin.

No room for failure, an ancient brewing secret, and perfecting magic art. In a world where magic can only be cast through a vessel, an ongoing battle between good and evil encircles the lives of all casters, whether it's fighting corruption of the soul or ridding evil auras from the world. After seven whole years apart, Kael Smaradine finally meets his brother who comes with news that Kael will attend the only academy in the world that teaches casting. Saphir Casters Academy is a prestigious academy that only a select few will have a chance to graduate. To learn how to eradicate phantoms - casters corrupted by their power - Kael leaves his home country for the first time in his life. Once in the melting pot of cultures, Kael learns what it takes to become a phantom hunter - and the dangers that follow. With friends and enemies alike, Kael must survive his class or face elimination. Kael believes he's got what it takes to attend the academy, but as his skills are tested, surviving even the first semester of this harsh academy proves to be difficult. And the possibility of elimination strikes too close for comfort. *Cover by @loopsydaisys* * Updates every Saturday*

THIS STORY WILL BE REMOVED FROM WATTPAD APRIL 30 2024. Imalroc, the formerly enslaved battleboxer, is now free and ready to take charge of a dangerous rebellion. Along the way, he has to decide if he can again trust the man he once loved and risk losing his freedom and the will to fight for it. ***** Imalroc has tasted sweet freedom at last, and he is not about to let it out of his sight, even if it means leaving his burgeoning love with the huntmaster behind. He is determined to join the takedown of Queen Kuraya and soon steps into leadership in the Advocate's rebel army. In no time, Imalroc is one of the army's bravest and most admired officers. However, when Rerdas, who is helping his family escape to the South, unexpectedly takes refuge in Imalroc's camp--the two are pulled into an even stronger war of the heart--one that complicates their fight against the ruthless and vengeful Kuraya. [[word count: 200,000-250,000 words]] Cover designed by Ren Tachibana

New York City's oldest resident hasn't aged a day. Beneath his youthful facade lurks an ancient menace. Experience the nightmare of eternal damnation through the depraved psyche of a nameless villain. Lose yourself in this antihero's shattered mind as he drifts between past and present, dreams and reality. In the tradition of Gothic vampire horror, An Endless Hunger is a poetic and harrowing journey told in a daringly provocative voice-that of the monster. +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ An Endless Hunger is available for purchase at Amazon, Apple, B&N, Kobo, and Angus & Robertson. The links are in the comments.

Tim, a garbage handler in a post-apocalyptic bunker, loses the little he has. But then he finds Amy, the redhead with an attitude. Together, they will try to change the world they live in. -- Tim is one of those who shovel the shit and clean away the waste. Life in the dirt of others is all he knows. When his father gets arrested, he flees and ends up in the deepest tunnels of the shelter. There, he finds Amy--a stubborn, smelly, and fierce redhead with a punch, an attitude, and dreams of a better world. She scorns him, and he fears her. But together they climb in a quest to free his father and to find sunshine. -- Dystopian, post-apocalyptic SciFi with humor in unexpected places. An abbreviated version of the book was 2nd place winner in the Open Novella Contest 2019! Wattpad Editors' Pick in 2019. Major edits in September 2020 and in May and September 2021. Featured in the reading lists of the @dystopianapocalypse ambassador profile.

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