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

[WARNING: Book is not suitable for reading in quiet areas, as the emotions resulted from reading usually end in squealing and/or excessive giggling.] Eva Bishop is just trying to live her life as best as she can in her seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry without any unneeded interruptions. Unfortunately for her, Sirius Black is hell bent on making her life more difficult than she wants it to be. Why, you ask? Open her diary and let her tell you. [slow burn x enemies to lovers]

Kellarus is ruled by Summoners, people of magic, who control and oppress those who lack it. Ayla Winters is the government's prodigal spy, cold, brutal, and efficient. But the truth is, Ayla is overlooked and underappreciated. She longs for more, and to prove to everyone that she deserves it. Kaia Solomin knows the rules are wrong. But she also knows that if she breaks them, her family will suffer. She appears as a regular operative, but she has a dark secret. When the girls are assigned to a mission together, they are forced to confront the darkness within Kellarus and themselves. Nothing will be the same. ON HOLD (I'll be back soon I promise! AP's are killing me)

"SHE LOOKS AT YOU AND SEES THE STARS. YOU LOOK AT HER AND SEE THE MOON. IT'S SUCH A GODDAMN TRAGEDY BOTH OF YOU THINK THE OTHER IS LOOKING AT THE GROUND." - REMUS LUPIN TO SIRIUS BLACK ... in which arabella arroway and sirius black are two friends who keeps the population of hogwarts asking, 'why aren't they together?'

Ariel Fontansia is ten pounds away from total relapse. Since the previous summer, she has been stuck in a vicious cycle of calories, pounds, and inches. Redemption, Maine, isn't another escape -- it's a dead end. With no one to keep her disorder in check and hallucinations of a dead cousin driving her insane, she falls into an isolation that could prove detrimental. Standing in her way is a black-eyed boy with an anger complex: Price Olsen, who wants her to see more than the bad side of his grief. With an absentee father and a mute little sister, he recognizes the signs of someone on the edge. He wants to save Ariel, but up until this point, he's had a nasty penchant for ruining relationships. When her best friend overdoses, Ariel is forced to face the deterioration of her own mind and body. Price, frustrated by his inability to help her, fights the anger that threatens to take an ugly twist. As their fragile friendship teeters, another bruised, broken teenager chasing reconciliation stumbles through their lives. Yet she isn't just another damsel; this girl has a history in Redemption that involves the death of Ariel's cousin. Peaceful lives unraveling, all three discover that Redemption is harboring a secret with dangerous consequences. Now, they will be forced to face their past - and their present - to determine the course of their future. But how far are they willing to go for redemption?

Ivy Evans, Slytherin, 6th Year, Harry Potter's twin sister, little to her and Harry's knowledge. After Ivy's adoptive muggle parents die, Professor Dumbledore comes to her rescue and tells her a secret, a secret that changes her life. Not only is Ivy, Harry Potter's twin sister but she is also given one task by the Order of the Pheonix that no one can know of. Ivy must save Draco Malfoy for they are the secret key to the end of the war that He Who Shall Not Be Named still doesn't know about. *A Draco Malfoy Love Story and Harry Potter Twin Story* *Watty Awards 2019 Submission* Started: August 13th, 2019 Finished: December 30th, 2019 Top Rankings #1 - RomanceAction (October 6th, 2019) #1 - DracoMalfoyXOC (October 6th, 2019) #1 - HalfBloodPrince (November 9th, 2019) #1 - HarryPotterandTheHalfBloodPrince (November 27th, 2019) #1 - HarryPotterAU (January 4th 2020)

Amber Diamanté is what people call a Rectornatura: she can control the four elements for now, but when Mutatio happens when she's sixteen, she gets plenty of other powers. She sees good in everybody but herself, but when her parents die, she's shipped off to live with her only living relatives, her cousins the Black sisters. During fifth year, she goes to Hogwarts and meets Remus-a gorgeous boy with a shy demeanor. She struggles with her secret whilst falling in love with him, and he struggles with his own as he falls for her too.

Lorelei Calypso is a half-breed in the wizarding world. When her father seduced a beautiful mermaid, she was born into a time of war and pain. The Weasley family takes her in as their own when Lorelei embraces her wizarding genes. Follow Lorelei in her time at Hogwarts with the infamous pranking trio: Fred, George, and Lee. Once Harry Potter makes his debut at Hogwarts, everything changes. A war is on the rise, and Lorelei is ready to fight for the ones she loves. She is ready to defend her home and her family. ** George Weasley love story :) pre-hp -- d.h started: june 8, 2020 finished: september 30, 2020 I DO NOT OWN ANY OF JK ROWLING'S WORK. STORYLINES AND CHARACTERS ARE HERS. I ONLY OWN LORELEI & AMATHEIA. highest rankings: #1 remuslupin -- june 29, 2020 #1 weasley -- july 18, 2020 #1 georgeweasley -- july 27, 2020 #1 weasley -- august 2, 2020 #1 georgeweasley & weasley -- august 5, 2020 #1 fredweasley & georgeweasley -- august 6, 2020 #1 potter and weasley -- august 12, 2020 #1 potter -- august 18, 2020 #1 siriusblack & potter & weasley -- august 28, 2020 #1 hogwarts -- september 14, 2020 #1 quidditch -- october 15, 2020 #6 harrypotter -- october 21, 2020 #2 fanfiction -- march 4, 2021