Stephen Merlino

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Excerpt

“You written your will yet, lad?”

Someone shouted the words in Harric’s ear over the din of the crowded barroom. He turned to find the brewer Mags leaning across the bar behind him, old eyes drunk and earnest. Mags indicated the clock on the bar. Five minutes to midnight. Five minutes left of Harric’s nineteenth year, and his last day of life.

“You’d best write it quick,” Mags said. “Rudy’ll snatch your things before your corpse is cold.”

“The night is still young,” said Harric, forcing a smile.

“Don’t make light of it, son. This is the day, and the others died just when she said they would.”

A knife of despair twisted in Harric. “You think I don’t remember?”

“Just trying to help.”

“You’re trying to get me out of your bar before my gruesome death kills the party.”

The old man scratched his chin. “Well, it would spoil the mood considerable….”

Harric smiled behind his wine cup. “My doom comes tomorrow, Mags. Before my mother died, she made it inescapably clear.” He pointed to the winch-clock that towered above him on the bar, a column of woodwork like a coffin on end. “When the twelfth chime sounds at midnight, her precious doom has till sunset to find me. That’s plenty of time to write a will.”

Mags shrugged. “It’s your party.”

“Yes. But you’re right about one thing. It’s time to leave the celebration to my guests.” Harric downed the last of his wine and pushed away from the bar. Before Mags could object, he stepped on his chair and onto the bar beside the winch-clock, where he opened the clock case and drew out the crowbar he'd hidden inside. In two quick moves he wrenched out the mainspring to the accompaniment of cracking wood and outraged chimes.

“Wha—?” Mags choked. “Who’s gonna pay for that?”

“Keep your hair on.” Harric dropped a purse of coins on the bar and steadied himself

against the clock, which had forever stopped at one minute to midnight....

Bio

Stephen Merlino was born in Seattle where he currently lives, writes, and teaches. He grew up seeking the perfect driftwood staff on the shores of Puget Sound, battling weretoads in the ravine behind his house, and inventing fantasy stories for his friends.

When he studied Literature at the University of Washington, he fell in love with Chaucer and Shakespeare and all things English; however, the closest he got to England was the Unicorn Pub on University Avenue, which was run by a Scotsman named Angus. He spent many evenings in that pub, sampling the mysterious ales (that was when “micro-brew” meant “six-ounce Bud”) and such culinary delights as steak and kidney pies (with real offal!) and haggis.

Finally, he hopped a plane for that scept’red isle — that other Eden, demi-paradise — and backpacked through England, Scotland, and Wales. The trip included pilgrimages to Stratford-upon-Avon and to a multitude of pubs, and inspired him to find a way to study for a year in England at the University of Reading. While there, he earned a Master’s degree in Shakespeare (the best fantasy ever written), and the history of the English renaissance.

Since that time he has made a career of teaching and travel by guiding history tours in Britain and in the American West, and by teaching Shakespeare (among other things) to teens. His fantasy series, The Unseen Moon Trilogy, is set in an island kingdom combining Elizabethan England with an American frontier, and features a subplot from "A Midsummer Night’s Dream."

Stephen is now married to the world’s most desirable woman with whom he has two wonderful children. When he’s not writing, he can be found running, reading, and inspiring young people to create, explore, and imagine.


Writing Description

Character-driven fantasy. I've written a trilogy, the first book of which stands alone, is polished, and is in the process of being submitted to agents/editors. The second and third books are complete and in second draft.

Writing Goals

Rewrite/replace the first three chapters of the second book of my trilogy.
Learn to write short stories.
Submit the first novel to my top 40 agents.


Website

http://stephenmerlino.com


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