"Fae Rose Bride" by Jessica M. Butler

Current Tags

fae, royalty, fantasy romance, high lord, fae romance, kissing

Categories

Fantasy / Romance

Affiliate Link

Fae Rose Bride

Author's Description

She came to save her village from drought and curses. A tree spirit decided he needed someone to love. Deemed curse, Taya is willing to risk everything if it saves her village. Versal, Lord of Fire and Winter, finds himself drawn to her. Mystery surrounds the curses that were part of an ancient treaty. He can't violate the treaty & must not fall in love with her. But fate & danger keep thrusting them together. Can he resist the strange human woman or will he bring about war and banishment?

Why I Chose it

This one had interesting descriptions, a sense of mystery which let me know the story was heading somewhere, and the first episodes ends on a nice little hook.

[9 episodes so far, with 4 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

High fantasy mixed with romance — if that's your catnip, this story is for you!

Unrelated Griping

Either I'm especially picky today, or the bonuses being paid each month are encouraging people to dump stories into Vella knowing that it doesn't really matter if nobody reads them. Whew! I went through about 80 before I found this one.

Many of the 5-star reviews have to be generated by author swaps (independent of quality) or else some people are far more forgiving about plot and character than I am. Possibly both. All I can say is that filtering on 4 stars or higher doesn't produce a list of better stories (aside from the top 10 which get shoved at everyone on every page) than searching on random nouns.

"Dead Girl Next Door" by Carly Butterfield

Current Tags

paranormal, polyamory, ghosts, romance, quirky, college students, mystery

Categories

Paranormal / Mystery

Affiliate Link

Dead Girl Next Door

Author's Description

I moved to boring Banyan Bluffs three years ago to get away from my overbearing charlatan mother and our ancient house filled with dead relatives. I spent my entire childhood working for the "family business," and I'm over it. I don't see ghosts anymore. I've got pills for that now! My roommate and I were living happily ever after...until SHE showed up. No, I don't mean his girlfriend (although she showed up too, and it was totally weird). I'm talking about the dead girl who ruined everything.

Why I Chose it

This one was in the featured list, but it doesn't have as many likes as I think it should (yet). Hopefully getting featured will solve that. The writing is solid, the main character is well-defined, and after two episodes I'm finding the mystery intriguing.

[36 episodes so far, with 30 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

If you're looking for atmospheric paranormal mystery with a main character who is a little off kilter, check this out!

Unrelated Griping

The Facebook Vella groups are full of authors swapping likes & faves with each other, which seems scammy if not downright unethical... and yet, I think it works to get stories visibility. It explains how some completely incoherent garbage has a fair number of thumbs up.  (I'm not talking about stories I just don't want to read -- I'm talking about stories where I can't figure out what the author is even trying to say.) I still wouldn't do it, but I understand why some people do.

"Those Who Serve" by Linda Teppler

Current Tags

macrodiae, kangaroo, space, backstory, spaceships, spaceadventures, colonization

Categories

Science Fiction / Action & Adventure

Affiliate Link

Those Who Serve

Author's Description

In Macrodiae, the wars between the gene edited Macrodiae who look like giant kangaroos and humans have ended. The attention of both turn to space exploration. These are the background stories of all who will go on to explore space together as a crew. Get to know them before they set out on their epic journey!

Why I Chose it

Each episode is a story in itself, showing how one of the crew members joined the space navy.  (I'm not familiar with the other works by the author -- I suspect there is a series -- but you can definitely still enjoy this serial without that knowledge.) The characters are interesting and the worlds are immersive. The two episodes I read were interesting and a lot of fun. I look forward to reading the rest of them.

[11 episodes so far, with 1 update in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Fans of space opera will love this!

Unrelated Griping

I look forward to the day when Amazon improves the Vella search capabilities. Until then... finding a new story that I'm willing to invest time in can take a long time.

"Leviathan: Inception" by N. Y. Seely

Current Tags

epic fantasy, heroic fantasy, elemental magic, coming of age, politics, gods, n.y. seely

Categories

Fantasy / Action & Adventure

Affiliate Link

Leviathan: Inception

Author's Description

In a world where the gods are the elements personified, the once-powerful magic has ebbed away like the tide. In a ruling house whose power is threatened by treachery, three royal scions must find and embrace their own personal destinies. In a realm beset by intrigue, murder, and betrayal, the contest for power is a deadly one, and the game is just beginning.

Why I Chose it

This is epic fantasy with all the trappings -- competing heirs to the throne, women who don't want the roles thrust on them, and multiple viewpoints so you catch all the angles.

[7 episodes so far, with 7 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Fans of epic fantasy will want to settle in with this one!

Unrelated Griping

Seriously... I looked at probably 15 new stories today, and all of them followed the weird one sentence per paragraph thing. After a bit, I can't even pay attention to the words because all I'm doing is trying to find one paragraph with more than one sentence. Either there's some website out there recommending this approach, or someone dumped about twenty stories onto Vella in the last week with different author names. I think it's actually the latter -- none of the episodes have any likes, which is a little odd if they're unrelated.

"Beyond the Thistlethorn" by Taverlee Shaw

Current Tags

hedgewitch, tinydragons, naturemagic, yafantasy, witches, fairytail, folklore

Categories

Fantasy / Teen & Young Adult

Affiliate Link

Beyond the Thistlethorn

Author's Description

A bright and charming magical fantasy about a young witch sent to the wild and magical Kingdom of Kittlewick to become the new Hedgewitch. A magical romp with tiny dragons, opinionated imps, suspicious elves and one very determined Hedgewitch!

Why I Chose it

This starts with a tiny dragon (unsuccessfully) stalking a bird on the slate roof of the girls' school where the main character lives, and it's just a nice touch that won me over despite being designated a prologue.

[6 episodes so far, with 6 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

The cute & likability factors are off the scale -- you should check this out!

Unrelated Griping

Today I saw a post from someone whose story is in the top 25 and I think she's spending over $500 per month on Facebook to achieve that. I guess it makes sense, but I worry that indie publishing margins are just going to keep dropping as it becomes a requirement to keep dumping that kind of money into advertising.

The thing is, if the Vella interface were improved, with better searching and categories that niched down to the level that would be useful for someone looking for a new story to read, it would be possible for Vella readers to go to Vella to find something to read. As it is now, all the readers are being drawn in directly from some external site to one story by the author, which isn't really building the platform.

"The Forest of Bone" by Elaine Isaak

Current Tags

epic fantasy, shapeshifters, magic, angry gods, animals, alchemy, secondary world

Categories

Fantasy / Action & Adventure

Affiliate Link

The Forest of Bone

Author's Description

Treacherous gods, shapeshifting spies, and a new threat rising from the waves. When the high alchemist's wolf clan lover chooses his family over her, a single spiteful act suggests the bones of their world rise from dangerous ground. Eager to atone and to defend her unborn child Sorcha convinces the lord of the rat-shifters to aid her in a quest for redemption that may shatter lives and foul the very source of the magic that binds them. New episodes twice weekly! Mon/Fri (or more)

Why I Chose it

There is some really rich world building going on here, and the author is skillfully balancing on the line between giving the reader just enough information and dangling immensely cool concepts just out of reach.

[4 episodes so far, with 4 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Anyone who enjoys secondary world fantasy should dive into this!

Unrelated Griping

For a company that started by selling books, Amazon is weirdly ignorant about everything related to authors when it comes to Vella. There's no way to list more than one author on a story, there aren't author pages or any way to give people more information, and the author name isn't even linked to other stories by the same author.

But this also means the author field has descended into complete anarchy, so it's kind of funny. People are making up all sorts of crap. Since there aren't many ways to get information about a story without multiple clicks (BECAUSE THE VELLA USER INTERFACE IS SO FREAKING TERRIBLE, GAH!), the author names have become the entrails by which it is possible to foretell the quality.

Someone who puts numbers in their name? Probably going to write like a teenage boy.

Someone who just uses the first initial of their surname? Total lack of imagination and professionalism.

Someone with obvious typos in their name? Very likely to quit the story after two episodes.

"Defender in Stone: A Gargoyle Romance" by Diana Nelson

Current Tags

paranormal, gargoyle romance, romance, paranormal romance, supernatural, fantasy, love

Categories

Paranormal / Romance

Affiliate Link

Defender in Stone: A Gargoyle Romance

Author's Description

Aideen was considered to be one of the most powerful magic wielders of her generation. She only had one problem now. Her power was beginning to fail, with madness or death being the two outcomes that awaited her. She only found solace when she was near her sleeping gargoyle, but he no longer sleeps. New episodes every Tuesday + Saturday

Why I Chose it

The first paragraph, which is the first time the not-quite-alive gargoyle meets the girl (and also the first time he's been awake for hundreds of years) was interesting enough to pull me in.

[37 episodes so far, with 8 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Paranormal romance readers should check this one out!

Unrelated Griping

I ran across a story today which was a diary of someone who was convinced that if they repeated some mantra, good things would come. Each entry talking about the things the mantra had brought them.

So... standard unhinged ramblings of someone who doesn't understand bias, but the interesting part was each entry had links to YouTube. One of the things that has been so frustrating for authors in Vella is they don't want any links in the author notes that direct people away from Amazon. For other serial platforms, having communication between the author and readers is a big part of it, but that doesn't exist on Vella and they make it hard to even direct readers someplace else for that conversation. But there they were -- a whole bunch of links inside the story. I'm not sure if the Vella rules have changed, or if this is an anomaly.

"Endless Dungeon" by James Maxey

Current Tags

dungeon, undead, witch, teen protagonist, fantasy, adventure, magic

Categories

Fantasy / Action & Adventure

Affiliate Link

Endless Dungeon

Author's Description

Sower, Reaper, Maker, Taker. Four convicts thrown into the Alldark, a worldwide dungeon carved by monsters who prey upon the cities of men. Will any see the light of day again? Sower: Harvest Farland, priestess, heretic. Reaper: Clover Farland, sworn to kill heretics... including his daughter, Harvest. Maker: Galena Siderite, blacksmith, witch, traitor. Taker: Robin Merchant, a thief desperate to return to the woman he loves, if he can escape the Endless Dungeon!

Why I Chose it

My search word today was: thief

The writing on this one is pretty solid and the characters are well-defined. This one falls into the category of "stories I'm pretty sure are going to live up to what they promise", which is a good thing to be.

[29 episodes so far, with 4 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Are you a D&D fan? You're quite likely to enjoy this!

Unrelated Griping

I did my usual scan of the the newly arrived stories (or at least, the stories that Vella shows as new, which might not be the same thing), and four of them were published under different names but had the same exact 1 sentence = 1 paragraph structure. And this wasn't the copy/paste formatting glitch. It's as if someone was convinced that each sentence had to be a separate paragraph. I'm pretty sure all four were written by the same person. If not, there's weird advice floating around the internet somewhere...

"Bad Bad Witch (Book One of the Evilly Ever After series)" by KD Quinn

Current Tags

romantic comedy, reverse harem, witches, paranormal romance, why choose, slow burn, kd quinn

Categories

Romance / Paranormal

Affiliate Link

Bad Bad Witch

Author's Description

I was destined to be an evil witch. Everything was on track. I was going to marry my handsome best friend Warwick. Attend Hemlock's Academy For Malevolent Magic after high school, and live Evilly Ever After. Then I hit puberty. Every hex I cast did good instead of evil. Warwick abandoned me. I was bullied. And that was before I accidentally summoned a disgusting lavender colored unicorn named Walter to be my familiar. I'm bad at being bad. Reverse Harem Romantic Comedy Evilly Ever After 1

Why I Chose it

I may have said something about probably never reviewing a reverse harem story when I started this blog (no judgement! It's just not my thing!), but the reversal of the usual in this one made me laugh. And the idea of an embarrassing unicorn familiar is pure gold.

[5 episodes so far, with 5 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Reverse harem with a fun setup -- maybe that's your thing?

Unrelated Griping

I checked out eight stories today before finding the one I reviewed. (That's actually on the low side of my average -- some days I begin to despair.) One story sounded like it was going to be a winner, but it started off with a long description of a dead cat. If you're an author, maybe think twice about that sort of thing because if that's the very first paragraph, you're likely to lose most cat owners and there are a lot of us.

"A People's History of Magic: in which six extremely average misfits attempt to save the world" by Kendra Griffin

Current Tags

science fantasy, adventure comedy, urban fantasy, magic, quirky, time travel

Categories

Fantasy / Science Fiction

Affiliate Link

A People's History of Magic: in which six extremely average misfits attempt to save the world

Author's Description

Dempsey Talis never planned to study magic through an interdimensional satellite campus. But when he returns to college after twenty years, he becomes a test subject for "Metaquantum Physics for Earthlings 101." And this ain't Hogwarts. South Philly CC offers no house elves, no steaming mugs of cider, no never-ending supply of anything but unanswered questions. Dempsey and his band of merry misfits don't even have wands. So they'll be fighting intergalactic archenemies with... their wits?

Why I Chose it

There are clear nods to Douglas Adams in the first episode, and for once, I think they're justified. Also, the sibling relationship set up at the beginning rings so true that I want to stop and analyze how the author pulled it off. Very impressive.

[7 episodes so far, with 7 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

If you're a Douglas Adams fan, or just a fan of really well drawn characters with a touch of absurd humor, check this out! I think you'll like it.

Unrelated Griping

Saw a story with one of the keywords set to "denger" so that's going to be my new codeword. I'm assuming it was supposed to be danger, but as a keyword, that's probably not very useful either. So "denger" it is.

I also found a story with characters who were supposed to be Swiss and/or French, set in Switzerland, but written by someone who had never left the USA. I mean, it was as if a chunk of the US had been plopped down in the setting of The Sound of Music. Eggs were stored in the refrigerator, people were concerned about sick days and vacation, and somehow a Swiss woman and a French man had named their child "Daisy". It was so wrong that I almost kept reading. That last bit gives me hope that this author will come into her own when she uses a locale she knows something about.

"Run Away to Texas" by Seneca Fauls

Current Tags

love hate relationship, cowboy romance, contemporary romance, sexual attraction, slow burn, enemies to lovers, desire

Categories

Romance

Affiliate Link

Run Away to Texas

Author's Description

When Hank offers to help his new neighbor Hannah left a heavy bag at the local grocery store, he finds her ornery and standoffish. Hannah finds drop-dead georgeous Hank arrogant and conceited. After traveling the whole way from Boston to Texas by herself, she is not going accept any man's help. When she leaves the store headed in the wrong direction, Hank heads out to turn her around. But can he turn her stubborn heart and heal the hurt that brought her to Texas?

Why I Chose it

It's a cowboy romance, and you know exactly what you should be getting with this genre.

The blushing note from the author at the end of episode one says "While this story doesn't have gratuitous sex, you should be aware that, just like in life, the story does progress to that point", which I found both quaint and kind of hilarious. But it's possible I'm a lot more jaded than people who read a lot of cowboy romances.

[16 episodes so far, with 2 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

If you're into cowboy romances, this could be your catnip!

Unrelated Griping

Almost chose a different story, but while I was heavily invested in the first POV character, the third episode switched to a different character which lost me completely. That's always a danger with having multiple points of view.

"Letters To Clementine" by A. U. Laugesen

Current Tags

romance, love, mystery, regency, historical romance, regency romance

Categories

Historical Fiction / Romance

Affiliate Link

Letters To Clementine

Author's Description

After leaving her beautiful home and her darling and most beloved cousin, Clementine, in British India, Miriam embarks on a journey to England whilst writing dutifully to her dear cousin of her misadventures. In the midst of unraveling a decades old family mystery, Miriam makes friends, falls in love and learns more than she ever bargained for.

Why I Chose it

I'm a fan of epistolary novels, and I'm also a fan of scenes of dinner parties where half the people are politely rude to the other half. This hits both categories. Is it historically plausible? I have no idea. But at least it's not so obviously implausible that I roll my eyes.

[17 episodes so far, with 3 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Fans of fun regency romances in epistolary form will love this!

Unrelated Griping

This came up recently on a podcast I was listening to, but it's worth repeating: if you start in the middle of an action sequence, you still need to give the reader a reason to care about whether the character wins or loses. Otherwise, it's like reading notes for the fight choreographer, and who wants to invest time in that?

"An Undying Throne" by Yomii Super Workshops

Current Tags

science fiction, artificial intelligence, military, cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic

Categories

Science Fiction / Thriller

Affiliate Link

An Undying Throne

Author's Description

When a Grave-Robber discovers a mysterious signal beneath the ashen wastelands of the old corporate zone, he embarks on a quest to claim the Tyrants' ancient war-treasure for himself. But, as he delves deeper into the past, he finds himself trapped in a game from which there may be no escape.

Why I Chose it

Within the first few paragraphs there are at least five questions that I want to know the answers to. That's always a good sign of things to come.

[10 episodes so far, with 10 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Who wouldn't want to read well-written atmospheric cyberpunk? Check it out!

Unrelated Griping

There are two parts to this gripe. Kindle formatting is pretty limited, and the upload process has at least two unnecessary button clicks per episode (which seems like it shouldn't be a big thing, but if you're loading 20 episodes, it just adds to the pain). I always load the episode from a .docx file (which requires clicking on a button to say yes, I'm sure I want to wipe out the currently empty text in the box).

However, if you copy and paste into the box, it seems to have problems with some line endings, and it adds paragraph breaks at the end of every 80 characters. So half the problem is the way the GUI works.

But... Having said that, if you are an author and load a story to Vella -- click on the preview button the first few times you load episodes. Because I can guarantee many (most?) people are going to skip yours purely due to every paragraph being a line and a half, and find a story that doesn't require them to reformat it all in their head.

(This is sort of the opposite of the "avoid the wall of text" rule.)

"Santa's Naughty List (An Erotic Holiday Story)" by LEE MAE

Current Tags

erotic fantasy, holiday erotic, bdsm, fantasy romance, dark romance, erotica thriller, christmas erotica

Categories

Erotica / Romance

Affiliate Link

Santa's Naughty List (An Erotic Holiday Story)

Author's Description

Mrs. Claus has cheated on Santa & he's determined not to wallow in his sorrows. Frustrated, he brushes the dust off of his weight-bench, uses a little Christmas magic, & gets SWOL. This season Kris Kringle will be paying a visit to some of the wicked adults on his Naughty List - filling their stockings, handing out spankings, & showing no mercy. An erotic tongue-in-cheek Christmas story featuring a sexy Santa, horny elves, and some very kinky fantasies shipped directly from the North Pole.

Why I Chose it

How could I see this and not check it out? And friends, this lives up to its premise. Hot, hilarious and very, very wrong.

[7 episodes so far, with 7 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Ruin all your future thoughts of Christmas in the funniest possible way!

Unrelated Griping

Not a gripe, but a funny thing -- in the novella I wrote under another pen name, in the author notes on episode one, I said that episode ten was my favorite. Episode ten has twice as many reads as the others. It's a good thing that story doesn't have a complicated plot or character development.

"Chimera" by Marley Lynn

Current Tags

young adult, romance, fantasy, angels and demons, thriller, supernatural, humor

Categories

Teen & Young Adult / Paranormal

Affiliate Link

Chimera

Author's Description

Kahlua has always felt like she didn't belong-but never knew how right she was. Her mother's sudden disappearance means that she must take her place among a cabal of demon fighters, and paranormal activity in their rural town takes a violent turn. Kahlua's presence incenses the spirits and no one knows why. With a vicious underworld hound released to sniff her out, and dark voices calling for her to join them, Kahlua has to question her attraction to the dark-and the true identity of her father.

Why I Chose it

Solid writing with enough grounding details to make me ignore the fact that the protagonist is in high school. (That last bit isn't a complaint about the story -- I just don't read YA because who the heck wants to relive the hell of being in high school?) Nice hints of humor as well!

[10 episodes so far, with 10 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Anyone who enjoys paranormal YA should jump on this!

Unrelated Griping

I'm in the middle of NaNoWriMo, so no real griping today. I mean, Vella still has a terrible user interface, but that hasn't changed.

"Bond of Two" by A. C. Sparks

Current Tags

adult, fantasy, vampire, fae, magic

Categories

Fantasy / Romance

Affiliate Link

Bond of Two

Author's Description

"Put this on." He pulled a ring out of his trench pocket. It was beautiful. A delicate red gem seated on a dark green band with intricately woven vines and leaves. "Yea, I'm gonna have to politely say no." Cora is a human. Bribed with riches, she's stuck with an Icicle who insists she remain by his side until he can 'break a bond', or whatever. Snow is not a human. He wants peace. But the universe held different plans, all in spite of him, resulting in the human occupying his domain.

Why I Chose it

Honestly, I have no idea what the exact setup for this story is (although from the cover image, it looks like it might be part of a series, so other readers might know more), but it starts with a character who is stuck with a crappy job. Then things start to go very wrong (in a "did I accidentally ingest hallucinogens" sort of way) and she is saved by a stranger.

Where this story gets me onboard is that a) the main character is trying really hard to just hold it together and pretend there's nothing wrong, and b) when the stranger tells her to come with him, she has a sensible reaction (ie, she tells him to take a hike). Then she gets magically abducted anyhow, but at least I'm not slamming my forehead with one hand about a character being too stupid to live.

[10 episodes so far, with 10 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Magic, romance, and smart, relatable characters -- why wouldn't you check this out?

Unrelated Griping

The guy with the last initial has loaded another 7-episode story. Why do his stories stay on the "Recently Added Stories" section for a week at a time? I need an Amazon insider to tell me the details.

"Knife's Edge, Alaska" by Rebecca Zanetti

Current Tags

romantic suspense, action and adventure, suspense, paranormal, paranormal romance, mystery, band of brothers

Categories

Romance / Paranormal

Affiliate Link

Knife's Edge, Alaska

Author's Description

Season One -- DEAD OF WINTER When Agent Olivia Spilazi is sent to the wilds of Alaska to investigate unsolved murders, she immediately puts the sexy Brock Osprey on the suspect list, considering his background and training. But the man can kiss! Brock Osprey missed a town meeting and was elected sheriff, but he has no intention of filling the role. Except that's the only way he can stay near the pretty city-girl and protect her from the surrounding dangers even he doesn't understand.

Why I Chose it

I worry that I might be making people afraid to fly since this is the second serial I've reviewed this week where the protagonist is in a small plane in the middle of nowhere. But I don't think this plane crashes. At least, it doesn't in the first episode.

Anyhow, we have an isolated region of Alaska, a competent main character sent to investigate murders, and a hot guy who may not be a great pilot but is still her best bet. The setup is interesting and there's a lot to delve into.

[7 episodes so far, with 7 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Paranormal romance + mystery in a wintry setting? Yes, you know you want to read this.

Unrelated Griping

Every new Kindle Vella reader gets 200 tokens free, but I found out today that a friend of mine burned through the 200 tokens and Amazon gave him another 300 free. This is the first I've heard of it. Since Amazon is paying authors for the free tokens anyhow, it doesn't matter to me, but... how does a company this large do such a terrible roll-out?

"Dark Family Secrets" by Hoyt Hallford

Current Tags

dark comedy, humor, supernatural, female protagonist, vampire, paranormal romance

Categories

Paranormal / Humor

Affiliate Link

Dark Family Secrets

Author's Description

Betsy Dark is 87 years old. She cooks BBQ, helps her neighbors, and, two years ago, became a vampire. A 400 year-old vampire thinks Betsy is his long-dead granddaughter. His presence in Shermer, Oklahoma, sends Betsy and Sheriff Ralph to hunt for what happened to Betsy's grandmother back in the 1880s. This dark comedy, vampire thriller, historical romance, is like a combination of Garrison Keillor and Anne Rice. Betsy fired up the grill. Come on in, always room for one more at Betsy's table.

Why I Chose it

It might be cheating to pick this one since it has a "Top Faved" icon next to it, but I'm allowed to change the rules on my own blog, right?

Anyhow, this story has a great voice, and with the main character an 87-year-old woman who was recently turned into a vampire, it's a fun read.

[20 episodes so far, with 9 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Folksy vampire story with a mystery plot. Does that combination intrigue you? It should!

Unrelated Griping

Someone has their relationship self-help book under the "Romance" category. Luckily, the title is so clinical I can't imagine anyone would open it expecting fiction with a happily ever after, but... oof.

"Note by Note" by Stella Ann George

Current Tags

romance, mystery, romantic suspense, strong heroine, billionaire, contemporary romance, adventure

Categories

Romance / Mystery

Affiliate Link

Note by Note

Author's Description

When the plane billionaire Finn Cooper is piloting crashes, an independent, capable woman leaves him questioning all he thought he knew about love. A fateful flight from Sydney to Tasmania turns music teacher Jessica Turner's world upside down. In a search for answers about their mysterious circumstances, Finn and Jessica find themselves in a dangerous world neither of them could have imagined. Staying one step ahead of deadly outside forces makes falling in love a little ... complicated.

Why I Chose it

Okay, so we all know that in real life I'd be rooting for whoever was trying to kill the billionaire because someone with that much money is a leech on the ass of society...

<deep breath>

... but if you ignore that tiny real-world-problem, this has a fun setup. Episode one starts in the middle of things -- the plane has crashed and Jessica finds herself on a deserted mountain with an injured stranger and no way to call for help. And he's super hot. More importantly, this story has some plot happening.

(As additional incentive, the author is highlighting other Kindle Vella stories on her blog and I like to reward that sort of thing.)

[43 episodes so far, with 8 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

How about an action/adventure story with a billionaire romance thrown in?

Unrelated Griping

Okay, a little more about the guy using his (common) first name and last initial that I mentioned yesterday: All nine stories have exactly seven episodes.

It really makes me wonder if someone figured out how to maximize the monthly bonus.

"This Dreamer" by Sara Watterson

Current Tags

fantasy romance, adventure, love, just kisses, young adult, romance, action and adventure

Categories

Fantasy / Teen & Young Adult

Affiliate Link

This Dreamer

Author's Description

Is the life of one intriguing mortal worth the end to a millennium of dreams? When Evie, an immortal Watcher turned reluctant assassin, falls in love with her intended target, Adan the Dreamer, is it worth the cost to prevent his untimely end?

Why I Chose it

Strong writing. In fact, the writing was strong enough to get past my dislike of YA, so kudos to the author.

[6 episodes so far, with 6 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

YA fantasy with well-written characters and an intriguing premise -- is that for you?

Unrelated Griping

There's one guy who has dumped at least five (possibly more) novels on Vella. I'm guessing he knows how bad they are because he's only using the first letter of his last name for his pen name (and his first name is very common).

I'm torn between wanting to say 'hey, either you think they're good enough to publish under a real name' and 'might as well get that bonus money while Amazon is passing it out'. Maybe I'm just jealous because his stories have sat on the new release section for weeks and mine showed up and disappeared after two days. I just need to get over it already.

"The Seven Blind Dates: A Dating Disasters Fairytale Retelling" by Sophie Masters

Current Tags

fairytale, good girl, good girl gone wild, dating in your 30s, plus size heroes, curvy heroine, fairytale retelling

Categories

Romance

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The Seven Blind Dates: A Dating Disasters Fairytale Retelling

Author's Description

The Seven Blind Dates is a fairytale retelling inspired by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Lily White's two best friends send her on a seven-date online dating adventure. She must complete all the first dates before deciding if she wants to see anyone again. From hilarious moments that will have you laughing out loud, to dirty talk that's so hot you'll need to read it sitting in front of a fan, Lily shares what it's like to date in your 30s. In the end, will she find her happily ever after?

Why I Chose it

I liked the premise and the characters in the first episode seem likable.

[11 episodes so far, with 8 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

If you're in the mood for a series of contemporary erotic/romantic/disastrous encounters, this might be the story for you!

Unrelated Griping

When I was trying out a bunch of stories yesterday, there was one with an interesting story. Unfortunately, halfway through the first episode, it switched from first person to third person. So... clearly some editing is needed. And honestly, I might keep reading but with an error like that I'm not going to recommend it to others.

If this were a different app, there would be some private way to contact the author so you could say "hey, I really liked your story but you have this unfortunate error in the first episode", but this is Vella where they're pretty much against feedback. Yes, I could mention it in a public review, but that just seems kind of rude.

"4 Bullets and a Ghost - Season One" by Melissa Banczak

Current Tags

cozy murder mystery, paranormal mystery, ghosts, mystery, murder, detective, crime

Categories

Mystery / Humor

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4 Bullets and a Ghost

Author's Description

"Jack you're dead." "Doesn't mean we can't talk." "I thought it did." Private Detective Finley Wade works alone. Or she did, until she started talking to ghosts. Now her mentor has decided to rejoin the firm. Three days after his death. Their first case together? Solving his murder.

Why I Chose it

I'm a sucker for a story with inconvenient ghosts. Scary spirits aren't my thing, but a ghost of someone you know who just won't go away and stay dead? Add in some humor and I'm there!

[27 episodes so far, with 4 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

You know you're a fan of a funny PI and the ghost of her partner!

Unrelated Griping

Lest anyone thing all the shady shenanigans are on Kindle Vella...

I'm pretty sure I've identified a money laundering scam using the ebook retailers. And friends, the fact that I can find something like that does not bode well for their scam remaining hidden for long. Let that be a lesson to you -- if you are laundering money using expensive ebooks with word salad inside, don't buy so many copies that they rise to the top of a competitive genre, or somebody will notice.

"Dragon Freehold" by T.M. Baumgartner

Current Tags

dragon, magic, thief, adventure, romance, fantasy, slow burn

Categories

Fantasy / Action & Adventure

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Dragon Freehold

Author's Description

In Harbor Crag, dragon magic protects the city, and the greedy duke controls the dragons. Lisette climbs the tower with a perfect plan: steal the duke's money to pay her shop's taxes. But a second thief complicates everything, plunging her into the dragon warren. Bargaining with the dragon could end Lisette's life, or save them all. As Lisette races to finish her quest, she gets unexpected help (and a little attention!) from the mysterious thief. New episodes every Tuesday & Friday!

Why I Chose it

I'm cheating a bit today by picking one of my own stories, but I'm currently hosting a virtual NaNoWriMo write-in and I don't have the energy to search through what's available.

But honestly, I really love this story! It has a watchmaker who gets stuck helping a grumpy dragon when all she's trying to do is make things better for her community. And she's falling for a thief, who may also be a mage -- and everyone knows mages are trouble. Plus, someone has chained the dragons...

[34 episodes so far, with 9 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Are you a fan of high fantasy with underdogs trying not to fall in love? And dragons? This could be your thing!

Unrelated Griping

I don't mean to accuse anyone of gaming the system, but there's some dude who has dumped at least six novels on Vella that are really low quality. None of the stories have more than one or two thumbs-up (and most have none, which as I mentioned before, is usually a really bad sign).

Yet somehow today at least two of his stories have crowns indicating they've been faved.

I call bullshit.

"Love, War, & Serialized Fiction" by Jessica Erin

Current Tags

romantic comedy, romance, drama, humor, enemies to lovers, contemporary romance, jessica erin

Categories

Romance / Humor

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"Love, War, & Serialized Fiction"

Author's Description

After sweet romance author Peyton gets bumped out of the top five on the serial fiction platform, Zella, @authorjacobstoll becomes her arch-nemesis. To distract herself the night before the Zella conference, she ends up in a handsome stranger's bed. The last thing she expects is for him to be in the presentation room the next morning. Even worse, he's @authorjacobstoll, and now she can't escape him for the entire weekend. Team-building or writing prompts anyone? *Click my tag for more stories!

Why I Chose it

This is possibly the best example I've ever seen in my life of someone knowing their audience. Because the biggest audience of Vella by far is other Vella authors. So here's a romcom with all the in jokes other Vella authors can enjoy. It's a naked grab for audience and I'm only mad I didn't think of it first.

[6 episodes so far, with 6 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

A serial firmly aimed at romance readers writing serials.

Unrelated Griping

Oops, Vella was down for a few hours today. It boggles the mind that a company with the resources of Amazon could have that happen, but there you go.

"Tooth and Claw Academy" by R.C. Barnes

Current Tags

mythical monsters, dragons, vampires, diverse, female lead, mystery, urban fantasy

Categories

Teen & Young Adult / Fantasy

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Tooth and Claw Academy

Author's Description

Gina Rosario is the new transfer student at the highly competitive Towne and Covington Academy. Gina is secretly there to uncover private information for one of the school's benefactors. But what seems like a simple stealth assignment turns into something far more nefarious and dangerous. Towne and Covington is not your ordinary elite academy. There are monsters walking the hallways and skulking in the shadows, and they look just like teenagers.

Why I Chose it

The carrot & stick sequence that gets the main character involved in the plot in the first episode is a masterful example of how to get the reader on board.

[10 episodes so far, with 1 updates in the last 30 days.]

Who Might Like This

Urban fantasy in an academy setting -- what's not to love?

Unrelated Griping

This might be general life advice, but it also applies to Vella: never include "foot" or "shoe" in your search terms. (Unless you have a foot fetish, of course. Then you should use that in all of your search terms.) I mean, I've written my share of tentacle porn, but the foot fetish people? They're way out there.

Update: My new story (published six days ago) finally showed up in the "Recently Added Stories" section. It's good to have data.