"Pandora's Legacy" by Jen Sequel

Current Tags

mythology, magic, supernatural, horror, mythological creatures, mystery, fantasy thriller

Categories

Fantasy / Teen & Young Adult

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Pandora's Legacy

Author's Description

The hardest task Crystal thought she would undertake her senior year was completing college applications. When she accidentally unleashes dangerous creatures only read about in stories & legends, she soon discovers that she is somehow bonded to them. When the death toll rises and the lives of her friends and family are put in danger, she realizes she needs to do something to help stop the chaos. As she races to find a solution, she uncovers a family secret that was forgotten for centuries.

Why I Chose it

Horror usually isn't my thing, so you know this has to be really gripping to get me to read three episodes!

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

Who Might Like This

Anyone who enjoys suspenseful writing with a touch of mythological horror should check this out!

Unrelated Griping

No griping today! I've been busy writing the next novel in my Jackpot Drift series, so I haven't had much time to look at serials for the last few days.

"It Came at Night: A Horror/Suspense Short Story" by DK Herman

Current Tags

horror, monsters, halloween, suspense, scary story, sassy heroine

Categories

Paranormal / Thriller

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It Came at Night: A Horror/Suspense Short Story

Author's Description

Something terrifying is visiting Olivia Walsh's home. It clings to the darkness. It smells of things deep in the earth. And it comes at night.

Why I Chose it

I'm not a big horror reader, but I wanted to find something seasonal so I searched on "Halloween" and found this. A lot of horror depends on character cut-outs who are just there to act so stupidly that the reader doesn't mind when they get eaten by a monster. But right from the start of episode one in this story, we have an interesting character (and a dog!) who I'm rooting for.

(And I checked -- the dog is still alive at the beginning of the last episode, which seems to be wrapping things up in the aftermath. I'm a big believer in making sure the pets survive before getting into a story.)

[11 episodes so far, with 11 updates in the last 30 days. (I think this is finished, which makes it perfect for a Halloween binge.)]

Who Might Like This

Looking for horror that makes your skin tingle? Check this out!

Unrelated Griping

Why do people load stories that have between one and three episodes? I'm sure most of them were meant to be longer and have just been abandoned, but some of them seem to be deliberate. The first three episodes of every story are free, so... Perhaps I am ascribing financial motivations when I shouldn't. Or maybe people are taking the word "story" a little too literally.

Update: My new story (published two days ago) still isn't showing up in the "Recently Added Stories" section. Is that just a subsection of the new stories? I wish Vella was more transparent about how they do things.

"Fracked" by Maureen Driscoll

Current Tags

demons, romance, humor, horror, paranormal romance

Categories

Paranormal / Mystery

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Fracked

Author's Description

When fracking opens up a portal to hell, the only people standing in the way of Earth's destruction are the residents of an over-55 community in the California desert.

Why I Chose it

I tried to find a mystery story that wasn't just someone's novel broken up to fit the format, and ran across this. How can you not check out a story with that description?

From the author's note at the end of the first episode, it looks like this has been adapted from an unproduced television series, which makes sense -- it has a very visual feel to it. The writing is occasionally a little rough, but the plot seems to be going someplace. I don't have a great sense of the characters yet, but I don't dislike them either (and trust me, there's a line between funny and asshole that's pretty easy to cross for authors who aren't working to stay away from it).

[30 episodes, with 0 updates in the last 30 days but I think this one may be completed. Sure would be nice if there were some way to tell completed stories from the user interface Kindle Vella, ahem, but I'm sure Amazon is busy with other things.]

Who Might Like This

Demons rising up in the desert! Horror fans who love more visual fiction should check this out.

Unrelated Griping

[I'm adding this section just to have someplace to talk about all the stuff I looked at before settling on this story. Seriously. I deserve a freaking medal. Kindle Vella is going to fail hard if there's not an easier way to find what you're looking for. ]

I ran across a story today which had been updated once in the past 30 days and the title was something like "Great Works of Fiction For Discerning Customers, And To Hell With The Rest Of You". Bold strategy there, Mr. Author, insulting potential readers. Maybe it will work out for you. (See also the line between funny and asshole mentioned above. This one crosses it, at least for me.) I checked out the first episode and... I'll be nice and just say it could use some editing.