"Barfly on the Wall: A meteoric misadventure into Seattle bartending" by Fred Moody

Current Tags

bartending, seattlehistoryandculture, anthonybourdain, millennialsandboomers, restaurantindustry, drinking, boomandbust

Categories

Non-Fiction

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Barfly on the Wall: A meteoric misadventure into Seattle bartending

Author's Description

What was intended to be a lighthearted part-time job turned instead into an unexpectedly deep dive into a microcosm of a rapidly changing Seattle and into the lives and troubles of countless people, young and old. The little tapestry of stories taking form around me (most notably those of my coworkers, almost all of whom were Millennials) soon began amounting to a narrative about an eye-opening voyage of discovery into versions and visions of Seattle that I'd never known existed.

Why I Chose it

I decided to find something outside my normal parameters today. (No, still not reverse harem. I just... I can't.)

When I think of non-fiction, I think of computer manuals and self-help books. The idea of serializing those makes me want to run for the hills. But this one actually makes a lot of sense -- the author tells stories about customers he's run across as a bartender. It's definitely not sweetness and light, but a serial might be the perfect format for this.

[64 episodes so far, with 0 updates in the last 30 days -- again, maybe this is complete, but even if it isn't, the episodic format is such that you won't be left without a conclusion.]

Who Might Like This

Have you ever heard a bartender tell stories about their customers? This is the best of all worlds -- you don't have to deal with the abusive drunks, but you still get the interesting stuff.

Unrelated Griping

My advice for authors getting into Vella (besides the usual "get someone to look for typos" and "please, I beg of you, don't put an infodump in the first episode!") is to pay attention to how long your paragraphs are. Brevity is your friend in the 50 character column world. A wall of text with no break will lose me faster than "As you know, Bob" dialog.

Yes, this is in response to at least one story I looked at today. It might have been interesting, but my brain bailed the minute I brought up the first episode.

"Bergamot Investigations" by Jonathan Aarons

Current Tags

detective, whodunnit, thriller, compelling, hard to put down, funny, murder

Categories

Mystery / Humor

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Bergamot Investigations

Author's Description

Abraham Bergamot is a middle-aged curmudgeon who's difficult just to even be around. But his ability as a P.I. is second-to-none. So whether it's a high-end art heist, a murder at a renowned estate, or even a vandalism spree inside an elementary school, Bergamot is sure to get to the bottom of things. And maybe he'll finally give his assistant a raise. If you like your mystery with a healthy dollop of humor, Bergamot Investigations is now open for business.

Why I Chose it

I rarely see classic mystery stories these days. You know the ones -- the detective is a little quirky, he sees the one thing out of place the minute he gets to the scene, and the guilty party confesses one page later. They really only work as short stories because the quirky detective gets irritating if given too much space on the page.

This serial runs with that. Bergamot isn't necessarily someone you would want to be immersed in a 300-page book with, but he's just charming enough to enjoy in a short story. The plots are exactly what you would expect if you've read classic mystery short stories, so everything works.

[17 episodes so far, with 0 updates in the last 30 days -- even if it isn't complete (and maybe it is, I can't tell), these seem to be a series of stories told in a few episodes each, so it shouldn't leave you hanging.]

Who Might Like This

If you're a fan of classic mystery stories, especially short stories with a recurring character who sees the one clue that solves the puzzle immediately, give this one a try. 

Unrelated Griping

I went through about fifteen stories today before I found this one. I almost settled on another story an author had advertised in another group, but it only had 5 episodes and it hadn't been updated in the last month. So I kept looking. There are a lot of abandoned stories out there. Be warned.

"Crimson Steel" by L.P.M. Sinclair

Current Tags

sword and sorcery, monster hunter, magic, enemies to lovers, fated mates, fantasy romance, female protagonist

Categories

Fantasy / Romance

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Crimson Steel

Author's Description

Mera has spent her life doing three things- killing monsters, drinking beer, and avoiding men. That is, until she meets a wizard who asks her to guide him through the Wilds of Estenla, the largest swath of monster-infested land on the continent. Tensin has charm, a mission, and magic as strange as his manners. Tradition paints Crimson Steel hunters and Wizards as enemies, but something about him makes her stony heart race. Which will ruin her life first, the monsters or her feelings?

Why I Chose it

This is a fun read! I'd call it a guilty pleasure, but there's no point in feeling guilty about what you like to read. Enjoy the heck out of it when you can find it!

In the first episode we meet Mera, a Crimson Steel hunter who is a bit a lot rough around the edges. She is hired by Tensin, a wizard who wants to go study things in the wilds for a year. Wizards and Crimson Steel don't play nicely together, but he hires her to keep him alive.

I'm a sucker for a good enemies to lovers story, and this looks promising.

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

Who Might Like This

This is fantasy romance at its most fun! Go read it!

Unrelated Griping

No real griping again today. I passed on one story because it wobbled a bit at the beginning and then fell over with a multi-page info dump via dialog.

I passed on another because it had a non-con warning and that's not the thing for me -- thank you for that label and may you find your audience elsewhere!

"Ocean of Dreams: An Epic Portal Fantasy" by Rebecca Ehrick

Current Tags

romance, found family, epic fantasy, magitech, portal fantasy, lgbt, fantasy

Categories

Fantasy / Action & Adventure

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Ocean of Dreams: An Epic Portal Fantasy

Author's Description

Esar tried to forget about his prophetic dreams, but he can no longer ignore his nightmares. Adrin, a budding engineer, dreamed of building weapons to vanquish monsters before he was called to become heir to the throne. And Naomi's quest to discover her origins has taken her further than she ever dreamed...into another world. Connected by their dreams, they must find a way to avert the disaster that Esar foresees and uncover the foes who threaten to tear them apart. Updates Sun, Tues & Thurs.

Why I Chose it

This one showed up in a Facebook group specifically for Vella SF/F authors, on a post allowing self-promotion. I know not all the entries will be good, but so far I'm two for two.

Excellent writing in this one, with really strong characterization. Don't let the first episode being a prologue put you off. It's not an info dump. The author does an excellent job of world building in the first two episodes.

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

Who Might Like This

Are you interested in a portal fantasy with a strong characters and hints of exciting things to come? Check it out!

Unrelated Griping

Honestly, I have no griping today. This was the first story I looked at, and it was really good!

"The Museum" by Cherry Stark

Current Tags

femaleprotagonist, sci-fi_fantasy, adventure, history, magic, sci-fi, magical artifact

Categories

Science Fiction / Fantasy

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The Museum

Author's Description

Magic is real. People just don't like to talk about it. As far as humans have discovered, magic isn't confined just the realm of fairies, elves, and werewolves. There is so much more. If you want to get away with robbery, use D.B. Cooper's parachute. The only drawback is that you will disappear completely after using it. Need a protective shield, try a Romanov egg. All of these items and more are stored in the museum to be studied and protected until they are safe to be shared with the world.

Why I Chose it

This one showed up in a Facebook group specifically for authors to talk about their Vella stories, so I guess at least one person (me) looks at stuff there.

Strong Warehouse 13 meets Chuck vibes here, and that's a doubly good thing as far as I'm concerned. In the first episode the main character, Jamie, is working as an intern in a magical museum. She touches the one thing she's not supposed to touch (oops!) and gets a magical download of information. Fun stuff!

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

Who Might Like This

Did I mention the Warehouse 13 x Chuck part? I think if you're a fan of either of those, or The Librarians, this will be a good fit. Check it out!

Unrelated Griping

In the Facebook group mentioned above, there is another author who has dropped links for their stories multiple times, and for the life of me, I can't decide if they were written by someone who hasn't got a good grasp of grammar/POV/structure, or if it's an experiment in letting an AI write serials. Either way, it doesn't work.

"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.

"Guardian of Talons and Snares (The Zheninghai Chronicles)" by Anastasis Faith

Current Tags

romance, fantasy, magic, enemies to lovers, highfantasy, female protagonist, young adult

Categories

Fantasy / Romance

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Guardian of Talons and Snares (The Zheninghai Chronicles)

Author's Description

After years of relentless training, Sun Aranya has finally earned her position as a city deputy. All she wants is a stable job so she can care for her ailing grandfather. When she arrives on her first day to discover that an annoyingly handsome stranger is laying claim to her position, she’s determined to fight for her place. She doesn’t care if Shi Kai’s magic is stronger, or that he harbors lethal secrets. She will win their competition.

But mysteries abound, and not just those surrounding her rival. Soon, Aranya finds herself paired with Kai on a secret mission. People are disappearing across the empire without a trace—and it’s up to them to discover their fate.

Can Aranya and Kai see past their rivalry to save their empire? Or will Kai’s secrets come back to destroy them all?

Why I Chose it

This is good fun! Aranya shows up and finds out they've mistakenly sent two wardens for training where they only need one -- and she's the second one to show up. The stakes are immediate, the setting is clear, and even by the end of episode one, it's clear there is trouble brewing in the background.

[25 episodes available so far, with 9 updates in the last 30 days. Also, this serial is part of the "Romantic Fantasy on Kindle Vella" BookFunnel promo along with Dragon Freehold.]

Who Might Like This

Who doesn't like a good enemies-to-lovers story? If you're into high fantasy with a kick-ass heroine, this might be the one for you!