The Nevermore Casefiles

 

Now on Kindle Vella

Amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0C75TJKQS

Season 1: The Devil You Know

Life in the big city is dangerous. Especially in Nevermore.

About the Book

A broken down psychic investigator, a Homeland Security agent, a professor of magic, and a scared half-demon kid are thrust into a battle with the forces of Hell.

An HSI raid on an illegal artifact trafficking ring goes sideways, leaving several agents dead and one in critical condition. A magic wielding assassin is tying up loose ends. It’s up to psychic investigator Jake Foster to find out who or what is behind it. Once he sobers up.

About the Setting

In 21st Century America, post-Millennials are called the Magic Generation. Thanks to viral videos, social media, and the 24-hour news cycle,, society has had a full generation to accept the fact that magic is real, as are creatures of myth and folklore. Ten years ago, an event called the Surge amplified magic to a level not seen in our world in millennia, bringing with it thousands of Fae from across the Veil.

Nevermore is a neighborhood near downtown Baltimore, Maryland. The two square mile area marked by the home and grave site of Edgar Allen Poe is occupied predominantly by Fae; elves, dwarves, nymphs, and all manner of Otherrealmers who choose to live on our side of the Veil.

But the dark side of the supernatural is also very real. Our once irrational fear of monsters lurking in the shadows can no longer be dismissed. Vampires and werewolves live out in the open. And demons are no longer confined to our nightmares.

Start Reading: amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B0C75TJKQS

About the Platform

Kindle Vella (amazon.com/kindle-vella) is an interesting new way to read stories. Even shorter than novellas, fans can read stories in bite sized chunks of 600-5,000 words at a time. It's perfect for the generation raised on Instagram, and for those of us who developed adult ADHD and wish we read more.

Here's how it works. The first three episodes of any given series are free. That's about a chapter. Then if you like what you see, you purchase tokens to unlock more episodes. Good news -- Amazon gives you free credits just for signing up. Prices vary based on the length of the episode. Bottom line is you'd probably end up spending like $6 for an average length novel. Not too shabby really.

I supposedly get half of that, but I read that the math works out closer to a third in the end with their free token giveaways.

Navigation feels a bit random. You can't even combine multiple keywords into a single search to narrow down your browsing (yet?). But like just like your Kindle library, suggestions will pop based on what you like and follow. The more likes and follows I get, the more likely I am to appear at the top of various lists.

I'm giving this a shot because it seems like a great way to connect with the audience as they witness my process in action, and garner beta-reader type feedback. It's definitely improved my editing process already.

The first Nevermore Casefiles book will include two "seasons" worth of episodes. When that's wrapped up, I'll give it a proper cover, likely a more polished edit, and publish as a complete novel.