The object shimmered.

To Cross, it looked like a cylindrical fabric of reality: a Wave-Scroll.

The impossibly textured parchment continually unfurled and re-furled itself, displaying text that shifted between known languages and impossible, fourth-dimensional glyphs.

On its flickering surface, the Wave-Scroll displayed a list of contents like cosmic law:

Two complete web novels, one ebook, two read-alongs, a pair of Lorebooks...

… and a total value of a ludicrous $109.96.

Celestial light filters down from the description, and the soft sound of singing echoes from flickering images and fixed lines of text that read:

Michael Martin's

VAUDEVERSE SAGA
Act I: Starter Pack

$109.96

$27

Michael Martin's

VAUDEVERSE SAGA
Act I: Starter Pack

$109.96

$27

The price was its protective seal, but the contents were Cross's demise.

It pulsed with a deadly, quiet certainty, signaling the beginning of the end of his story.

“Annihilation,” Cross whispered, clenching his fists until his ruach crackled.

It wasn’t the agonizing, painful fading of Second Death—this was far worse. This was the tidy, clean erasure of a resolved character arc.

He raised his weapon, a revolver known as the Peacemaker, ready to obliterate the artifact before its logic could devour him.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, don’t.”

The voice, calm and utterly exasperated, belonged to The Raven.

She materialized in a swirl of dark angelic feathers as she sauntered toward the anomaly. “You’re about to destroy the most critical piece of cosmic architecture we have, just because you think it’s a glorified Master-brand suicide bomb.”

The Raven circled the shimmering package. “It’s a collapsed wave function, Cross. All of Act I—Burn in Hades, Plot Device, the whole miserable, beautiful arc—it’s resolved here. Perfect, finite, and complete.”

She tapped the scroll with a long, elegant finger. “If you read the full contents, your conscious Ruach instantly perceives its own pre-written narrative. You become a Lorebook entry with no purpose left to fulfill. Total, clean Annihilation. It’s the ultimate narrative trap laid by The Author.”

“Then I have to burn it!” Cross said. “It’s a poison calabash for the Vaudeverse saga! We will not be a resolved plot!”

A sound like a thousand velvet curtains being opened simultaneously announced the arrival of Michael Martin, the author.

He was immaculate, a floating arbiter in a coat tailored from starlight and tweed. He held a small, glowing plot device and gave a delighted, casual wave.

“Actually, that’s where the fun begins,” he said, fluttering down between them. “It’s not a poison calabash for you. It’s a gateway for the uninitiated.”

Michael ran a hand over the Wave-Scroll. “This is a Vaudeverse Saga Act I: Starter Pack. It’s a perfect, resolved little box of story. And on the other side of this fourth wall—this $27 price seal—sits a new reader.”

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “They’ve never seen my version of the Underworld. They have no idea what a Ruach even is. And they definitely don’t know the difference between Second Death and Annihilation. They haven’t felt your heartache, Cross. They’re standing at the threshold, full of curiosity, and they are the only person who can safely interact with this artifact.”

Cross finally lowered his Peacemaker, his expression a storm of confusion and dawning, terrifying realization. “The price… the Starter Pack… It’s not a narrative end. It’s an invitation.”

“Precisely!” Michael said. “It’s their first, affordable, consequence-free step across the threshold into my private community, the Vaudrium. If they fall in love with the stories and the people, they open the door for Act II. They generate the curiosity and the momentum that keep the Vaudeverse saga from fading out forever. Your continuation, Cross, is dependent on their first real adventure.”

Cross stared at the shimmering Wave-Scroll, then slowly, deliberately, turned his head.

He didn’t look at The Raven or Michael.

He looked directly out of your screen, past the lines of text, into the eyes of the person reading this right now.

His voice, ragged and urgent, cut through the fourth wall.

“You. The one reading this. The one on the other side of the $27 seal. My story, my fate… It’s all in this package. Burn in Hades. Plot Device. The read-alongs. The Lorebooks. The secrets of the Vaudeverse saga that keep this reality from dissolving.”

He held out his hand, reaching past the dimensions.

“Don’t let my story end here. The Raven says you have the power to collapse this wave function into something new and save us all from being a finished product. You want an adventure? You want to know what happens in Act II? The first step is right here.”

“Take it.”

What You Get with The Vaudeverse Saga Act I: Starter Pack...

Your First Step Across The Fourth Wall.

$27—One-Time Purchase. No Subscription. No Auto-Renew.

Not everyone who voyages is on the same Hero’s journey.

Some of us cross the threshold.

Some of us test the waters.

Both ways are valid.

So, if you’ve never read the Vaudeverse before, that’s perfect.

Every character arc starts with Act I.

And your adventure starts with this audacious horde:

THE BURN IN HADES COMPLETE SET

(Total Value: $54.98)

Burn in Hades (10th Anniversary Edition) eBook: The complete ebook that set the fantasy world ablaze a decade ago. ($19.99 value).

Burn In Hades Read-Along: The complete web novel, chapters delivered daily. (This is usually a $25-$50/month members-only subscription as part of the Explorer/Voyager tiers, but you get it here, full stop.)

Burn In Hades Lorebook: Entries provide additional but nonessential information about topics of interest in the world of Burn In Hades ($9.99 value)

THE PLOT DEVICE COMPLETE COMPANION SET

(Total Value: $54.98 )

Plot Device: A Burn In Hades Companion Web Novel: A story that mind-bends the rules of reality and storytelling. ($19.99 Value).

Plot Device Read-Along: Chapters delivered daily (Another $25-$50/month subscription you’re getting on the house.)

Plot Device Lorebook: Dive into the quirky intricacies of the Vaudeverse itself. ($9.99 Value).

Total value: a ludicrous $109.96.

All yours for just...
27 bucks
.
No expiry.

Meet Michael Martin,
Your Host & Infinity Principal

I never set out to be a writer. “Published author” was never on my roadmap.

My life used to be a whirlwind of technical and engineering pursuits. I even worked on cruise ships for four years, which is the epitome of being a “professional fun-haver.” It was a cool gig, but there was a story brewing in my head that wouldn’t stay quiet.

The idea for this series of fantasy novels popped into my head waaaaaaayyyyy back in 2004, a full five years before I finally started working on it.

And now I have this soul-deep, can’t-sleep, gotta-get-it-out-or-I’ll-literally-combust need to bring this sprawling, fantastical saga to life.

It turns out writing isn’t just a passion for me; It’s my wonderfully unhinged life mission. It’s how I maintain my sanity and do work that feels genuine and exhilarating.

For me, creativity is a lifeline. When I’m not actively creating, I can feel a part of myself start to wither. And after decades of working in career fields that crushed my creative spirit, I realized that creative expression is as essential to me as breathing.

But I’m not some literary genius churning out trendy tropes. I’m a self-proclaimed “professional fun-haver” who’s building a world that demands to be written.

Your Ideal Entry Point into the Vaudeverse Saga

The Vaudeverse Saga is the series title for a set of fantasy novels by me, Michael Martin.

And I’m warning you now … forget everything you think you know about fantasy.

Seriously, grab that rulebook you’ve been clinging to, set it on fire, and then use the ashes to draw a map to your next adventure.

Because the Vaudeverse Saga isn’t your average series. It’s a brazen act of creative defiance.

I don’t write these stories for the masses, and frankly, I don’t write for average people.

I write for you—the person who craves a genre-bending, brain-tickling vibe that’s less of a tidy package and more of a captivating, exhilarating ride.

You’re about to be plunged into a high-octane adventure bursting with magic and mind-bending concepts.

We’re talking about intricate, plot-driven stories with a whirlwind of events and shocking twists that will keep you guessing.

You’ll follow courageous, complex characters who are driven by conflicting motivations and a willingness to make sacrifices.

And while they do get their hands dirty with a whole lot of brutal action in blockbuster set-pieces, my characters aren’t just punching their way to the resolution.

I mean, let’s be real … they do be doing that sometimes.

But their journeys are also grounded in a raw, emotional sincerity. Among the epic battles, you’ll also explore the quiet, vulnerable moments as you watch these noble heroes find compassion and earnestness, even when darkness threatens to consume everything.

The series offers glimpses of hopefulness as heroes triumph over evil, proving that hope can shine even in the most shadowed corners.

However, it doesn’t shy away from ambiguity or morally gray characters who challenge our ideas of right and wrong.

This saga is a vibrant, off-kilter world built on monumental ideas and bizarre twists. It’s a universe where indifferent deities watch over mortals and cosmic horror lurks just around the corner, waiting to make you question everything you thought you knew.

Vaudeverse is a world where the ancient ancestor of all monsters might just be found sharing secrets with the nine-year-old daughter of a Great Goddess …

Where “interconnected” doesn’t just mean character cameos—it means extinction-level events and grand team-ups woven into a saga of cosmic proportions.

You’ll venture through fantastical realms so vividly described that you’ll swear you’ve smelled the sulfur and felt the dense, crackling air. You’ll encounter outlandish animalistic monsters and biblically accurate angels, all while finding solace in the company of adorable pets and the cozy, mundane comfort of a bakery that sits at the center of the universe.

This is a world designed to pleasantly surprise you, challenge you, and draw you deeper into its wondrous mysteries, because a good story should make you think.

Oh, my friend … This is a mood.

A whole glorious, genre-bending, brain-tickling, monster-punching, bakery-frequenting vibe.

This is an invitation to a transformative experience designed to challenge your perceptions and leave you with a profound intellectual and emotional impact.

These stories are born from a place of personal truth and creative risk, rejecting mainstream trends and algorithmic approvals to offer something genuinely original and uncategorizable.

I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

But I never compromise on my integrity or vision. I write with intention, choosing meaning over ease and depth over noise. It’s an act of quiet rebellion.

I believe stories are more than products. They’re a portal to something authentic and resonant. Storytelling is the soul of culture, and I inject my soul into every word.

Sometimes my stories even feel less like something I’m inventing and more like a memory of events that already happened, and it’s my job to get it all down before it’s lost to the aether.

Ultimately, I call myself a “professional fun-haver” because that’s what spending time in the Vaudeverse feels like.

It’s a joy, a privilege, and a wild ride, and I’m so incredibly glad you’re here to share it with me. I hope you love these stories as much as I enjoy writing them.

So, if you’re ready to step into a world where the weird is celebrated and the boundaries are blurred, if you’re ready for a shared adventure with a community that’s a sanctuary from digital noise, then hold on tight.

The stakes are high, the action is non-stop, and the emotions hit hard.

Congratulations, you’ve just stumbled upon your next rabbit hole.

Here's all the Nitty Gritty details you could possibly wonder...

BURN IN HADES

(10th Anniversary Edition)

A decade ago, Burn In Hades set the fantasy genre ablaze with its wild blend of mythologies and unforgettable journey through the Underworld.

To mark ten years of this wild, soul-flaying ride, the brand-new Anniversary Edition is here, packed with exciting new enhancements.

Join us in celebrating this milestone and dive into the fiery chaos, because this is Burn In Hades like you’ve never experienced before.

Story Description

Flames writhe in the sky, whispering riddles. A dead man’s memories blaze brighter than his soul.

Cross, The Man Who Remembers, bears a festering bullet wound that throbs like a heartbeat when danger approaches, a remnant of his death as a former enslaved African in the American Old West. In a wild blend of Greek, Mayan, and African mythologies—an Underworld where time frays like a drunken deity’s fever dream and the blazing skies shift from red to black—he becomes the target of spirits yearning for the vibrant life he remembers.

Cross treks toward the stunning walled islands of Paradise to drink from the river Lethe, seeking to bury his haunted past. He’s guiding Cottontail, an ancient goddess trapped in the delicate form of a nine-year-old girl. But when a primal deity snatches her away, Cross teams up with the Raven, a stoic fallen angel sporting a trickster’s grin, to outsmart squalls, hodders, and the damned to retrieve divine chattel—relics imbued with god-slaying power. Diamond Tooth, his former demon partner, relentlessly pursues him, her century-long leash fueling a vendetta that makes his wound flare with every taunt.

If Cross can’t breach Paradise, Cottontail’s eternal spirit will confront the Underworld’s harshest entity, her ancient wisdom twisted in evil hands. Demons, devils, and the damned will hunt him forever or until they flay his memories from his soul. Despite this, his unwavering spirit fuels his fight. However, the waters of Lethe hold a frightening power, potentially washing away not just his torment; they could also erase the precious moments shared with Cottontail and each defiant victory, lost to a hollow nothingness.

In a realm where courage is a loaded taunt and redemption a perilous wager, Cross might just outwit eternity—or become its most peculiar phantom.

Celebrate a Decade of
Burn In Hades
with This Special 10th Anniversary Edition, Featuring:

The Author’s Preferred Text

Experience the story as I, the author, always envisioned it—revised and expanded to make the adventure meatier, juicier, and Fantasy-er.

A Brand-New Lorebook

Venture into the scorched depths of Cross’s underworld with the Burn In Hades lorebook.

This gritty compendium reveals the demons, cursed relics, and twisted hellhounds lurking in a realm of fire and betrayal.

With detailed (and spoiler-free!) character histories, bleak settings, and world-building that oozes danger, it’s a nonessential yet gripping peek into the dark stakes of the novel—perfect for those who thrive on the edge of damnation.

Two All-New Bonus Chapters

Uncover fresh secrets with two brand-new bonus chapters that expand the world and deepen the mystery.

And the journey doesn’t stop with the book! You’re invited to join me, the author, for an exclusive read-along experience in my private community, The Vaudrium, where we’ll explore the depths of the Underworld together!

PLOT DEVICE

(A Burn In Hades companion web novel)

Story Description

As Michael Martin, a scribe of Vaudeverse, abducts you and a group of strangers to a clandestine library full of towering bookcases, you find yourself drawn into a conversation about what aspects of a story would cause you to cancel a first date.

But what begins as a casual exchange quickly takes a thrilling turn as Michael unveils a secret piece of technology that can transport you into the reality of stories.

With the fate of fictional worlds hanging in the balance, you embark on an epic quest to save stories from extinction and unravel the mysteries of Vaudeverse—the realm where imagination comes to life.

But when Calliope and her team of hyperagents stand in your way, you realize that not everyone wants stories to survive. Some even aim to control the narrative and reality itself.

You and Michael must navigate the challenges of a world where imagination comes to life, while Calliope and her team pose a formidable obstacle to your mission to save stories from extinction.

Calliope and the hyperagents are relentless in their pursuit, threatening to erase Michael’s mind, turning him into another mindless hyperagent.

The plot device malfunctions, trapping you in a dangerous reality Michael inadvertently created, and villains from other stories escape into the real world, adding to the chaos and increasing the danger.

But if you and Michael cannot defeat Calliope and the hyperagents, creativity will plunge into a death spiral, leaving nothing but a void of stagnation, where stories go extinct faster than they are created.

👀 Yes, your eyes did not deceive you.

The blurb dares to mention me—Michael Martin, the author—in the third person because, yes, I’m guilty.

I committed the ultimate literary crime: I self-inserted an alter-ego version of myself as a character in the story.

Unforgivable! The sheer arrogance! I know, I know. It’s a wildly Michael move, but who says an author can’t be a minor plot device?

“Reddit commenters,” you say.

Oh, you mean, the internet’s professional outrage-artists…

Look, if Stephen King gets to show up and buy a beer in his own universe, I get to show up and complicate the narrative. The only thing more arrogant than self-insertion is pretending I’m sorry about it.

But here’s the thing: I haven’t crowned myself the Gary-Stu-ish hero of Plot Device! Oh, no. I’m just there to poke fun at myself and get things rolling. I knew I would get roasted for the self-insertion, so I made sure the self-insertion was worth the roast. Because I don’t take myself too seriously.

And I hope you don’t either. Because the true protagonist of Plot Device is you. Yes, you.

The entire Reddit-disapproved narrative is written in the second person, making you the core of the chaos.

We don’t just break the fourth wall, we invite you to live in it.

Unthinkable literary treason, right?

Can’t say I never told ya so. I’ve been warning you from the very beginning that this saga was unconventional.

Speaking of beginnings … Plot Device was intentionally engineered from its very atoms up to exist as a web novel experience—a format that allows for all its quirky narrative tricks and fourth-wall shattering madness.

That means it will never, ever be turned into an ebook or, heaven forbid, a respectable block of printed paper you could accidentally spill tea on.

It’s a nonconformist text that only lives inside our private fortress, The Vaudrium—because some secrets are just too astounding for the general public. You simply won’t find this singular weirdness anywhere else.

Now, here’s where the vastness of the Vaudeverse plot structure comes into play: Plot Device is a stand-alone story (you can read it without getting lost, I promise!), but its storyline runs deliciously parallel to the events of Burn In Hades.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to read both, but trust me, when these two separate worlds actually crash into each other in moments so mind-bending, you’ll realize just how intricately crafted and sweeping this whole saga really is.

It’s a dual narrative packed with shocking twists!

And that’s why I’ve since retired Plot Device to my private community, The Vaudrium, which is now the only place it’s available.

You have to join the madness to get the lore. No shortcuts to understanding true absurdity.

Come join the club of astounding rebels if you want to know all the secrets and get all the inside jokes.

You also get an exclusive members-only Lorebook

Dive into the wild multiversal chaos of Vaudeverse with the Plot Device lorebook.

This guide unravels the Vaudrium’s eccentric scribes, the hypergents’ reality-warping tech, and a multiverse-hopping “plot device” that ties it all together.

Packed with character backstories, cosmic settings, and bizarre creatures, it’s a fourth-wall-smashing companion to Michael Martin’s tales—optional, but oh-so-addictive for readers ready to play a part in the story.

Read the entire Vaudeverse saga with fellow readers

Upon slingshotting into The Vaudrium, I immediately hand you the keys to the kingdom.

That means Day One, the minute you’re in, you get Plot Device—the second-person, self-insert, aberrant web novel—and Burn In Hades, the fiery, monumental saga.

Oh, and because I’m not a monster, you get a clean, downloadable ebook of Burn In Hades for all your binge-reading needs.

Consider that your welcome stash of literary contraband.

But the real fun is the shared adventure of the read-alongs!

Each novel has its own private corner in the community where we move at a beautiful, measured pace: one chapter per day.

This isn’t just me being a total control freak; it’s a rebellious strategy! It’s the ultimate anti-fast-food-literature movement.

Tackling a colossal, intricately crafted novel can be intimidating. This pacing is designed to encourage you to slow the heck down, savor the language, engage deeply with the characters, and truly digest the intellectual depth of the Vaudeverse saga, turning an intimidatingly grand novel into a daily dose of delicious mystery.

The basic concept of a chapter-a-day read-along is simple:

You commit to reading a chapter a day, following the daily schedule as much as you are able.

As soon as you join, you’ll get to download the full ebook, so technically, you could cheat and read ahead if you want.

However, I encourage you NOT to cheat yourself out of the fulfilling reading experience I’ve prepared for you.

I provide updates, resources, and a space for discussion. These are friendly and enriching group reads of the stories I publish.

Think you’re late to the Party? Psh. No Such Thing.

I know what’s rattling around in that brain of yours. You’ve seen my emails, maybe glimpsed the captivating energy in The Vaudrium, and now the little voice of societal pressure—the one that insists you must follow a rigid schedule—is screaming:

“The read-alongs have already started! I’m way behind! I’ll open the discussion and instantly have the entire sprawling saga ruined by a rogue spoiler!”

If you really thought I’d design a world this unconventional and then force you to abide by some boring, linear, mainstream schedule, I’ve got GOOD news for you…

You’re neither late nor early. You’ve arrived precisely when I wanted you to, Gandalf.

My automated tech works behind the scenes to ensure you are only matched with other readers who have completed as much of the story as you have.

This means most comments and posts won’t contain significant spoilers.

See, no author designs a reading experience the way I do.

I’ve made sure that if you feel the urge, you can hop on this narrative train right now. Tomorrow. Next week. When you wake up at 3 AM with a craving for your Vaudeverse fix. It doesn’t matter.

This read-along is purposely evergreen.

I design stories to appeal deeply, rather than broadly, so why would I make the experience feel like a timed exam? That’s for fomo-driven social media algorithms, and we reject their mainstream pressures, remember?

So, ditch the “too late” guilt. Stop worrying about the calendar, trade the noise for an unconventional journey, and come find the friends who already get it.

Grab your Vaudeverse saga – Act I: Starter Pack, slingshot into the Vaudrium, and get ready for some meaningful engagement with a couple of stories that are waiting for you to catch up—at your own damn pace.

"But Michael ... why slog through a book so slowly if we can just binge it in a few hours and get it over with?"

Look, I’m not here to police your book consumption.

If you want to use my books as a coaster, that’s your prerogative (though my inner writer might weep a little).

But where’s the fun in that?

I mean … call me crazy … but I expect you to actually read my stories—not toss them onto the dreaded ‘To-Be-Read’ pile—because the journey is spectacular.

See, I’m not just slinging stories for the heck of it. I’m obsessively focused on designing the most awe-inspiring reading experience possible for the stories I publish.

I write with deep intention (because meaning over ease, remember?), and your experience has to match the sweeping, fantastical insanity of the Vaudeverse Saga.

That’s why I’ve concocted these private read-along experiences—a spirited rebellion against the whole ‘consume-and-forget’ binge-read complex.

This is where we slow down and actually savor the narrative’s profound coherence.

I mean … why settle for a plain-vanilla read when you could have a breathtaking odyssey?

And if you’re one of the quirky souls who ‘gets it,’ listen up: committing to just one chapter a day unlocks not one, not two, but three truly phenomenal perks that propel you right into the heart of the action:

1️⃣ Reading a book in a chapter a day is a great way to tackle an otherwise intimidating novel (And I’m offering you two dense, complex, immersive, world-building heavy stories).

Have you ever finished a book and realized you couldn’t quite recall the names of the minor characters, or even a detailed map of the world you just spent twenty hours in?

That frantic feeling of trying to power through your to-be-read (TBR) pile often leaves you feeling stressed and behind, rather than immersed and satisfied.

When we insist on blazing through pages as if there’s a stopwatch ticking beside you—time races by.

It spins out of control. Or at least, it feels like it does.

You reach the end of a chapter and can’t remember how you got there. You flip to the next and already feel behind, as if there’s some invisible finish line you’re failing to reach. And you end up worried about the next book instead of enjoying the current one.

We live in an age addicted to acceleration—faster meals, faster scrolling, faster goals, faster everything. All this hustle inevitably leads to anxiety, not enjoyment.

People today are riddled with stress, anxiety, distraction, discontent. And one of the biggest culprits is this collective refusal to slow down. When you’re always sprinting, even at rest, you feel like you’re falling behind.

But…

When you read slowly—suuuuuuuuuuuper sloooooooowly—something strange happens.

Time stops obeying the rules.

It doesn’t rush. It doesn’t crawl.

It streeeeeeeeeeeeeeetches.

It dissolves. It slips away. It becomes irrelevant.

When you read slowly enough, you’re not reading in time anymore—you’re reading outside it.

And that’s the secret no one talks about: the slower you go, the faster you arrive.

Because when you take your time, time itself vanishes.

And paradoxically, you absorb more. You remember more. You feel more.

The story seeps into you rather than just skimming the surface of your attention.

2️⃣ Another benefit of slowing down is encouraging savoring of a book’s language, characters, and events, and engaging more deeply with the words on the page.

For fantasy readers, this technique is a game-changer. That world-building magic, those intricate plots, the slow-burn character development—they are meant to be savored.

Reading fast can be useful. I’m not against it. Some books invite you to race through them.

But when you slow the train down—really slow it down—you start to notice things:

The shadows between the sentences.
The pulse of emotion behind a single word.
The rhythm of breath between paragraphs.
The life within the language itself.

In that slowness, you rediscover what reading was meant to be: not an escape from time, but an expansion of it.

By dedicating yourself to a slow chapter, you connect with the characters on a deeper level, notice foreshadowing and lore you would have otherwise skimmed, and actually live in the story for a brief, perfect period.

This simple act of slowing down leads to wholeness. You trade worry for wonder, and anxiety for actual literary absorption.

The story—and you—finally have room to breathe.

The goal isn’t just to finish the book; it’s to experience it fully. When you step off the treadmill of hurried reading, you gain not only better comprehension but also a sense of peace.

You might find that when you slow down, time feels as if it doesn’t even exist, leaving you richer for the experience.

3️⃣ Another vital element of the chapter-a-day read-along is the community.

Reading can be a solitary act—just you, the page, and the private cinema of your imagination—but when you read with others, that solitude transforms.

The story becomes a shared space, a living conversation. Suddenly you’re not just reading a book; you’re reading together.

Every comment, every message, every “wait, did anyone else catch that??” adds another layer to the experience. What one person notices, another might miss. What one person feels deeply, another might help put into words.

It’s a collective discovery.

Each reader creates their own world in and beyond the story. No two imaginations ever build the same scene. Even if we’re all reading the same sentence, we each bring our own history, our own memories, our own secret meanings to it.

That’s what makes a community read-along so magical. You start to see the story refracted through dozens of different imaginations—and in that kaleidoscope, your own understanding deepens.

The book begins to give back more than you expected.

Because the more you ask of a book—the more you think about it, question it, live with it, talk about it—the more it reveals. The story grows in proportion to your curiosity.

Reading alone can be wonderful. But reading together?

That’s when the story starts to breathe. That’s when it stops being words on a page and becomes a shared world we build together, one chapter, one thought, one spark at a time.

But no pressure. You’re under no obligation to connect with anyone. The read-along is totally optional.

You can read Burn In Hades without ever interacting with our community if that’s your choice.

If you prefer to choose your own rhythm, your Starter Pack purchase includes a free copy of the ebook version that you may download for offline/binge reading.

And if you ever get behind or race ahead, no worries. Life happens.

One of the beautiful things about a chapter-a-day read-along is that if you miss a few days, it’s relatively easy to catch up. Each chapter typically takes only about 20-40 minutes to read.

Plus, you can orbit the community in silence for as long as you wish.

We respect what you want to put in and take away from the experience and will warmly welcome you inside if you change your mind and decide to start posting.

👥 Buddy-Up With Another Member (Optional)

Buddy-Up is precisely what it sounds like—the chance to read along with one or more other members.

Our Buddy-Up system in the Vaudrium allows you to connect with another member who has made the same progress as you.

Having a reading buddy means you get a second, different perspective that makes you reflect on things that you might otherwise never have considered while reading! 

Just as no two people will have shared the same experiences in their lives, no two people will interpret one and the same book completely identically.

Through your buddy’s eyes, you’re suddenly forced to pay attention to possibilities and details that you never even noticed, and it will make the reading experience so much more interesting!

Besides, sometimes it just helps to have two people looking for clues when trying to come up with brilliant theories. Particularly when you and your buddy are both absolute geniuses at finding and remembering information…

And what book nerd doesn’t love trying to guess plot twists way in advance? Who wouldn’t try to come up with lots of theories while reading?

It’s so satisfying!

But just like the read-along, matching up with a buddy is totally optional.

Ready to Plunge into the Vaudeverse Saga?

Because, my dear reader, the adventure doesn’t just stop on the page!

The only way to get your hands on this super-spicy, newly revised, and expanded 10th Anniversary Edition of Burn In Hades—complete with my preferred text, a brand-new lorebook that spills all the secrets of demons and twisted hellhounds, and two all-new bonus chapters—is by joining my exclusive private community, The Vaudrium!

That’s right, voyager! This isn’t just a book; it’s an invitation to a secret society of readers!

Imagine reading a chapter a day, savoring every single word, and doing it alongside other fantastic humans who are just as obsessed with fantastical worlds as you are!

No spoilers allowed, because our clever tech keeps you matched with readers at your pace! And if you’re feeling extra brave, you can even buddy up with another Vaudrium member to unearth brilliant theories and guess plot twists together!

(Because who doesn’t love being a genius at finding clues, right?!)

So, if you’re ready to dive into the fiery chaos like never before, if you crave a community that celebrates every twisted turn and defiant victory, if you want to join a read-along experience that will bring the Underworld to life like never before and get access to a trove of glorious member-only bonuses…

Click the button below to discover how to unlock the gates of The Vaudrium and snag your copy of the Burn In Hades 10th Anniversary Edition, Plot Device, and all the wickedly awesome perks that come with being a Vaudrium member!

Don’t just stand there staring into the abyss! Your journey through the Underworld awaits, but only when you join the party!

Your Adventure Begins in
3… 2… 1…

So, What Happens the Second You Hit That "Starter Pack" Button?

You’ve decided to take the leap! Amazing!

Here’s the play-by-play of how you’ll go from curious visitor to a full-fledged member of our cozy rebellion.

It’s easier than escaping a fire-breathing elephant, I promise.

1️⃣ Your First Step: The Secure Portal.

Clicking the “Starter Pack” button will teleport you to our secure checkout page, guarded by the powerful and trustworthy mages at Stripe. Your details are safer than a dragon’s favorite gold coin.

2️⃣ Your Second Step: The Magic Words.

Once you complete your purchase, the Vaudrium’s messenger owls (which look suspiciously like emails) will fly directly to your inbox with your secret login credentials.

3️⃣ Your Final Step: Welcome to the Weird…

With your new magic words ready to be cast, you’ll head to our private clubhouse (vaudrium.vaudeverse.com), log in, and officially step into the wonderful chaos. You’re in!

Your Grand Entrance & Welcome Wagon

The moment you cross the threshold, a few magical things will happen to help you plant your flag and find your footing:

Your Origin Story

You’ll get a quirky questionnaire (don’t worry—it’s just 3 questions) that cleverly becomes your first post in our “Introduce Yourself” channel. No awkward first-day jitters, just a perfect way to craft a grand entrance and tell us what kind of adventurer you are.

Create Your Character

You’ll be prompted to build out your member profile. Go wild. This is your Vaudrium identity!

A Note from the Infinity Principal

You’ll get a pre-recorded (but heartfelt!) welcome message directly from me, Michael Martin. (I’ll say hi for real later!).

Your Quest Map

Another email will land in your inbox with a friendly guide to help you explore all the nooks and crannies of The Vaudrium.

The Rules of Our Rebellion

You’ll get to see our community guidelines. They’re simple, designed to keep this place the wonderful, troll-free sanctuary it is.

Grab Your Vaudeverse Saga Act:I Starter Pack

Your First Step Across the Fourth Wall. $27—One-Time Purchase. No Subscription. No Auto-Renew.

ACT I: STARTER PACK
$
27
/ one-time purchase
THE BURN IN HADES COMPLETE SET:
Burn in Hades (10th Anniversary Edition) (The complete ebook — a value of $19.99)
Burn In Hades Read-Along (The complete web novel, chapters delivered daily — usually a members-only $50 monthly subscription)
Burn In Hades Lorebook (Entries provide additional but nonessential information about topics of interest in the world of Burn In Hades — a value of $9.99)
THE PLOT DEVICE COMPETE COMPANION SET:
Plot Device (A Burn In Hades companion web novel — a value of $19.99)
Plot Device Read-Along (Chapters delivered daily — usually a members-only $50 monthly subscription)
Plot Device Lorebook (Entries provide additional but nonessential information about topics of interest in the world of Vaudeverse — a value of $9.99)
Total value: $109.96
All yours for just 27 bucks
Bonus: New releases become available for non-subscribers to purchase à la carte at least ONE month (or sometimes longer) AFTER the book’s launch day.