OVERVIEW:
Donovan DeChance is a collector of ancient manuscripts and books, a practicing mage, and a private investigator. When, despite the finest in natural and supernatural security, a sexy and well-loved, three hundred year old lady vampire is kidnapped right out from under her lover’s nose, Donovan is called in to investigate.
He soon finds that there is much more to the case than a simple abduction when an unknown intruder invades his home and steals a very rare, very ancient manuscript. There will be no ransom for the kidnap victim, and if Donovan doesn’t prevent an ancient, forbidden ritual from reaching its culmination, far more than a single vampire’s undead existence will be at stake.
Calling on his lover and partner, Amethyst, and an odd assortment of contacts, informants, and connections, Donovan follows the ghostly trail of the kidnapper through a winding maze of intrigue-always a step behind-through magical battles, murders, and confrontations with a rogue band of young vampires intent on beating Donovan at his own game.
Vintage Soul is a dark urban supernatural mystery with a hint of romance. Set in an underground society, a city within the city of San Valencez, California, it opens portals to the unknown darkness that surrounds us. Fast-paced, strewn with clues, investigation, and magic, this is a book sure to slake the appetites of fans of mystery and the supernatural.
The Book.io NFT edition will feature a large number of unique covers. Some will be 1:1 (Unique) and others there will be only a few copies of. They are broken into “themes” that represent parts of the story. For Vintage Soul, here are the themes, and why, along with one sneak peek cover from each.
THE CHURCH
Novels, unlike stories, have multiple plot lines. In Vintage Soul, as he seeks answers to the kidnapping that is the main plot, Donovan becomes aware of a dangerous ritual that is being performed in an abandoned cathedral on the edge of San Valencez, California’s barrio. This scene is important because it creates a partnership and bond that is not only important to this novel, but to the rest of the DeChance Chronicles. The ritual is being performed by a shaggy, half-trained mage using substitute ingredients. It goes… badly.
THE LABYRINTH
In all of the Donovan DeChanche novels, he travels through a series of tunnels that intersect with other places, times, and worlds. They allow him to find his way across the country very quickly, but offer the significant danger of dropping him somewhere unexpected. Entering The Labyrinth is only possible at certain places, and only if you know a particular pattern of steps. Later on in the series, these paths allow me to introcude Edgar Allan Poe as a character.
THE CREW
The vampire who was kidnapped has sired others. Among them is a cocky young vampire named Vein. He has his own “crew” – mostly including Bruno, an older vampire, and Kali – who gets her own story told in Kali’s Tale, Book 4. Vein doesn’t trust Donovan to solve the kidnapping, and interferes with the investigation several times… these are fun characters you’ll learn move of as the books move on. They are introduced in this novel.
THE RESCUE
Without spoilers I can’t give away too much here, and these themes are ALL out of order. Every novel has its climax, and this theme celebrates that. You’ll find Donovan, Ther Crew, and Amethyst, who plays a big part in the novel, but has not been featured too heavily in any cover theme except “The Toast.” And yes… there are dragons.
THE PARTY
This is the very beginning of the book. The Party takes place in the home of a very old vampire named Johndrow. His lover of several centuries is Vanessa. There are a lot of other undead at the party, as well as a few members of other groups. Johndrow has an amazing bar and the central theme is liquor and wine that has been infused with a drop of blood. From famous, powerful, important people. One is Byron, for instance… he shares these vintage bottles rarely…
THE SPELL
This is the final climax, where secrets are revealed, heroes lay it on the line, and magic is heavy in the air. Absolutely nothing I can reveal here without spoilers, but here you will find the tie-in to the other theme, “The Church”. I seriously love this book,
THE VICTIM
She may not look it on most of the covers, but Vanessa, the kidnap victim, is over 300 years old. She has appeared many ways to many mortals. These covers show a variety of visions that may, or may not match what you see in your mind as you read, or what I saw when I wrote, but she is the central theme.
THE TOAST
I won’t spoil anything with this, but – again – this is a scene that is important to all the rest of the books in the series. I am dying to have a new group of readers make their way to this moment, and beyond. Sometimes it’s not the flavor of a drink, but the vintage.
ASMODEUS
Mayb one of my favorite characters in the series, Asmodeus is introduced in Vintage Soul. Donovan already has a familiar, Cleo, the Egyptian Mau – but much like in my own life, creatures find their way to him. Mo is integral to this story, and a staple of the series… and a hero. These are the rarest covers in this mint.
Welcome to my worlds. I hope you read, I hope you fall in love… and remember, ad Joan Collins so famously said, “Age is just a number, unless of course you happen to be a bottle of wine…”