“All that grows must decompose.” —Cletus J. Diggs. When Cletus J. Diggs gets a visit from his buddy Jasper and learns about the dead man sticking boot-first out of the fishing hole, he has no idea what it will lead to. How could he? Old Mill is famous for a lot of things, good fishing, barbecue, over-sized satellite dishes and disappearing beer; it is not known for genetic research, ancient rituals, or alien abduction. From the moment Cletus and Sheriff Bob drag the corpse from the fishing hole to the final moments of terror, the action is non-stop, tense, and filled with surprises. Between the Reverend Dozier and his church, the swamp witch, the albino twins, and the local lodge’s well-hidden secrets, the strange events in Old Mill, NC are pretty much out of control. Only Cletus, ordained minister, common law attorney, journalist, private investigator and jack of all trades can draw together the people and resources necessary to set things right. The question is, can he do it before it’s too late? This special digital Edition includes the short story "The Not Quite Right Reverend Cletus J. Diggs & The Fruit of Another Vine," as well as interior illustrations by Zach McCain AND by the author, David Niall Wilson. Also included is the author's introduction to "The Not Quite Right Reverend Cletus J. Diggs & The Crazy Case of Foreman James," as well as an excerpt from that novel!

Foreman James has always walked the streets of Old Mill, North Carolina, standing tall on street corners and booming his "story" to the world. Not many know where he comes from, or where he goes - no one knows the whole story. When an old, hand-written journal Foreman has carried since childhood goes missing, his carefully preserved world begins to crumble, and Old Mill takes notice. When Cletus J. Diggs' buddy Jasper drops by to tell him how the crazy man was accosting pedestrians on the street, nearly got picked up by the sheriff, and drew the attention of one of the most powerful, and potentially evil men in ten country miles, Jarrod Pope, Cletus is interested. You see, Cletus found a book that day - a very old book - and it has bits and pieces of a very personal, very dark mystery tucked into its weathered pages. Can Cletus, investigator, common-law lawyer, journalist, ordained minister and self-taught jack of all trades unravel that mystery despite the years that separate him from it before something very bad happens? Will Jasper ever get to go fishing? Will Foreman get his book back - and just what happened, decades in the past, when the old peanut oil factory burned down - the Day Jarrod Pope was a hero? Find out in the pages of The Crazy Case of Foreman James - the second Cletus J. Diggs supernatural mystery. Welcome to Old Mill.

Donovan DeChance is a collector of ancient manuscripts and books, a practicing mage, and a private investigator. This Omnibus Collection includes books I, II, III, and IV of the series. Included are Heart of a Dragon, Vintage Soul, My Soul to Keep (The Origin story of Donovan DeChance) and Kali's Tale - book IV of the series. Also included are the bonus novellas "The Not Quite Right Reverend Cletus J. Diggs & The Currently Accepted Habits of Nature," and "The Preacher's Marsh," both of which provide background on settings and characters that appear in Kali's Tale. If you enjoy this book, you should read Nevermore, A Novel of Love, Loss & Edgar Allan Poe, which follows on Kali's Tale, has a cameo from Donovan DeChance, and leads into Book V - A Midnight Dreary, currently in progress. Heart of a Dragon: When a local houngan begins meddling with powers she may not be able to control, a turf war breaks out between the Dragons motorcycle club and the Los Escorpiones street gang—a war that threatens to open portals between worlds and destroy the city in the process. With his lover, Amethyst, his familiar, Cleo – an Egyptian Mau the size of a small bobcat –the dubious aid of a Mexican sorcerer named Martinez and the budding gifts of a young artist named Salvatore, DeChance begins a race against time, magic, and almost certain death. Vintage Soul: 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. 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. My Soul to Keep: Donovan DeChance is a very private man, and he is in love. When he invites his partner and lover, Amethyst, for a quiet dinner, she has no idea of his true intention. Donovan has planned a sharing - a vision that will give her the keys to his early life - the origins of his power - and a lot more than she bargained for. Join young Donovan as he fights to keep his soul, save a town, and learn the roots of his teacher and guardian - and meet his familiar, Cleo. Kali's Tale: When Donovan is asked to follow in secret as a hot-headed group of young vampires set out on a 'blood quest' to kill the ancient who created the young vampire Kali against her will, he learns that - as usual - there is a lot more to the story than meets the eye. Through the juke joints of Beale Street in Memphis, to the depths of The Great Dismal Swamp, Donovan and his lover and partner, Amethyst, find themselves drawn along on one of the strangest quests in their long, enigmatic lives as they delve into the world of the undead, the magic of The Blues, and the very heart of alchemy both to protect their young, vampiric charges - and to prevent an ancient evil from destroying the balance of power in the universe. This novel directly crosses over to the original series O.C.L.T. - where Donovan is a sometimes consultant. It features appearances by Geoffrey Bullfinch and Rebecca York, O.C.L.T. agents, as well as Old Mill, North Carolina's own Cletus J. Diggs.

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. Welcome to the darkness; welcome to The DeChance Chronicles.

Donovan DeChance is a collector of ancient manuscripts and books, a practicing mage, and a private investigator. He is also a very private man, and he is in love. When he invites his partner and lover, Amethyst, for a quiet dinner, she has no idea of his true intention. Donovan has planned a sharing - a vision that will give her the keys to his early life - the origins of his power - and a lot more than she bargained for. The story leads to the town of Rookwood in 1842, an old wagon, a traveling charalatan, a cat, a horse, and a boy named Bones. It leads through the history of other stories, and back to Donovan's home, giving Amethyst, and fans of Donovan DeChance, a glimpse into the man, and his magic. Join young Donovan as he fights to keep his soul, save a town, and learn the roots of his teacher and guardian - and meet his familiar, Cleo. Magic, mayhem, and books - always the books. Welcome to the world of Donovan DeChance.

There are incidents and emergencies in the world that defy logical explanation, events that could be defined as supernatural, extraterrestrial, or simply otherworldly. Standard laws do not allow for such instances, nor are most officials or authorities trained to handle them. In recognition of these facts, one organization has been created that can. Assembled by a loose international coalition, their mission is to deal with these situations using diplomacy, guile, force, and strategy as necessary. They shield the rest of the world from their own actions, and clean up the messes left in their wake. They are our protection, our guide, our sword, and our voice, all rolled into one. They are O.C.L.T. Nothing is ever normal in Old Mill, NC, particularly when Cletus J. Diggs and his buddy Jasper decide to go fishing. When Jasper tells him two fishermen they know saw a dinosaur in The Great Dismal Swamp, Cletus is ready to chock it up to shadows and too much beer. When he and Jasper are out fishing themselves and find a bass boat jammed nose first into the bottom of the Perquimans River with nothing left of the other two men but a boot with a leg protruding from it and one big-assed track in the mud, things get serious. Joined by Geoffrey Bullfinch, Wendell "Mack" Macklemore, and Isabella Ferrara of the O.C.L.T., two genetic scientists with a strange story of hurricanes and DNA splicing, and a strange cast of others (including a very loud cockatiel)- Cletus has to solve the mystery of where the monster killing people in the swamp came from, where it's gone and find a way to stop it before it kills again. Unfortunately for the team, taking down a forty foot sixteen ton dinosaur no one believes in is no easy task, and the clock is ticking... This is the Fifth book in the O.C.L.T. series, following the novella "Brought to Light," By Aaron Rosenberg, the novel "The Parting," by David Niall Wilson, the novella "The Temple of Camazotz," also by David Niall Wilson, and the novel "Incursion," by Aaron Rosenberg (in which the existence of the O.C.L.T. as a cohesive unit is finalized). You can read more about the adventures of Cletus J. Diggs in "The Not Quite Right Reverend Cletus J. Diggs & The Currently Accepted Habits of Nature," and "The Not Quite Right Reverend Cletus J. Diggs & The Crazy Case of Foreman James." Coming soon from the O.C.L.T. - "The Noose Club," by David Bischoff (writing with David Niall Wilson).

Donovan DeChance is a collector of ancient manuscripts and books, a practicing mage, and a private investigator. Over the span of a long life, he has gathered and archived the largest occult library in the world. When a local houngan begins meddling with powers she may not be able to control, a turf war breaks out between the Dragons motorcycle club and the Los Escorpiones street gang—a war that threatens to open portals between worlds and destroy the city in the process. With his lover, Amethyst, his familiar, Cleo – an Egyptian Mau the size of a small bobcat –the dubious aid of a Mexican sorcerer named Martinez and the budding gifts of a young artist named Salvatore, DeChance begins a race against time, magic, and almost certain death. The fate of the city rests on his success, and on the rare talent of a boy who walks in two worlds, and dreams of dragons

Donovan DeChance is a practicing mage, book collector, private investigator, and much more. When asked to follow in secret as a hot-headed group of young vampires set out on a 'blood quest' to kill the ancient who created the young vampire Kali against her will, he learns that - as usual - there is a lot more to the story than meets the eye. Through the juke joints of Beale Street in Memphis, to the depths of The Great Dismal Swamp, Donovan and his lover and partner, Amethyst, find themselves drawn along on one of the strangest quests in their long, enigmatic lives as they delve into the world of the undead, the magic of The Blues, and the very heart of alchemy both to protect their young, vampiric charges - and to prevent an ancient evil from destroying the balance of power in the universe. This novel directly crosses over to the original series O.C.L.T. - where Donovan is a sometimes consultant. It features appearances by Geoffrey Bullfinch and Rebecca York, O.C.L.T. agents, as well as Old Mill, North Carolina's own Cletus J. Diggs. Drawing the threads of several of his worlds into one carefully woven tapestry, David Niall Wilson has penned a tale that will appeal to fans of The DeChance Chronicles, O.C.L.T., Cletus J. Diggs, and several other locations and characters from the various worlds he has created. The Books of the DeChance Chronicles read well as stand-alone novels, but are all part of the bigger series, beginning with the novels Heart of a Dragon and Vintage Soul, and continuing in the long novella, My Soul to Keep, which tells the origin of Donovan's power, and helps to explain his drive to maintain the world's balance of power.

A Midnight Dreary, the long-awaited fifth volume in The DeChance Chronicles, picks up outside Old Mill, NC, when Donovan, reminded that he has promised his lover, Amethyst, and Geoffrey Bullfinch of the O.C.L.T. a story, draws them back in time to a vision of the final chapter of the novel Nevermore, a Novel of Love, Loss & Edgar Allan Poe. At vision's end, they realize that they have to act, to free Eleanor MacReady from the trap that holds her on the banks of Lake Drummond, in the Great Dismal Swamp, and to rescue a princess who has not known freedom in at least two centuries. The rescue that ensues crosses worlds and dimensions, wandering through Poe's tales, the fables of the Brothers Grimm, and finally to a confrontation on a mountain in Germany. This novel draws upon characters and plots from many of the author's novels, including his stories of Old Mill, NC, The O.C.L.T., Nevermore, and the vampire novel "Darkness Falling." It is rich with sorcery and adventure. Welcome to the world of Donovan DeChance.

More than 160 short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors. This volume will introduce you to horror, mystery, fantasy and thrills, from the dark worlds of Lovecraft to the cutting-edge suspense of the mean streets of the cities of the world. This monster collection speaks in the voices of some of today's leading masters of the short story, with something certain to appeal to every reader. Find a new creative voice to follow. Find a new world to love. An amazing wealth of fiction and imagination. Included in Corruption at the Crossroad: 12+1: Twelve Short Thrillers And A Play — Raymond Benson The Devil Made Me Do It Again And Again — Paul Dale Anderson Seeing Red — David J. Schow Bedbugs — Rick Hautala Destinations Unknown — Gary Braunbeck The Call Of Distant Shores — David Niall Wilson Falling Idols — Brian Hodge In The End, Only Darkness — Monica J O'Rourke 13: A Collection Of Horror And Weird Fiction — Michael Boatman Vapors: The Essential G. Wayne Miller Fiction, Vol. 2 — G. Wayne Miller Scars And Other Distinguishing Marks — Richard Christian Matheson