In this publishing game, it's not an understatement to say that perhaps book bloggers are the most important people in the life of an author.  Without them, there would be no word-of-mouth.  Without them, there would be no promotion.  Without them, there is very little chance of we little guys getting the word out to prospective readers.  So on this day, a day that Pushy (Heather Bannon) from the Bewitched Bookworms posts a review of the third book in our post-apocalyptic series, The Rift, that we offer everyone out there in webworld the opportunity to download (on the Kindle) each and every book in our library...for free.

That's right.  For this day only—Wednesday, February 1st--every book we've released is available in e-book format for free.  It is seriously the least we can do for all the kind words these fantastic individuals have given to us.  It is for them, these ladies and gents who've read and loved the words I've written (not to mention the paintings The Cranky Artist has created), that keep us going.

So right now, I'd like to give a shout-out to my favorite blogs, first of which are the reviewers.  Please, follow them, read them...trust them.  These are people who know what they like, who know BOOKS, and it through their guidance that many an unknown have been discovered.  I present to you my favorites, with those I love the most getting some special words of approval:

Bewitched Bookworms: Pushy, Danny, and Heather M. run perhaps the greatest blog out there.  Each of these ladies are completely passionate about their work, their choice of entertainment, the power of their words.  Their reviews are poignant and introspective, and they aren't shy when it comes to telling anyone what they like and don't like.  As an added bonus, they also run a blog touring service called Kismet Book Touring, a service I gladly used when we released Silas, with fantastic results.  I swear by these ladies, and you should too.

Paranormal Wastelands: This site is operated by Darkfallen (Kaycee) and Greta, perhaps two of the spunkiest ladies you'll ever run across.  Their enthusiasm for literature is readily apparent, and just like any review worth their salt, they're more than willing to tell you what they like and don't like about any given work.  I follow each of their reviews, no matter what author or genre it is they're diving into.  Yes, their interpretations of the work is that good.

The Bookish Brunette: Oh, Ashley.  Probably the most outspoken and opinionated blogger on this list.  Reading her reviews—whether I agree with them or not—is a highlight for me.  Spunky and excited for the next-best-thing, this is a woman who can't help but put her true self out there, no matter the cost.  Read a couple of her posts.  You'll see.

And these are a few others I frequent:

Supernatural Snark
Juniper Grove
My Shelf Confessions
The Slowest Bookworm
A Casual Reader's Blog
Pages of Forbidden Love
Red Adept Reviews
Books and ThingsOodles of Books
Wagging the Fox
Just One More Paragraph
aobibliosphere
The Well-Read Wife
Le' Grande Codex
The Book Faery Reviews
Flurries of Words

Also, along with book bloggers, we also have ebook "bargain" sites—blogs dedicated to helping readers discover cheaply-priced books in a timely and easy fashion.  In my opinion, these are the two best:

Pixel of Ink:  Sharon, the creator of Pixel of Ink, is perhaps the best friend an author can have.  She is always on top of the game in terms of cheap Kindle books and freebies offered.  Her door is always open to authors, helping them promote their work and offering a kind word for those who know her in person.   I'm completely dedicated to this site, it's professionally run, and it's helped me find more than a few books that I otherwise wouldn't have discovered.

Ereader News Today:  A great site.  Greg puts out a fantastic product, highlighting some of the best independently published books out there. 

For anyone who owns a Kindle and wants to find something new, these two are must-read sites.


And that's it.  So in dedication to these fantastically hard-working bloggers, whose efforts I feel aren't appreciated anywhere near enough, we are of course offering our entire library free for today.  Here are the links for any who are interested:

The Fall: The Rift Book I
Dead of Winter: The Rift Book II
Death Springs Eternal: The Rift Book III
Silas: A Supernatural Thriller
The Gate: 13 Dark and Odd Tales

So there it is, folks! Download the books, read them, and peace to you all!

-RJD

As anyone who follows this site knows, I've both been friends with and a huge supporter of Amanda Hocking. For anyone who doesn't know, Amanda was a self-published author just like myself, and through drive, risk, and oodles of talent, she catapulted her books into the bestseller lists. This led to a lucrative deal with St. Martin's press, with whom she will be publishing a brand-spanking-new series, as well as re-releasing her most popular titles to date, the Trylle Trilogy.

Switched, the first book of this latter trilogy, was released this week. It showed up in bookstores everywhere, and it was with immense amount of glee that I shuffled on down to our local Barnes and Noble to pick up my copy and support her in whatever small way I can. As proof, I offer you these two pics:

And then add to this the fact that I open up the first couple pages and read the acknowledgments, I get a nice little surprise. Check out the third paragraph below:

That's right. Amanda, a fellow part of our little writer's group, went out of her way to thank us and promote us.

Let's just say, I'm flabbergasted, respectful, honored, excited, and more than a little bit humbled by this.  This is not something Amanda had to do. She did not have to mention anyone in her notes, as her success is her own, and she should be proud of it. And yet she did, which only goes to demonstrate the quality of character this fine young woman possesses.

To the mind of your humble author here, there is no one who deserves more respect than Amanda Hocking. She is a bastion of kindness, of the theory of never forgetting your roots, and it is amazing that with all the kudos that have come her way, she hasn't changed.

In other words, Amanda is awesome. So buy her books. Make her even more of a success than she already is, because a world where people like Amanda find their way into the public conscience is a world that is a much better place.

Peace, gentle readers.

Rob D