My good friend and fantastic author buddy Dan Arenson joined me in promoting our respective books on E.J. Steven's From the Shadows blog.  It's really quite entertaining, if I do say so myself.  Check it out by clicking the link below!

Ken from Silas meets Gloriae from Blood of Requiem

Yes, folks, the new book is up and running - on Amazon and Amazon UK in ebook format, that is.  The paperback is still a few days away, but it'll get here, I promise. 

So, here's the cover and description:

"Ken Lowery is a man at odds with his life. He hates his job, is disappointed in his marriage, and feels resigned to leading a mundane existence.

That all changes when his wife brings home a rambunctious Black Labrador puppy named Silas, who forges a remarkable connection with Ken and begins to heal his inner turmoil. When some neighborhood children start to go missing, he takes it upon himself to protect those around him and is thrust into a surreal world where monsters roam.  Not everything is what it seems to be, he soon discovers, including his new best friend."

I really need to thank Dans Arenson and Pyle for their work beta-reading this manuscript.  And of course I need to thank Jesse for the fantastic cover, Mel Rico for the lettering, and my wife for putting up with me.  Last but not least, thank you Leo, my one-eyed yellow Lab, who was my true inspiration for writing this story.

You gentle readers can purchase the ebook at, as I mentioned earlier, Amazon and Amazon UK

Peace, folks, and we'll talk to you soon....

RJD

I just want to take a moment and show some appreciation for all the awesome people in my life...

To Jess Torrant, Artwiffy, for being smart, supportive, sexy, and downright fantastic...

To my parents, who've dealt with my quirks all my life and still love me...

To Jesse, who's been more than a little bit of an inspiration to me and is never afraid to tell it straight...

To Mercedes Yardley, whose own talent and overall awesomeness remains a driving force behind my own work...

To Jason Letts, who's always there with a joke to ease the tension...

To Dave Dalglish, who gives me more entertainment than I could ever wish for...

To Dan Arenson, whose ability to craft an intriguing story is only surpassed by his ability to rant...

To Mike Crane, who's always on my side no matter what...

To Sean Sweeny, who's got this way about him that's just lovable...

To Amanda Hocking, for giving everyone the example of success not going to one's head...

To David McAfee, for being an inspirational figure as one who's doing it...

To Caton Easton, who's always been there as my biggest supporter even though he's across the pond...

To Steven Pirie, for writing some of the best books I've ever read....

To John Skipp, whose words of support helped give me the confidence to make tough decisions and stick to them...

To Walter Mathis, who's been as constant as anything for me over the last 10 years...

To Pat Bukowski, whose ability to sing sometimes goes to his head...

To EJ Stevens, who's the best friend a writer of the paranormal could have...

To Heather Bannon, OnePushyFox from the Bewitched Bookworms, for just being fucking awesome...

To Sharon Rosen of Pixel of Ink, who's doing her best to further the careers of so many struggling writers...

And finally, to anyone who's ever bought and read our books, whether you loved or hated them.  It's you we do this for, and I hope we've entertained.

Okay, that's enough sap for today...

RJD

Well, today's a day I've been excited about for some time now.  That's right, The Fall has been reviewed by Pushy Fox over at Bewitched Bookworms, a fantastic blog run by 5 magnificent ladies!  Now Pushy (Heather) has been quite complimentary about this particular book, which goes to show that she 1) is awesome, and 2) has a lot of good taste.  And just to have our little slice of fiction reviewed alongside the likes of Meyer, Pittacus Lore, Amanda Hocking, JL Bryan, and the rest of the paranormal fiction crowd is really quite exhilarating.

Oh, and as an added bonus, the review comes complete with a giveaway of both The Fall and Dead of Winter!  So head on over there, write a comment with your email address, and wait a little bit for your chance to win actual hard copies of our first 2 books! 

This is a great day, folks.  We're ron-a-roll, and we're not about to stop here.

Read the Bewitched Bookworms review of The Fall here.

As I've said before, I count myself extremely lucky that I've been able to get to know and converse with a great many accomplished and upcoming authors.  These are my friends, advocates, and support system.  They help lift me up when I'm feeling down, and they also enrich my life by allowing me to get lost in the worlds they create.  So I'd like to take this opportunity to help give a few of them (and their recent news) the props they deserve.

AMANDA HOCKING

I consider myself quite lucky that I've gotten to know this wonderful, talented, and supportive woman.  She's a great author and an even better person.  If ever I need advice or simply to shoot an idea off of her, she's quick to reply and assist, even though she's busier than hell.

As for news, Amanda's Trylle Trilogy series has been optioned to be converted into screenplay by Terri Tatchell (she of the team that wrote District 9, quite possibly the best movie of 2010).  What, you say?  An independent author having an Oscar Nominated Screenwriter converting her work?  This is fantastic news, and I'm super-pumped about it.  Amanda deserves every iota of success she gets, and I hope she gets tons more.

To read this announcement in Amanda's own words, visit her blog.

DANIEL ARENSON

Recently I had the privilege of reading his book, The Gods of Dream.  Dan is an author I've come to know well over the last year.  I love all his work.  Even if it doesn't completely mesh with me, I can still see the natural ability he has as a writer.  He's another one of the most supportive folks I know, and his talent needs to be out there.

As for The Gods of Dream, I reviewed it on my blog, Journal of Always.  Go check it out, and then buy it.  It's a fantastic book, and I put my reputation as a reviewer on the line in saying I guarantee you'll get something out of this special work of fantasy that you might not have expected.

E.J. STEVENS

E.J. is another talented and compassionate writer.  She runs a very popular blog dedicated to everything paranormal, From the Shadows.  She is an ally to all writers, constantly filling her site with author interviews and book reviews - something very time-consuming, especially for one with their own books to write and promote.  She's also a super-sweet person, and yet another willing to take time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions or be an ear if I need one.

Her good news is this:  E.J.'s publisher recently discounted the ebook versions of first two books in her series, She Smells the Dead and Spirit Storm, to $2.99 and $3.99, respectively.  I can personally vouch for both books (I read SStD, and am almost finished with Storm).  They are beautiful bits of escapism and innocent, otherworldly charm.  And at that price, they're a bargain.  I suggest them to anyone with a soft spot for paranormal romance or young adult fiction.  Good work, written by a spectacular person...and one who needs our support.

Well, that's all for now.  Look out for more shout-outs on this blog next week, 'cause I'm thinking of making this a staple feature of the TRO blog.

Peace!

RJD