The March round now begins: today it's The Gate: 13 Dark and Odd Tales that gets the no-cost treatment.  It will be free today, March 7th, until tomorrow, March 8th.  Head on over to the 'Zon and pick yourselves up a copy!

Well, in a way, anyhow.  The ebook - without illustrations - has gone live at Amazon, cover and all. It will stay the way it is until the grumpy artist finishes the interiors and the paperback is made available - sometime in the middle of next month.  Until then, enjoy book 3, and here's a link to the Amazon page and a sneaky peek at that cover.

DEATH SPRINGS ETERNAL AMAZON PAGE

COVER:

Pretty, ain't it?  I thought so.

Till next time,

RJD

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

Yes, folks, I'm a fanboy. 

So David Dalglish, whose books I absolutely adore, has just released his follow-up to the best-selling A Dance of Cloaks.  And I'm here right now to announce that it is so.  Go out and buy this book, people!  I for one can't wait to read it when it shows up in my mailbox, because Mr. Dalglish never fails to send me review copies of all his work.

Enough of me, now.  Read up on this book below:

A DANCE OF BLADES

“Veldaren aches for a purge, and I will be the one to deliver it. Cry out at me if you wish, but it will change nothing. The gold is spent, the orders are given. Let the blood flow.”

----

It's been five years since Haern faked his death to escape the tyranny of his father. He has become the Watcher, a vicious killer who knows no limits, and whose hatred of the thief guilds is unrivaled. But when the son of Alyssa Gemcroft, one of the three leaders of the powerful Trifect, is believed murdered, the slaughter begins anew. Mercenaries flood the streets, with one goal in mind: find and kill the Watcher.

A DANCE OF BLADES by David Dalglish
Peace or destruction; every war must have its end.

Now available for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  Click here, or the cover image, to buy yourself a copy.  Trust me, it's worth it.

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

Okay, so this weekend Jesse and I are getting together to assemble the print version of Dead of Winter.  It's en exciting time, folks.

However, that's not what I'm here to talk about today.

I am here to announce that starting January 12th, I will henceforth be working on a new book.  This will be more of an urban fantasy/paranormal romance/horror novel, aimed at a slightly younger audience.  It is the first book in a series I'm calling Covenant, firmly titled The Mirror of Souls.  I won't get into the plot right now, because that's not what's important.

What is important is that I'm giving myself three months to write this book.  That's right, folks, my goal is to have the first draft complete by April 12th, 2011, and have an eventual release date of June 1st.  If figure if I hold myself to writing 2000 words a day, five days a week, I can pump out a resonably polished manuscript in 90 days.  That's the goal, anyway.

Now, for any concerned about the 3rd (still untitled) installment of The Rift, you needn't worry.  On April 13th, whether I've finished the new project or not, I'm going to start the rewrites.  Our tentative release date of next December will not change.

So, that's what's happening with me.  Keep reading, keep being awesome.

RJD

For anyone who hasn't known, I, Robert Duperre, have been maintaining a review blog (Journal of Always Reviews) since this past July.  I've read a great many fantastic books over the last six or so months, and it's been a pleasure to dive in and see what kind of obscure meanings I can gleam from the text.  In truth, this does as much to improve my own writing as it does to help the authors who've created some fantastic, imaginative worlds.

Recently, after perusing Youtube and seeing the varying video game and movie reviews done through the venue of video, I became obsessed with creating a video review of my own, for a book, no less.  I decided to choose (author of The Trylle Trilogy and My Blood Approves) Amanda Hocking's Hollowland - firstly because it's in a genre I love (horror), and secondly, it's just a fantastic book.

Here's the video:

#1 - Reviews are important.  Whatever anyone thinks of our books, good or bad, feel free to post a review on Amazon.  It helps us gain a readership and guides potential customers to the page.

#2 - If anyone doesn't know yet, here is a little bit about our library for all you Kindle owners out there:

The Fall: The Rift Book I

Available for $2.99 in the Kindle Store

An ancient evil, trapped in the ruins of a lost Mayan temple for centuries, has been unleashed. It takes the form of a deadly virus, one that causes violent insanity in the living and the recently departed to rise and walk. It spreads around the globe, throwing the world into chaos and war.

As it progresses, those in the States who find themselves far away from the epicenter watch it unfold with unbelieving eyes. From Washington D.C. to Dover, New Hampshire, regular people are hurled into an existence outside their control, left to deal with catastrophic situations that they aren't prepared to handle. Life becomes a nightmare, and that nightmare is spreading.

First time author Robert J. Duperre presents this scenario with The Fall: The Rift Book I, the first of a four-part series. In this book, he throws his characters into a gambit; when the alternatives are life or death, self-preservation or the protection of others, what path will they choose? Is there a darkness that resides in everyone, from every walk of life, that is screaming for release? When society falls apart and we are left to our own devices, will we make the right decisions, or let the tide take us where it may? There is horror, there is death, there are the walking dead, and all around are choices.

The Gate: 13 Dark & Odd Tales

Available for $0.99 in the Kindle Store

...Three brothers traipse across a post-apocalyptic landscape, encountering unspeakable horrors...

...A young boy growing up in suburban hell thinks there might be more to his home town than meets the eye, what with all the children going missing...

...A woman dying of cancer is given a way out, if only she is willing to pay the price...

...The crew of a space station must battle their fears and a strange alien relic when they are isolated from humanity...if humanity exists any longer...

These stories and more await inside the pages of The Gate: 13 Dark & Odd Tales, the new compilation by Robert J. Duperre, author of The Fall: The Rift Book I. Also contributing to this collection are the talented Mercedes M. Yardley, David Dalglish, David McAfee, and Daniel Pyle.


Enjoy, folks, and remember - we can't succeed without you, gentle reader.  I hope you enjoy the experience we bring you.

- RJD

Julie Ann Dawson, editor of Bards and Sages Quarterly, has written a review of The Fall:

Review

That's right, folks.  My new compilation of short stories - "The Gate: 13 Dark & Odd Tales" - is now available in ebook format for the Amazon Kindle.  Some of the stories are intense, some are poignant,  some of just made to entertain.  There are also four additional tales by fantastic writers Mecedes M. Yardley, David Dalglish, Daniel Pyle, and David McAfee.  Feel free to check it out.  There is also a super-special bonus at the end.  Click on the image to go to the Amazon page.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction
The Gatekeeper by RJD
Sullivan Street by RJD
The Container of Sorrows by Mercedes M. Yardley
Sins of Our Fathers by RJD
Blight by Daniel Pyle
Feeding the Passion by RJD
Dispatch #337 by RJD
Exhibit A by David McAfee
The Emancipation of Po-Po by RJD
I Spy by RJD
Kitty in the Cellar by David Dalglish
Perfect Blue Buildings by RJD
Empty Spaces by RJD
Traipsing Through the Dark (by all authors)
Excerpt from "Dead of Winter: The Rift Book II"

(as a reminder, this book will also be reissued in January as a digest-sized print book