When Paul Goat Allen self published his first poetry collection 25 years ago, the industry was in the Dark Ages. In his inaugural blog for BlueInk, he shows us how times have changed.

Allen has been reviewing books full-time for almost 20 years. In addition to BlueInk Review, his work has appeared with BarnesandNoble.com, The Chicago Tribune, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and more. Watch for Allen's insightful tips, interviews and observations on self publishing weekly on BlueInk!

When BlueInk Review launched two years ago, we had one simple idea: to give self-published books the critical forum they deserved, in order to earn credibility in the marketplace. Since then, we've provided more than 1,000 professional reviews for self-published titles, reviews that are respected by decision-makers in the industry.

We are thrilled to announce that BlueInk reviews are now distributed to and by:

• Ingram Book Company. A wholesale provider for more than 71,000 librarians and booksellers globally. BlueInk reviews run on Ingram's iPage and Oasis, a database that helps these important customers make book-buying decisions.

• Publishing Perspectives. Called “the BBC of the book world,” this online journal of international publishing news and opinion runs monthly updates of BlueInk Starred Reviews to help international publishing executives acquire material for books, film and videogames.

• Douglas County Libraries. This major Colorado library system (8 million annual circulation) uses BlueInk's recommended titles to make book-buying decisions for its pilot program targeting self-published books. This is a unique opportunity for self publishers to boost their credibility, as libraries rarely purchase independently published titles!

• Self-Publishing Review. A go-to site for news and information about the self-publishing industry, SPR posts selected BlueInk reviews.

• Off The Bookshelf. This ebook sales site invites authors who have acquired a BlueInk review to use that review to enhance their books' sales potential on the site.

We continue to expand our reach. Stay tuned to our website for news of further developments!

How does an author take two women living centuries apart, two romances, and a devastating historical event and combine them all into one can’t-put-it-down read? We have no idea how Susan G. Muth managed such a feat. But we can tell you, unequivocally, that her book, "The Beach at Herculaneum" is a read you won't want to miss.

This is only the second time we have awarded an author a BlueInk Best Book Award, which follows no timetable but occurs only when we find books we feel passionate about and want to share with the reading world.

"The Beach at Herculaneum" is a mesmerizing story about two women struggling with tragic circumstances centuries apart. Anne McCarthy is a woman coping with terrible grief after the death of her husband and son. She is haunted by nightmares that seem set in another time and language. Meanwhile, centuries earlier, beautiful Daphne searches desperately for her husband and son in the final moments before Mount Vesuvius erupts, destroying the Roman city of Herculaneum, where she lives. As the two women inexplicably find each other through time, their healing begins. Read why we love this book.

Our critic calls The Beach at Herculaneum "a true page turner." Readers, the critic notes, "will feel as if they are racing against time to save the lives of these courageous heroines." Read the full review.

A National Geographic article about an archaeological dig at Herculaneum piqued Susan Muth's interest — and then sparked her imagination, providing the genesis for her novel. Read our interview with author Susan Muth.