I need to say thanks for some truly terrific endorsements of the books. The first one you might have seen already (he said, not boasting at all) was in Entertainment Weekly. Actress, singer and “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks said she was reading THE PRESIDENT’S VAMPIRE this summer. So I got that going for me, which is all right.

For no good reason:

10. “Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in ‘Curse of the Flying Hellfish,’” S7, episode 22.

9. “Homer Vs. The 18th Amendment,” S8, episode 18.

8. “A Streetcar Named Marge,” S4, episode 2.

7. “Lisa The Beauty Queen,” S4, episode 3.

6. “Whacking Day,” S4, Episode 20.

5. “Cape Feare,” S5, episode 2.

4. “Homer at the Bat,” S3, episode 17.

3. “Marge vs. The Monorail,” S4, episode 12.

2. “Sweet Seymour Skinner’s Baadasssss Song,” S5, episode 19.

1. “Last Exit To Springfield,” S4, episode 17.

Honorable mentions: “Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie,” “Homie The Clown,” “Krusty Gets Kancelled,” “Summer of 4 Ft. 2,” “22 Short Films About Springfield,” ”The Secret War of Lisa Simpson,” and “Lisa on Ice.”

I’m writing this list because it occurred to me the other day that I’ve stopped watching “The Simpsons.” This is probably not a big deal for most people, but I used to get twitchy unless I could see at least three of the four reruns that Fox aired on a daily basis. Now I’ve realized I’ve missed an entire season — including the Neil Gaiman guest appearance (!) — and I haven’t suffered the slightest withdrawal pains.

It’s a sad commentary on my life, I know.

But now that I’ve got a little distance on what was once an obsession, I decided to write a post about all the eps of “The Simpsons” that inspired my once-compulsive watching. And this is it. This is my desert island list. (If I were to be stranded with a custom-burned DVD, DVD player, HDTV, and sufficient provisions and electricity, of course.) Longtime Simpsons fans will not be surprised that most of the episodes are from what I lovingly refer to the magic seasons, three through five. “Last Exit to Springfield” makes almost every Simpsons fanatic’s top ten list, so no big shock there, either. (“Dental plan!” “Lisa needs braces!” “Dental plan!” “Lisa needs braces!”)

But I divert from the purists by including two from seasons seven and eight, even if they are ranked lower than the others. And my second-favorite episode isn’t even written by John Swartzwelder, who is perhaps the quintessential Simpsons writer. Looking at the actual top 10, in fact, Swartzwelder gets credit for only three of the episodes. Don’t get me wrong. I love Swartzwelder’s ability to seamlessly insert the completely absurd into an episode — like the concept of a whole town that celebrates the slaughter of reptiles in “Whacking Day.” That slight touch of the surreal made the show as great as it was in the magic seasons. But it turns out I’m more of a sucker for the sentimental, sappy endings, like the hug between Skinner and Bart at the end of “Baadasssss Song” or the moment when Lisa forgives Homer at the end of “Beauty Queen.”

People have been wishing me “Happy Release Day” all morning. Although that might sound like a special form of massage or what you hear when you get out of prison, it actually means that today is the day you can buy RED, WHITE, AND BLOOD at your friendly neighborhood bookseller.

So if you’ve been coming to this blog and somehow missed my relentless self-promotion, here’s a little more.

• My old paper, Boise Weekly, has a very flattering profile by Josh Gross, that answers some questions about Cade and the twisted pathways in what I laughingly refer to as my writing process.
• Carol Thomas at the Examiner has a great review of the book, if you need more convincing to read it.

Once more, here’s a stalker-friendly list of places I’ll be signing the book.

And remember, snap a pic of yourself with the book (or the screen of your e-reader) and you can get a free hat. Details here.

And thank you all, once again, for supporting and reading my weird books. I really do appreciate it.

More good news and reviews for RED, WHITE, AND BLOOD:

• Stefan Blitz at the indispensable site Forces of Geek was kind enough to interview me about the new book and Cade’s whole twisted history. Check it out here. And thanks, Stefan.
• Great reviews for the book from Jenn at Jenn’s Bookshelves and Caleb at Luxury Reading. Many thanks to them both.
• My first “Parents’ Brains” postcard arrived. Love it. Remember, if you want a free CADE 2012 baseball cap, details are here.

I’m winging my way to Seattle for tonight’s reading and signing, but here are some articles to keep you entertained until I get back.

• FEARNet’s Alyse Wax interviewed me about THE PRESIDENT’S VAMPIRE, Osama Bin Laden and the latest news on the Nathaniel Cade movie.
• Jennifer at Reading With Tequila is running a giveaway featuring THE PRESIDENT’S VAMPIRE.
• Bookgasm has an awesome review of PRESIDENT’S VAMPIRE (along with what is just a fantastic name for a blog). Thanks, Bruce.
• My guest blog post for Murder By The Book on the Houston Chronicle’s web site.
• The great Linda Sue Brown (formerly of the much-missed Mystery Bookstore) reviews PRESIDENT’S VAMPIRE at LibraryThing.
• Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks Osama Bin Laden was a reptile-human hybrid who was killed almost a decade ago in a classified black op. However, I do seem to be alone in my belief that a vampire did it, so that’s something.
• Chupacabra alert!