Australian Shadow Awards Announced

As you know, I've not been online very much in the last few months due to physical restrictions, so I was somewhat blown away when I received a phone call from Alan Baxter of Blade Red Press fame, and author of the excellent books Magesign and Realmshift, to give me the excellent news that Dark Pages Volume 1 had made the short list for this years Australian Shadow Awards!

I don't expect to win, but then I wasn't expecting to be nominated either - but I should have been as I was given an opportunity to work with very talented authors, the best copy editor bar none, and a very supportive and encouraging publishing house.

Perhaps now would be a good time to click on the link in the sidebar to buy a copy of the award nominated anthology!

Here’s the full list of finalists:


LONG FICTION

* Madigan Mine by Kirstyn McDermott (Picador Australia)

* The Girl With No Hands by Angela Slatter (Ticonderoga Publications)

* Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healy (Allen & Unwin)

* Under Stones by Bob Franklin (Affirm Press)

* Bleed by Peter M. Ball (Twelfth Planet Press)

EDITED PUBLICATION

* Macabre: A Journey through Australia’s Darkest Fears, edited by Angela Challis & Marty Young (Brimstone Press)

* Scenes From The Second Storey, edited by Amanda Pillar & Pete Kempshall (Morrigan Books)

* Dark Pages 1, edited by Brenton Tomlinson (Blade Red Press)

* Scary Kisses, edited by Liz Gryzb (Ticonderoga Publications)

* Midnight Echo #4, edited by Lee Battersby (AHWA)

SHORT FICTION

* “Bread and Circuses” by Felicity Dowker (Scary Kisses)

* “Brisneyland by Night” by Angela Slatter (Sprawl)

* “She Said” by Kirstyn McDermott (Scenes from the Second Storey)

* “All The Clowns In Clowntown” by Andrew J. McKiernan (Macabre: A Journey through Australia’s Darkest Fears)

* “Dream Machine” by David Conyers (Scenes from the Second Storey)

Congratulations to all the nominees.

Winners to be announced on April 15th.

Crits and Reading

Not getting a lot of fictional writing done lately. I've posted a few critiques into my new writers group "The Prose Nest" (TPN) but haven't had anyone take a look at my little short yet.

I've packaged up my latest assignment but decided to hang onto it until I gain feedback on my resubmitted one.

Slugging my way through the latest issue of Albedo One. I've read six or so stories and the interview so far. The interview is good and worth the cost of the mag but I've only identified with two of the stories so far. Some of those I thought not particularly great are apparent award winners. I've asked a fellow HorrorScoper for their opinion so we'll see if I'm in over my head or not. Personally, I just don't like most of the stories in the mag. :(

Tonight I have other commitments, (Cricket) so its a non-writing related night, but that's cool. I don't like to obsess and my writing was definitely bordering on an obsession. I'm slowly reigning it in again although those that are closest to me may disagree. ;)

For those of you interested, the short list for Australia's Premier Award in Dark Fiction, The Australian Shadow Award has been announced. You can check it out here.

Good luck with your submissions.