It’s An Honor To Be Nominated

The Horror Writers Association has announced its 2008 Stoker Award Nominations, and I’m proud to note that Horror Library Vol. 3, which contains my short story “Toll,” has landed a nomination for Superior Achievement in an Anthology. It’s in a very tight category, and part of a particularly strong ballot – genre notables from Stephen King to Gary Braunbeck are represented in various categories.

The Stokers will be during a ceremony in Burbank, California, in June. In the meantime, might I recommend that you print out a copy of the final ballot and use it as a guide to some really good stuff you could be reading. Just looking at that list, I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.

“What if they made the world they want instead?”

My review of Joe Hill’s powerful science fiction novella Gunpowder is now available at Dark Scribe Magazine.

I’m not usually a sci-fi fan, but this one is a keeper. Mainly because Hill knows what lots of sci-fi writers don’t – it doesn’t matter how neat the tech is if the characters aren’t worth a damn. This is story first, setting second, and that’s why it is so good. Hill has hinted this might become a series, and I hope it does.

Let It Snow

Southern Snow

It started early in the morning, and kept going and going and going. Most of it didn’t stick, but at least five inches fell over six hours.

It was beautiful. It was peaceful. It was over too soon.

For people who get this stuff all the time, I know this amount is laughable. A nuisance to be grumbled over. For us, it was an event to be celebrated, photographed, laughed over, and remembered.