It might be Friday the 13th but, as a horror writer, I have plenty to celebrate and be happy about at the moment.
Firstly, on Tuesday the 10th November, my wife and I celebrated 20years since we first met by going out to dinner and seeing Jeff Martin and The Armada perform a particularly amazing performance at Lizotte's on the Central Coast. Jeff, Wayne Sheehy and former Newcastle lad Jay Cortez were in extreme intimate mode at one of the smallest, but best, venues I've ever been too. Lizotte's Kincumber is an awesome restaurant with great food and bands and musicians almost every night. A month ago we went there and saw Paul Dempsey solo, and going back next month to see Paul again. But, on such a small stage in so intimate a setting (so close we could touch the band), Jeff Martin and his new band were amazing! It was almost an acoustic gig, but that did nothing to diminish the power of his voice and energy he draws out of every song. It was a great selection of Armada songs, old Tea Party tunes and the odd cover mixed in (NIN's 'Hurt', The Beatles 'Within You Without You' and a few others I can't remember off-hand). As always, Sister Awake was the highlight for my wife and it was a great night for us to celebrate 20yrs of knowing each other! I've now spent more of my life WITH her, than the number of years I lived before I met her. I can barely remember a time when she wasn't there for me and I'm defintely looking forward to spending the next 20yrs of my life with her.
On top of all that, I've been informed that a couple of works I've been involved with have been recommended for nominations in the Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Awards!
Firstly, my story "The Message" from Midnight Echo #2 has been recommended for 'Outstanding Achievment in Long Fiction'. Its still a long way from final ballot nomination, but the honour and thrill of just this much recognition is quite a dizzying feeling.
Second, "Shards: Short Sharp Tales" by Shane Jiraiya Cummings has been recommended for 'Outstanding Achievement in a Fiction Collection'. Shards was very much a labour of love for Shane and I. The marriage of his dark and disturbing flash fiction with my illustrations. Specusphere has described Shards as "...a dizzying, vivid, frightening rollercoaster ride, plunging the reader repeatedly into dark and horrible places, only to climb up toward the light for a gulp of air before dropping sharply into another nightmare."
If you haven't read Shards yet, you can always download the free PDF Chapbook "Shards: Damned and Burning" from Brimstone Press which contains stories and illustrations not included in the full book and get a feel for it (http://www.brimstonepress.com.au/) or, if you'd like you're own copy of 'Shards: Short Sharp Tales' see the Giveaway a little further down in this post.
Sinister Reads - a sister site to the Australian Horror Writers Association - has been wonderful enough to profile myself (as well as the other Australian Stoker recommended authors) on their website (see: http://sinisterreads.wordpress.com/) in hope of drumming up a bit more publicity and recognition for us all. I've been profiled today, along with Felicity Dowker (![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
felicitydowker) and Matt Venne. Check it out: http://sinisterreads.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/sinister-reads-its-a-black-friday-stoker-kind-of-thing/
And, in celebration of all this, I'm giving away a copy of 'Shards: Short Sharp Tales' to one lucky LJ reader. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me (in 100 words or less):
What is your biggest fear?
I'll choose a winner on Monday the 16th. The choice of winner is mine and no correspondence will be entered into regarding it. I'll choose the answer I like best, so it is all down to a personal preference but I'll almost definitely go for the most interesting (and possibly unusual) fear that gets commented.
So, off you go! There's a dark creepy book in it for you :)
Firstly, on Tuesday the 10th November, my wife and I celebrated 20years since we first met by going out to dinner and seeing Jeff Martin and The Armada perform a particularly amazing performance at Lizotte's on the Central Coast. Jeff, Wayne Sheehy and former Newcastle lad Jay Cortez were in extreme intimate mode at one of the smallest, but best, venues I've ever been too. Lizotte's Kincumber is an awesome restaurant with great food and bands and musicians almost every night. A month ago we went there and saw Paul Dempsey solo, and going back next month to see Paul again. But, on such a small stage in so intimate a setting (so close we could touch the band), Jeff Martin and his new band were amazing! It was almost an acoustic gig, but that did nothing to diminish the power of his voice and energy he draws out of every song. It was a great selection of Armada songs, old Tea Party tunes and the odd cover mixed in (NIN's 'Hurt', The Beatles 'Within You Without You' and a few others I can't remember off-hand). As always, Sister Awake was the highlight for my wife and it was a great night for us to celebrate 20yrs of knowing each other! I've now spent more of my life WITH her, than the number of years I lived before I met her. I can barely remember a time when she wasn't there for me and I'm defintely looking forward to spending the next 20yrs of my life with her.
On top of all that, I've been informed that a couple of works I've been involved with have been recommended for nominations in the Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Awards!
Firstly, my story "The Message" from Midnight Echo #2 has been recommended for 'Outstanding Achievment in Long Fiction'. Its still a long way from final ballot nomination, but the honour and thrill of just this much recognition is quite a dizzying feeling.
Second, "Shards: Short Sharp Tales" by Shane Jiraiya Cummings has been recommended for 'Outstanding Achievement in a Fiction Collection'. Shards was very much a labour of love for Shane and I. The marriage of his dark and disturbing flash fiction with my illustrations. Specusphere has described Shards as "...a dizzying, vivid, frightening rollercoaster ride, plunging the reader repeatedly into dark and horrible places, only to climb up toward the light for a gulp of air before dropping sharply into another nightmare."
If you haven't read Shards yet, you can always download the free PDF Chapbook "Shards: Damned and Burning" from Brimstone Press which contains stories and illustrations not included in the full book and get a feel for it (http://www.brimstonepress.com.au/) or, if you'd like you're own copy of 'Shards: Short Sharp Tales' see the Giveaway a little further down in this post.
Sinister Reads - a sister site to the Australian Horror Writers Association - has been wonderful enough to profile myself (as well as the other Australian Stoker recommended authors) on their website (see: http://sinisterreads.wordpress.com/) in hope of drumming up a bit more publicity and recognition for us all. I've been profiled today, along with Felicity Dowker (
felicitydowker) and Matt Venne. Check it out: http://sinisterreads.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/sinister-reads-its-a-black-friday-stoker-kind-of-thing/And, in celebration of all this, I'm giving away a copy of 'Shards: Short Sharp Tales' to one lucky LJ reader. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me (in 100 words or less):
What is your biggest fear?
I'll choose a winner on Monday the 16th. The choice of winner is mine and no correspondence will be entered into regarding it. I'll choose the answer I like best, so it is all down to a personal preference but I'll almost definitely go for the most interesting (and possibly unusual) fear that gets commented.
So, off you go! There's a dark creepy book in it for you :)
