BlogTalkRadio - Fran Dances with The Funky Werepig

Werepig Alert!
Hide your children and lock your pantry--the Funky Werepig is on the loose. Or at least he's on the radio. He'll be in his usual spot with his famous Choate Road crew, roasting and toasting his Sunday night interviewee, and tonight I'm the main course.

I'll be reading from my collection, Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales, as well as yammering on about writing, life and whatever Mr. Pig desires.

Please come and join us.

CLICK HERE for the LIVE Show Link or the Archive!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Bram Stoker Award Finalists - MB Made the Cut!

Made the Cut
I'm very pleased and honored to share the news with you--MAMA'S BOY AND OTHER DARK TALES made the final cut is now a nominee for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Collection. The winners will be announced in June at the Stoker Awards Banquet in Los Angeles, but simply making the list of finalists is a humbling experience, especially with the extraordinary talent in the collection category (and on the entire list!). My sincere congratulations to all the nominees.

You can see the complete list below, as well as an interesting explanation of the Bram Stoker Award.

From the Horror Writer's Association Blog:

Each year, the Horror Writer’s Association presents the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement, named in honor of Bram Stoker, author of the seminal horror work, Dracula. The Stoker Awards were instituted immediately after the organization’s incorporation in 1987.

To ameliorate the competitive nature of awards, the Stokers are given “for superior achievement,” not for “best of the year,” and the rules are deliberately designed to make ties fairly probable. The first awards were presented in 1988 (for works published in 1987), and they have been presented every year since.
The award itself is an eight-inch replica of a fanciful haunted house, designed specifically for HWA by sculptor Steven Kirk. The door of the house opens to reveal a brass plaque engraved with the name of the winning work and its author.

The Stoker Awards, like the Oscars, are non-juried awards. Any work of Horror first published in the English language may be considered for a Stoker during the year of its publication. The HWA membership at large recommends worthy works for consideration. A preliminary ballot is compiled using a formula based on recommendations. Two rounds of voting by our Active members determine first the finalists, and then the winners. The winners are announced and the awards presented at a gala banquet held in conjunction with HWA’s annual conference, usually in June.

This year’s finalists for the Bram Stoker Awards are:

Superior Achievement in a Novel
COFFIN COUNTY by Gary Braunbeck (Leisure Books)
THE REACH by Nate Kenyon (Leisure Books)
DUMA KEY by Stephen King (Scribner)
JOHNNY GRUESOME by Gregory Lamberson (Bad Moon Books/Medallion Press)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel
MIDNIGHT ON MOURN STREET by Christopher Conlon (Earthling Publications)
THE GENTLING BOX by Lisa Mannetti (Dark Hart Press)
MONSTER BEHIND THE WHEEL by Michael McCarty and Mark McLaughlin (Delirium Books)
THE SUICIDE COLLECTORS by David Oppegaard (St. Martin’s Press)
FROZEN BLOOD by Joel A. Sutherland (Lachesis Publishing)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction
THE SHALLOW END OF THE POOL by Adam-Troy Castro (Creeping Hemlock Press)
MIRANDA by John R. Little (Bad Moon Books)
REDEMPTION ROADSHOW by Weston Ochse (Burning Effigy Press)
THE CONFESSIONS OF ST. ZACH by Gene O’Neill (Bad Moon Books)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction
PETRIFIED by Scott Edelman (Desolate Souls)
THE LOST by Sarah Langan (Cemetery Dance Publications)
THE DUDE WHO COLLECTED LOVECRAFT by Nick Mamatas, and Tim Pratt (Chizine)
EVIDENCE OF LOVE IN A CASE OF ABANDONMENT by M. Rickert (Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction)
TURTLE by Lee Thomas (Doorways)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology
LIKE A CHINESE TATTOO edited by Bill Breedlove (Dark Arts Books)
HORROR LIBRARY, VOL. 3 edited by R. J. Cavender (Cutting Block Press)
BENEATH THE SURFACE edited by Tim Deal (Shroud Publishing)
UNSPEAKABLE HORROR edited by Vince A. Liaguno and Chad Helder (Dark Scribe Press)

Superior Achievement in a Collection
THE NUMBER 121 TO PENNSYLVANIA by Kealan Patrick Burke (Cemetery Dance Publications)
MAMA’S BOY and Other Dark Tales by Fran Friel (Apex Publications)
JUST AFTER SUNSET by Stephen King (Scribner)
MR. GAUNT AND OTHER UNEASY ENCOUNTERS by John Langan (Prime Books)
GLEEFULLY MACABRE TALES by Jeff Strand (Delirium Books)

Superior Achievement in Nonfiction
CHEAP SCARES by Gregory Lamberson (McFarland)
ZOMBIE CSU by Jonathan Maberry (Citadel Press)
A HALLOWE’EN ANTHOLOGY by Lisa Morton (McFarland)
THE BOOK OF LISTS: HORROR by Amy Wallace, Del Howison, and Scott Bradley (HarperCollins)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection
THE NIGHTMARE COLLECTION by Bruce Boston (Dark Regions Press)
THE PHANTOM WORLD by Gary William Crawford (Sam’s Dot Publishing)
VIRGIN OF THE APOCALYPSE by Corrine De Winter (Sam’s Dot Publishing)
ATTACK OF THE TWO-HEADED POETRY MONSTER by Mark McLaughlin and Michael McCarty (Skullvines Press)


Many, many thanks to my wonderful publisher, Apex, and to everyone who has offered their encouragement and support for the MB collection over these many long months. I'm more grateful than you can know. Now, please cross your fingers and toes just one more time!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

PS - If you're an Active HWA member and would like a copy of the collection for your voting consideration, please drop me an email at: franfriel@gmail.com. Don't be shy! My publisher is being very generous to offer copies to voting members.

Apex Friday the 13th SALE - good thru Sunday!

Who Said Friday the 13th was Unlucky?
On the contrary, Apex is celebrating the 13th with a juicy little sale. So, if you've been holding out to get a copy of MAMA'S BOY AND OTHER DARK TALES or any of the great Apex titles from authors Michael A. Burstein, Alethea Kontis, Maurice Broaddus, Nate Kenyon, Sara M. Harvey, Thomas R. Riley, Lavie Tidhar, Brady Schwan, Matt Wallace, Steven Savile and Jennifer Pelland, than this is the sale for you!

Direct from the Apex Alien's mouth:

In celebration of the upcoming Friday, the 13th, we are having a
storewide sale! Get 13% off any item* in the Apex store from now until
Sunday night. Just use the checkout coupon code: FRIDAYTHE13TH.

We don’t do many storewide sales like these, so take advantage of the
savings while you can!

Remember, the code is FRIDAYTHE13TH on the checkout screen.

Our store url is http://www.apexbookcompany.com/cart.php


Apex is doing it's darnedest to keep good fiction coming your way and saving you money, too. Please help keep small independent presses like Apex alive, and buy a great book today!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Black Quill Awards--MB Won!

A Big Fat Thank You!
I just wanted to share some great news with you. Dark Scribe Magazine has announced the Black Quill Awards results and MAMA'S BOY AND OTHER DARK TALES has won the Reader's Choice Award for Best Dark Genre Fiction Collection. I am deeply honored that so many folks sent in their ballots and chose the MB collection. Wow! You all make writing a joy!

To see the list of all the winners, go to Dark Scribe at:

http://www.darkscribemagazine.com/2nd-annual-winners/

My most sincere thanks to all the folks who voted for my collection. You're simply amazing!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Black Quill Deadline and Stokermania!

Cast Your Vote (Pretty Please)
If you haven't had a chance, please stop on over at Dark Scribe Magazine and cast your vote(s) for the Black Quill Awards.

The deadline is tomorrow, January 25th!

I'm honored to have been nominated in the Best Dark Genre Fiction Collection category. If you want to cast your vote, it's easy. It requires a quick registration (if you're not already signed-up as a subscriber - it's FREE) at the Dark Scribe site, which is well worth the effort--it's a fantastic magazine.

For the list of nominees and the voting info (bottom of the page): Click Here

OR

Register Here - Click Here
For the Ballot Page and Login - Click Here

Category: Best Dark Genre Fiction Collection
My Book: Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales

Thank you SO much for your support!












Stokermania!
It's that time of year again when writers of horror loiter around the cauldron and decide the literary fate of their comrades. I'm very pleased that my collection, Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales, has made it to the second level of the voting process to the Preliminary Bram Stoker Award Ballot. Woohoo!

If you're an active HWA member, Apex is providing FREE hard copies of the collection for your consideration. Send me or Apex publisher, Jason Sizemore, an email, including your snail mail address and we'll whisk a copy right off to you! Fran at franfriel@gmail.com or Jason at jason@apexdigest.com. PDFs are also available, if you'd like a cyber-copy, as well.

For those of you who haven't seen the complete list:

2008 Preliminary Bram Stoker Award Ballot

Superior Achievement in a Novel
Coffin County by Gary Braunbeck (Leisure)
The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford (William Morrow)
Ghost Walk by Brian Keene (Leisure)
The Reach by Nate Kenyon (Leisure)
Duma Key by Stephen King (Scribner)
Johnny Gruesome by Gregory Lamberson (Bad Moon/Medallion)
Water Witch by Deborah Leblanc (Dorchester/Leisure)
Bad Moon Rising by Jonathan Maberry (Pinnacle)
Dead and Gone by Harry Shannon (Delirium Books)
The Price by Alexandra Sokoloff (St. Martins)
The Man on the Ceiling by Steve Rasnic Tem and Melanie Tem (Wizards of the Coast)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel
Bestial: Werewolf Apocalypse by William D. Carl (Permuted Press)
Apricot Brandy by Lynn César (Juno Books)
Midnight On Mourn Street by Christopher Conlon (Earthling Publications)
Veins by Lawrence C. Connolly (Fantasist Enterprises)
Eternal Vigilance by Gabrielle S. Faust (Immanion Press)
The Gentling Box by Lisa Mannetti (Dark Hart Press)
Monster Behind the Wheel by Michael McCarty and Mark McLaughlin (Delirium Books)
Frozen Blood by Joel A. Sutherland (Lachesis Publishing)
Crimson Orgy by Austin Williams (Borderlands Press)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction
“The Lagerstatte” by Laird Barron (The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy)
The Shallow End of the Pool by Adam-Troy Castro (Creeping Hemlock)
Miranda by John R. Little (Bad Moon Books)
Redemption Roadshow by Weston Ochse (Burning Effigy)
The Confessions of St. Zach by Gene O'Neill (Bad Moon Books)
Orpheus and the Pearl by Kim Paffenroth (Magus Press)
"Behold the Child" by Harry Shannon (Brimstone Turnpike)
Just Like Hell by Nate Southard (Thunderstorm Books)
Population Zero by Wrath James White (Cargo Cult Press)
Orgy of Souls by Wrath James White, and Maurice Broaddus (Apex Book Company)


Superior Achievement in Short Fiction
"The Last Word" by Maria Alexander (Sins of the Sirens)
"Mama Strangelove's Remedies for Afterlife Disorders, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Mother Death" by C. Dean Andersson (Brutarian)
"Consumed" by Michael Louis Calvillo (Horror Library Volume 3)
"Petrified" by Scott Edelman (Desolate Souls)
"Mechanix" by Christopher Fulbright (Bound for Evil)
The Lost by Sarah Langan (Cemetery Dance Publications)
"The Dude Who Collected Lovecraft" by Nick Mamatas, and Tim Pratt (Chizine)
"The Haven" by John Palisano (Horror Library Vol. 3)
"Turtle" by Lee Thomas (Doorways)
"The Blog at the End of the World" by Paul Tremblay (Chizine)
"Those Eyes" by Mark W. Worthen (Thinner Than Mist)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology
The Undead: Headshot Quartet edited by Christina Bivins and Lane Adamson (Permuted Press)
Like a Chinese Tattoo edited by Bill Breedlove (Dark Arts Books)
Horror Library, Vol. 3 edited by R. J. Cavender (Cutting Block Press)
Abominations edited by Tim Deal (Shroud Publishing)
Beneath the Surface edited by Tim Deal (Shroud Publishing)
Unspeakable Horrors edited by Vince A. Liaguno and Chad Helder (Dark Scribe Press)

Superior Achievement in a Collection
The Number 121 to Pennsylvania by Kealan Patrick Burke (Cemetery Dance Publications)
Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales by Fran Friel (Apex Publications)
Just After Sunset by Stephen King (Scribner)
Little Creatures by Michael McCarty (Sam's Dot Publishing)
Other Gods by Stephen Mark Rainey (Dark Regions Press)
The Autopsy and Other Tales by Michael Shea (Centipede)
Sheep and Wolves by Jeremy C. Shipp (Raw Dog Screaming Press)
Fourtold by Michael Stone (Baysgarth Publications)
Gleefully Macabre Tales by Jeff Strand (Delirium)
Ennui and Other States of Madness by David Niall Wilson (Dark Regions Press)

Superior Achievement in Nonfiction
Shadows Over New England by David Goudsward, and Scott T. Goudsward (BearManor Media)
Bram Stoker's Notes for Dracula by Robert Eighteen-Bisang and Elizabeth Miller (McFarland)
Spirits and Death in Niagara by Marcy Italiano (Schiffer Publishing)
The New Annotated Dracula by Leslie S. Klinger (W. W. Norton)
Beauty and Dynamite by Alethea Kontis (Apex Publications)
Cheap Scares by Gregory Lamberson (McFarland)
Zombie CSU by Jonathan Maberry (Citadel)
Modern Mythmakers by Michael McCarty (McFarland)
A Hallowe'en Anthology by Lisa Morton (McFarland)
The Book of Lists: Horror by Amy Wallace, Del Howison, and Scott Bradley (Harper)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection
The Nightmare Collection by Bruce Boston (Dark Regions Press)
The Phantom World by Gary William Crawford (Sam's Dot)
Virgin of the Apocalypse by Corrine De Winter (Sam's Dot Publishing)
The Flayed Man and Other Poems by Phillip A. Ellis (Gothic Press)
Attack Of The Two-Headed Poetry Monster by Mark McLaughlin and Michael McCarty (Skullvines Press)
Ghosts of Past and Future by Darrell Schweitzer (Borgo)


Please join with me in congratulating these very hard working writers for this wonderful achievement and wish them all success in moving onto the Final Ballot. So many of my dear friends are on this list, including many in my own category. I wish them all the very best!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Black Quill Awards Nomination--Woohoo!

Grateful for Your Vote!
The talented and dedicated folks at Dark Scribe Magazine have recently announced their nominees for the highly sought after Black Quill Awards. I'm very proud to tell you that my collection, Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales, has been nominated for the BQ award in the Best Dark Genre Fiction category.

If you've recovered from the recent voting spree in the US elections and around the planet, I'd be grateful if you'd consider voting for my collection. It's a popular vote, so no electoral stuff to muddle the mind. It requires a quick registration (if you're not already signed-up as a subscriber - FREE) for the Dark Scribe site, which is well worth the effort because it's a fantastic magazine.

For the list of nominees and the voting info (bottom of the page): Click Here

OR

Register Here - Click
Ballot Page and Login - Click

Category: Best Dark Genre Fiction Collection
My Book: Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales

If you have any trouble voting, let me know and I'll try to help.

I can't thank you enough for your support! *fingers crossed*

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel