The Final Ballot...OMG!

The HWA Bram Stoker Award Nominations

After the long months of compiling the recommendation list, then the recent phase of voting for preliminary ballot, The Horror Writers Association has announced the final nominations for the Bram Stoker Awards. And don't tell anybody, but my wicked little novella, MAMA'S BOY, made the final cut in the Long Fiction category! *still dizzy from the shock* I am deeply honored to be included in a list with some of the finest writers in the business.

Congratulations to all the nominees!

Here's the list:

Superior Achievement in a NOVEL
Headstone City by Tom Piccirilli (Bantam)
Liseys Story by Stephen King (Scribner)
Ghost Road Blues by Jonathan Maberry (Pinnacle)
Pressure by Jeff Strand (Earthling)
Prodigal Blues by Gary A. Braunbeck (Cemetery Dance)

Superior Achievement in a FIRST NOVEL
Ghost Road Blues by Jonathan Maberry (Pinnacle)
The Keeper by Sarah Langan (William Morrow)
Bloodstone by Nate Kenyon (Five Star)
The Harrowing by Alexandra Sokoloff (St. Martins)

Superior Achievement in LONG FICTION
Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge (Cemetery Dance)
Hallucigenia by Laird Barron (The Magazine of Fantasy
and Science Fiction)
Mama's Boy by Fran Friel (Insidious Publications)
Bloodstained Oz by Christopher Golden and James A.
Moore (Earthling Publications)
Clubland Heroes by Kim Newman (Retro Pub Tales)

Superior Achievement in SHORT FICTION
Tested by Lisa Morton (Cemetery Dance)
Balance by Gene ONeill (Cemetery Dance)
Feeding the Dead Inside by Yvonne Navarro (Mondo
Zombie)
FYI by Mort Castle (Masques V)
“31/10” by Stephen Volk (Dark Corners)

Superior Achievement in an ANTHOLOGY
Aegri Somnia: The Apex Featured Writer Anthology
edited by Jason Sizemore (Apex)
Mondo Zombie edited by John Skipp (Cemetery Dance)
Retro Pulp Tales edited by Joe Lansdale (Subterranean)
Alone on the Darkside edited by John Pelan (Roc)

Superior Achievement in a COLLECTION
Destinations Unknown by Gary Braunbeck (Cemetery
Dance)
American Morons by Glen Hirshberg (Earthling
Publications)
The Commandments by Angeline Hawkes (Nocturne Press)
The Empire of Ice Cream by Jeffrey Ford (Golden
Gryphon)
Basic Black: Tales of Appropriate Fear by Terry
Dowling (Cemetery Dance)
Cinema Macabre edited by Frank Morris (PS Publishing)

Superior Achievement in NONFICTION
Final Exits: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We
Die by Michael Largo (Harper)
Gospel of the Living Dead: George Romero's Visions of
Hell on Earth by Kim Paffenroth (Baylor Press)
Stephen King: Uncollected, Unpublished byRocky Wood
(Cemetery Dance)

Superior Achievement in POETRY
Shades Fantastic by Bruce Boston (Gromagon Press)
Valentine: Short Love Poems by Corrine de Winter
(Black Arrow Press)
The Troublesome Amputee by John Edward Lawson (Raw Dog
Screaming Press)
Songs of a Sorceress by Bobbi Sinha-Morey (Write
Words, Inc.)


I want to thank all my readers and friends (you're all my friends, as far as I'm concerned!) for your incredible support since the first mention here of MAMA'S BOY. Honestly, without you I wouldn't be on that Stoker list. Please accept my sincerest gratitude to ALL of you!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Wierdsville Tagging and Whine With Cheese

Well, I've procrastinated long enough. I was "tagged" by my pal, author Jack Kincaid, over at MySpace. Suffice to say, there are very few friends like "The Ripper" that I would actually follow through for on such a dare. But he called me adorable and evil, so how could I refuse him...but I digress.

Anyway, this tagging thing requires posting a list of 10 weird things about oneself, and of course I've got WAY more than ten I can list (but most are not suitable for a public forum! *grin*). So, I thought I would string this assignment out and do my list one post at a time. Yes, a SLOW torture of sorts. That also gives me time to contemplate my weirdness and just which bits I might share with you. Okay, here goes...

Weirdsville #1
Drumroll please! Well, maybe a drumroll is a little too dramatic for this particular weirdness, but I have a strange fascination with flattened pennies. You know, the kind made in those groovy machines on the NJ Turnpike, and in amusement parks and tourist attractions around the country. You just put your penny and two quarters in the slots, crank the machine and out comes an oval shaped penny with a cool picture and greeting stamped on it...Good Luck...Welcome to Niagara Falls...Seattle Space Needle.

In my small bit of research for this blog, I discovered I'm not the only one fascinated by these little slabs of copper. Seems there are some hardcore collectors out there, and even a history of the flattened penny dating back at least 120 years. Looks like you can even buy leftover pennies from retired dies. Although I tend to collect these from places I visit for the nostalgia of it, I think I might just have to nab me a few of those retired collectibles. See...weird, eh?

So how does this relate to horror and writing? Well very loosely, until you get to the story that's brewing in my head from just thinking about this little obsession. Contemplating the possibilities makes me giddy! Again...weird. *more grinning*

Whine With Cheese
Well, I've certainly provided enough cheese today...or cheesiNESS, my usual blog fare. But my whine is a dry and bitter one, having spent hours last night trying to redo my profile at MySpace because of some behind the scenes messing around with code by the owners of that dark cyber-realm. I miss my old profile background! In fact, I loved that strange eyeball and planet thing, but I couldn't salvage it. For now, it'll just have to be basic black. Does it work for you? I hope so.
Okay, my whine is complete and my Weirdsville #1 is revealed. Now back to work for me. There's writing in them thar hills for me to explore. Wish me luck!

Live long and prosper, dudes and dudettes!
See, told ya'...weird. Hmm...maybe that's a idea for Weirdsville #2.

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Raineying Turtles, Skulls and Stokers

Hi Gang! It's good to be back. And since I've been gone I've a accumulated a few things to share with you. I'm usually a one subject blogger, but I'm going to be a glutton today.

Boot Camp
So, most of you know that I was in Maryland last weekend for the Borderlands Press Novel Boot Camp. It was everything I was told it would be and more than I expected. I don't know how they packed in such a wallop of teaching in what a amounted to only two days, but they did it. Tom Monteleone, F. Paul Wilson, Douglas Winter and Ginjer Buchanan were indeed the wizards I expected them to be. Their laser insight and observations show that there's nothing to replace years of experience. Besides the amazing instructors, my fellow grunts offered invaluable feedback and support! *waves to all the wonderful BPBC grunts* If you want to rocket your writing forward, submit your writing sample to the Boot Camp and try to get a spot.

Terps
I grew up in Maryland, so after Boot Camp I stayed a few extra days to visit with family. One of my visits was with my daughter. She's studying architecture at The University of Maryland, College Park. It's quite an impressive campus, and heck we could be paying for an Ivy League college for what the out-of-state tuition is costing, but what I don't understand is how such a fine school could end up with such a...well...stupid mascot. The Terrapin?? They actually have t-shirts that say, "Fear the Turtle." Adding insult to injury, the turtle's name is Testudo. Need I say more? Come on people!

Skullring.org
Okay, I hope your eyes don't glaze over, but MAMA'S BOY has received another generous review. The marvelous Mr. Joe McKinney of DEAD CITY fame has shared his thoughts about MB at the excellent horror site, Skullring.org. Besides being a fine writer (his book DEAD CITY is on the preliminary Stoker ballot for Best First Novel!), Joe is also a homicide detective, so his comments as a law enforcement professional are fascinating and gratifying concerning MAMA'S BOY. I hope you'll stop by and read his review, and leave him a comment for his kind efforts. Read the review Here. And visit Joe McKinney Here at MySpace.

Stephen Mark Rainey
My dear friend, Stephen Mark Rainey, has also found his brilliant work on the preliminary Stoker ballot. Moving past a huge field of short story competition, "Sky of Thunder, Island of Blood" is gracing the prelim ballot. If you haven't had a chance to read this one, it an Amazon Short well worth a read and a outrageous bargain for 49 cents. Mark was most gracious and has also offered a review of MAMA'S BOY on his blog. It's not a completely glowing review, but with his many years of writing and editorial experience, a characteristically honest review from Mr. Rainey is a treasure.

Non-Fiction
Non-fiction at the Stokers may not always get the attention it deserves, and Michael Largo has asked me to spread the word. His book, FINAL EXITS, has made the preliminary ballot and he's offering a free copy to active HWA members for their Stoker consideration. If you're an active member, you can request a copy from Michael at: finalexits@aol.com

Last Thing
With all the preliminary Bram Stoker ballot talk, I'm very pleased to tell you that MAMA'S BOY has made the list. The current list is down from 57 recommendations to 11 preliminary Long Fiction offerings for the membership to vote on. The next phase is the final ballot, so please cross your fingers for MB to make the next cut. Thank you all for your support and encouragement since MAMA'S BOY release last Summer. I can't thank you enough!!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Off To See The Wizards!

Well, kids, I'm off to see the Wizard. Well, the wizards of Borderlands Press Novel Boot Camp. That would be the lovely and talented Tom Monteleone, F. Paul Wilson, Douglas Winter and Ginjer Buchanan. The other 15 "grunts" and I get to spend the weekend with these fine folks who will offer their expertise and criticism in hopes of helping us become better writers. I've heard the tales of tough love, from former Boot Camp grunts who've said it was some of the best time and money they've spent to further their writing skills.

Since I'll be leaving soon for the trenches, this will be my last blog entry for about a week. In the meantime, I leave you with a blushingly wonderful review of MAMA'S BOY by the gifted author, Kristy Tallman of THE ALL-SOUL'S FAIRE fame. Please help me thank Kristy for an amazing review (unsolicited - I SWEAR I didn't pay her!) by stopping by her blog and her website while I'm gone. Tell her Fran sent ya'!

PLEASE CLICK HERE to Read Kristy's Review!!

See ya' soon, gang...hopefully, with a good solid handle on my novel...and a nice buzz cut! *wink*

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

TINY TERRORS 2!

I just wanted to share a little news. My story, "Bad Music" was accepted for the anthology, TINY TERRORS 2 from UK publisher, Hadesgate Publications. I loved the first book in this series, a little pocket sized book with great stories and art (Jason Beirens from The Horror Library has illustrations in the first volume of Tiny Terrors), so I was really hoping to get a spot in this one. If you haven't seen TT1, you can find it Here. In the UK, look for it Here.

The cover was a cool surprise when I got a copy of TINY TERROR, VOL 1. It's a 3/4 soft cover with the first page beneath the cover peeking out with splatters of blood on it. I love this effect, very subtle but chilling. And I've been told the next one will be similar, but the "peeking out" page will be red, with bullet holes!

As soon as I get the cover art and pre-order info, I'll share it with you, along with the story line-up. I think you're going to enjoy this one!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

OOGY...

I just wanted to thank you all for your very kind wishes regarding my recent heavyweight bout with the stomach flu. Needless to say, I lost the early rounds, and although I'm still feeling oogy, I'm sure I'll walk away the victor. I have to! Borderlands Press Novel Book Camp is next weekend in Maryland. I've been waiting since I applied last February for this workshop, so I need to be prepared to get my arse kicked there, too. *wink* Say a little prayer for me...mostly for the much needed whoopin' my novel will be getting.

Now for the entertainment portion of this post. For those of you who missed Borat, here's the equally shocking 30-second Bunnie Re-enactment version:

http://www.starz.com/features/bunnyclub/borat/index.html

You can also see the 30-Second Bunnies Troupe in Fight Club and Christmas Vacation: HERE

Well, that's all the juice I've got for you at the moment. I'm heading back to my critiquing for Boot Camp and then back to bed. You all keep the horror fires burning for me while I duke it out with this bug. Stay well and enjoy the Bunnies!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel