Sinister Reads – September 2011
AUSTRALIAN SHADOWS AWARDS NOW OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS
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New Website and Subscription Drive for Midnight Echo!
Midnight Echo, the AHWA’s official magazine, now has a new website, a new subscription service and new payment rates for fiction, poetry, non-fiction and artwork
To celebrate ME’s ‘re-launch,’ we’re holding a subscription drive across the month of October; anyone who subscribes to one of our subscription options between now and Halloween will go into the draw to win the following:
- First Prize: $200 in cold hard cash!
- Second Prize: $50 prize pack from Black House Comics, a copy of Macabre; A Journey through Australia’s Darkest Fears, edited by Angela Challis and Marty Young, plus Australian Hauntings, edited by James Doig.
- Third Prize: a signed copy of This Green Hell by Greig Beck, plus Australian Hauntings, edited by James Doig, and a voucher to the value of $75 for use at Cohesion Editing and Proofreading.
Thanks to Tasmaniac Publications, we also have copies of Bone Marrow Stew by Tim Curran, and Concrete Jungle by Brett McBean, to give away, plus there are more copies of Macabre; A Journey through Australia’s Darkest Fears, Australian Hauntings, as well as AHWA merchandise to the value of $60!
We need to reach 100 (or more) subscribers to be able to hold this draw, so spread the word! Let your friends know. Help Midnight Echo take you backstage to the midnight show. Plus, the more subscribers we get, the better we can pay our contributors. We’ve recently doubled the payment rates from 1c/word to 2c/word, but our aim is to be able to offer 5c/word.
We’ll post regular updates to let you know how close we’re getting to our target.
In the meantime, why not have a look around the new website, check out the details for Issue 6, coming this November, and let us know what you think.
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Fundraiser Dinner-Dance and Auction!
The Australian American Association, Victoria, in conjunction with the AHWA, is holding a dinner-dance and auction this October the 29th in Melbourne. The night is to raise sorely-needed funds for Rocky Wood, a Melbourne writer who is current president of the Horror Writers Association and member of both the AAA and the AHWA, who suffers from a Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
Auction items include, among other things, a signed 1st edition Stephen King hard-cover and signed original artwork from the upcoming graphic-novel Witches! Check out all the details HERE!
Now, back to our regular updates!
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Sinister Reads
The Land of Bad Dreams
by Kyla Lee Ward
P’rea Press
ISBN – 978-0-9804625-7-9
RRP: AU$18.00
Available from: P’rea Press and Le Cabinet des Curiosities
Release date: 27 September 2011
A brief synopsis of the story (The blurb on the back of the book is fine).
“Kyla Lee Ward is a darkly shining poetic talent of Australia. The sweep of Gothic landscapes and the howling shadowlands of dream in The Land of Bad Dreams propel readers towards old and new vistas of pandemonium, for compulsion is at the heart of Ward’s poetry… compulsion to war against age-old human fears and terrors, and to triumph over them. Who dares fight them with her?”
“In The Land of Bad Dreams, Kyla Ward offers up a rich, eccentric miscellany of dark music, skillfully crafted and strangely wrought. Dream-image or historical horror, vignette or ballad, there is something here to intrigue almost any seeker after the weird.” - Ann K. Schwader, Rhysling award-winner and author of Twisted in Dream
“Nocturnal, toothy, grisly and witty…a carnival of life’s cruel and grotesque side, with much pageant and dark laughter.” – K. J. Bishop, author of The Etched City.
“Terror and the beauty it can evoke: that’s what I expect from poetry like this – and that is what The Land of Bad Dreams gave me. This is a collection that should be welcomed by those who love poetry of whatever ilk and may even be embraced by those who don’t.” – Robert Hood, author of Immaterial, Creeping in Reptile Flesh
“The Land of Bad Dreams is a haunting collection. It deserves a place alongside the works of Angela Carter, Joyce Carol Oates, Tanith Lee, Mirra Lokhvitskaya, and Leonora Carrington, but Ward’s voice is all her own.” – Leigh Blackmore, President, Australian Horror Writers Association
After the World
Black House Comics
AU$5.00
Website: http://www.blackboox.net
It’s back! And it’s bigger and better than ever – literally!
It’s been over a year since we left Tamsyn in After the World: Gravesend and things aren’t getting any better for anyone. Fewer people and more zombies isn’t really going to make anyone happy.
In Pack Rules, Jason Franks (Kagemono, The Sixsmiths, McBlack) takes a completely new cast and tells a chilling story about the end of the world in the arts end of the world – Melbourne. It wasn’t like this for Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Fred Astaire (look it up people!).
And in a massive change to the format of the books, After the World has gone from a single story book to an anthology of some of the best horror and sci-fi this side of…that thing over there.
More – we’ve doubled the size which means we’ve got more room for more works from more new and established writers working in speculative fiction. More I tell you!
Heading up matters is B. Michael Radburn (The Crossing) with Indian Summer, a tale of a bike that likes to be ridden; The Rule of Three by Pete Kempshall, a story about a man alone in space, driven to desperate acts; Nothing Goes to Waste by Raymond Gates, a chilling story about how far you would go for your family; Thirty Seconds by Eugene Gramelis, a tale of science and revenge for all the right reasons; The Hobart Town Whisperer by Clinton Green, about the way a town can be haunted; and shortieA Clockwork Arthur by Black House favourite Jason Fischer and I can’t even tell you what that one’s about – I think it’s something to do with elephants.
With brand new cover art from Jason Paulos and a pinup from… Jason Paulos, it’s one good looking book. The back cover is by Jason too. And let’s not forget it took three Jasons to get this much awesome together so it has to be rockin’.
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A Touch of Evil
by Barry Simiana
Nitewriter-Media
ISBN Print: 978-1-4478-3072-6 / eBook: 978-0-646-56296-4
RRP: Print: US$14.99 / eBook:US$2.99
Available from: Lulu & Smashwords
Nine short stories that explore the effect of random chance on the lives of ordinary people. A Touch of Evil offers an answer to the eternal question: “What if …?”
~Christy Clement
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Join one of Australia’s most successful authors of science fiction, fantasy and horror, Lee Battersby, for a journey through the fantastic art of the science fiction short story. Over six weeks you will learn how to build worlds, character, voice and mood in this challenging and rewarding form.
Each week includes readings, discussion, critical analysis and creative responses. The course is jam-packed with resources, networks, opportunities and most importantly, the tools you need to write your own way.
The Online Learning Centre gives you the flexibility to study at your own pace, when and where it suits you, as well as plenty of opportunities to interact with other students and receive feedback from Lee Battersby in course forums.
6 weekly topics beginning on Monday October 3, 2011
URL: http://awmonlinelearn.com.au/course/category.php?id=15
OzWriting Plus
An online resource for writers of all genres and fields, covering markets, agents, contracts, publishing, royalty payments, promotion, copyright, professional responsibilities and links to other resources.
http://ozwritingplus.blogspot.com/
http://www.scaryminds.com/
From the Pit
http://fromthepitnews.blogspot.com/
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