Deborah Sheldon's Blog, page 28

Cover reveal: Figments and Fragments

Very exciting! IFWG Publishing Australia has released the cover for my upcoming collection, Figments and Fragments: dark stories. The artwork and design is by Keely Van Order. The collection will be released on 18 November 2019.

https://ifwgaustralia.com/2019/07/20/...

The back-cover blurb reads:

Brutal. Compelling. Sinister.

From wheat farms, roadhouses, caravan parks and beaches to quiet suburban streets and inner-city apartments, award-winning author Deborah Sheldon tells distinctly Australian stories about violence, loss, betrayal and revenge.

Figments and Fragments includes three new stories written especially for the collection.

The AntipodeanSF Radio Show

The AntipodeanSF Radio Show, hosted by the editor of AntipodeanSF magazine, Ion Newcombe, selects the best in speculative flash fiction with stories often narrated by the authors themselves.

The episode “Al-Biruni” includes my flash fiction piece “Entombed” – narrated by yours truly! – and “A Perfect Plan” by Gary Escourt, narrated by Marg Essex.

https://antisf.libsyn.com/al-biruni
 

Midnight Echo #14

Midnight Echo is the magazine of the Australasian Horror Writers Association. I'm honoured to be guest editor of issue 14, due for release December 2019.

From the AHWA website: "Midnight Echo 14 is upon us and the AHWA is proud to announce that Deb Sheldon is onboard to guest edit this representative of all things good about Australasian horror writing. Deb’s themed issued of Things Are Not As They Seem will open to submissions from July 30 to August 31 and she is seeking only the best for this edition of Midnight Echo."

Submission information can be found here: https://australasianhorror.com/midnig...

AHWA Mentorship Program 2019

The Australasian Horror Writers Association Mentorship Program opens for applications on June 10. The program provides the opportunity to work closely with highly qualified mentors on an approved project. Successful applicants will be matched for a three-month period of one-on-one development and guidance.

This year's mentors are Alan Baxter, Paul Mannering, Robert N. Stephenson, Kaaron Warren, and myself. Applications close June 24 at midnight.

For more information, visit the AHWA website here: https://australasianhorror.com/mentor...

The Sky Falls Down: an Anthology of Loss

My short story, “A Guest for Dinner”, is included in Sky Falls Down: an Anthology of Loss (Ginninderra Press). Co-editors of the book, Terry Whitebeach and Gina Mercer, want to provide the 89 Australian contributors with a fee for their work and have set up a crowd-funding initiative to raise the money. Can you help? All monies raised will go directly to authors in the form of fees and copies of the book.

To support the writers, please follow this link: https://australianculturalfund.org.au...

Click here for more information about the book, or to purchase a copy from Ginninderra Press:
https://www.ginninderrapress.com.au/

A book contract signed with Severed Press

Exciting news! I'm thrilled to announce that I've signed a contract with Severed Press to publish my latest horror novel. More information shortly.

I have two existing titles with Severed Press: the novel "Devil Dragon", which was nominated for the Australian Shadows Award "Best Novel" in 2016; and the novella "Thylacines", currently nominated for the "Paul Haines Award for Long Fiction" in the Australian Shadows.

Severed Press is an award-winning Australian publisher with titles regularly featured in the top 100 horror and sci-fi bestseller lists.
http://www.severedpress.com/

Two Australian Shadows Award nominations!

I'm thrilled that my work is shortlisted for two categories in the Australian Shadows Awards. "Contrition" (IFWG Publishing) is nominated for Best Novel, and "Thylacines" (Severed Press) for the Paul Haines Award for Long Fiction.

You can see the full list of shortlisted entries here: https://australasianhorror.wordpress....

Congratulations and good luck to all the nominated writers and editors!

Guest blog post: "Why I write horror"

Kendall Reviews offers news, reviews and articles on the darker genres. Just published is my guest blog post, "Why I write horror".

An excerpt:

"Horror appeals to me because it is the most authentic type of fiction. It mirrors life as it really is – unfair, unjust, unpredictable, ultimately lethal – rather than the way we wish it could be. Horror fiction is cathartic to read. (Especially once you reach middle age, like me, and life has kicked you in the face a few times.)"

You can read the full essay here:
https://kendallreviews.com/award-winn...

Year's Best Hardcore Horror #4 is out now

Year’s Best Hardcore Horror #4, which includes my story “Hair and Teeth”, is out now.
https://www.amazon.com/Years-Best-Har...

"Red Room Press is extremely proud to present its fourth annual anthology featuring this year's hardcore corps of authors with the best extreme horror fiction of 2018 that breaks boundaries and trashes taboos."

The anthology is also available in paperback.
https://www.amazon.com/Years-Best-Har...

Review of "Contrition" by the Horror Tree

The Horror Tree gives my noir-horror novel Contrition a five-star review. In part, reviewer Alyson Faye writes, “This is a pacy, exciting read with strong horror content and some gruesome scenes which are well written but not for the faint-hearted reader…”

You can read the full review here:
https://horrortree.com/epeolatry-book...