Anthologies:

Dark Faith 2 is well underway.  I’m about a third of the way through the 600 submissions we received in January, and I’m on schedule to get everyone an answer within 90 days of submission.  May 1st is the deadline for solicited manuscripts, and we’ll be making final decisions shortly after that.  The book will debut at WorldCon in Chicago (August 2012).

Novellas:

I’m nearing a first draft on Breaking The World.  The apocalyptic book follows three atheist teenagers trapped inside the Branch Davidian Church during David Koresh’s perilous standoff with the ATF and FBI.  I’m quite pleased with the way the story is shaping up.  So much so, it’s become the first book in a series.  Tentative release, Summer 2012.

Novels:

Severed Dreams needs some minor tweaking before it heads back out.

Stage:

Despite my best efforts, I haven’t been able to squirrel away enough time to finish my interactive adaptation of Shakespeare’s greatest war story.  I’m leaving this here until it shames me into action.

Top Secret:

A pair of really cool pop culture projects that I signed away my ability to talk about (for the moment).

We’re looking for the story only you could write, something deeply personal and at the same time universal.  Everyone believes in something and we want you to put those beliefs to the test.  We’re looking for smart, literate stories that don’t proselytize or stereotype.  Stories that make you think, that comment on the human condition and the social order.  Stories that are rich in their use of language.

However, as much as we love social commentary, don’t forget to entertain us.  The best way to get a feel for what we’re looking for is to read Dark Faith.

Submissions will be accepted from 1/1/2012 until 1/31/2012.  Unsolicited stories received outside this timeframe will be deleted, unread.

Please include a cover letter with your submission–even if we know you.  Please send no more than one submission at a time.  No reprints.  Simultaneous submissions will be accepted as long as you tell us up front (and immediately withdraw the story if you sell it).

All submissions must be emailed as an RTF file to Maurice Broaddus and Jerry Gordon at darkfaithantho@gmail.com.

Ellen Datlow also compiles a yearly list of stories of significant note.  Dark Faith andLast Rites received a total of seven honorable mentions:

“Hush” – Kelly Barnhill
“For My Next Trick I’ll Need a Volunteer” – Gary A. Braunbeck
“Chimeras & Grotesques” – Matt Cardin
“Little Gods” – Sara Genge
“The Last Words of Dutch Schultz Jesus Christ” – Nick Mamatas
“You Dream” – Ekaterina Sedia
“The Taste of Memories” – Nate Southard

Many thanks to Paula and Ellen for their selections.

When you purchase Dark Faith directly from the publisher, you’ll receive Last Rites free!

After years of cheering on the work of friends nominated for this prestigous award, I’m speechless to be sharing their company.  Dark Faith was a joy to put together with Maurice Broaddus and Jason Sizemore.

I’m pleased to be sharing a ballot with friends.  Gary Braunbeck is twice nominated for To Each Their Darkness (if you’re a writer, or you want to be, you must read this book) and “Return to Mariabronn,” Lucy Snyder for the wonderfully witty debut novel, Spellbent, Wrath James White for Vicious Romantic, and Nick Mamatas for Haunted Legends. Good luck!

2010 Bram Stoker Nominees:

Superior Achievement in a Novel

• HORNS by Joe Hill (William Morrow)
• ROT AND RUIN by Jonathan Maberry (Simon & Schuster)
• DEAD LOVE by Linda Watanabe McFerrin (Stone Bridge Press)
• APOCALYPSE OF THE DEAD by Joe McKinney (Pinnacle)
• DWELLER by Jeff Strand (Leisure/Dark Regions Press)
• A DARK MATTER by Peter Straub (DoubleDay)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

• BLACK AND ORANGE by Benjamin Kane Ethridge (Bad Moon Books)
• A BOOK OF TONGUES by Gemma Files (Chizine Publications)
• CASTLE OF LOS ANGELES by Lisa Morton (Gray Friar Press)
• SPELLBENT by Lucy Snyder (Del Rey)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

• THE PAINTED DARKNESS by Brian James Freeman (Cemetery Dance)
• DISSOLUTION by Lisa Mannetti (Deathwatch)
• MONSTERS AMONG US by Kirstyn McDermott (Macabre: A Journey through Australia’s Darkest Fears)
• THE SAMHANACH by Lisa Morton (Bad Moon Books)
• INVISIBLE FENCES by Norman Prentiss (Cemetery Dance)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

• RETURN TO MARIABRONN by Gary Braunbeck (Haunted Legends)
• THE FOLDING MAN by Joe R. Lansdale (Haunted Legends)
• 1925: A FALL RIVER HALLOWEEN by Lisa Mannetti (Shroud Magazine #10)
• IN THE MIDDLE OF POPLAR STREET by Nate Southard (Dead Set: A Zombie Anthology)
• FINAL DRAFT by Mark W. Worthen (Horror Library IV)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

• DARK FAITH edited by Maurice Broaddus and Jerry Gordon (Apex Publications)
• HORROR LIBRARY IV edited by R.J. Cavender and, Boyd E. Harris (Cutting Block Press)
• MACABRE: A JOURNEY THROUGH AUSTRALIA’S DARKEST FEARS edited by Angela Challis and Marty Young (Brimstone Press)
• HAUNTED LEGENDS edited by Ellen Datlow and Nick Mamatas (Tor)
• THE NEW DEAD edited by Christopher Golden (St. Martin’s Griffin)

Superior Achievement in a Collection

• OCCULTATION by Laird Barron (Night Shade Books)
• BLOOD AND GRISTLE by Michael Louis Calvillo (Bad Moon Books)
• FULL DARK, NO STARS by Stephen King (Simon and Schuster)
• THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY by Stephen Graham Jones (Prime Books)
• A HOST OF SHADOWS by Harry Shannon (Dark Regions Press)

Superior Achievement in Nonfiction

• TO EACH THEIR DARKNESS by Gary A. Braunbeck (Apex Publications)
• THE CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE HUMAN RACE by Thomas Ligotti (Hippocampus Press)
• WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE by Jonathan Maberry and Janice Gable Bashman (Citadel)
• LISTEN TO THE ECHOES: THE RAY BRADBURY INTERVIEWS by Sam Weller (Melville House Publications)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection

• DARK MATTERS by Bruce Boston (Bad Moon Books)
• WILD HUNT OF THE STARS by Ann K. Schwader (Sam’s Dot)
• DIARY OF A GENTLEMAN DIABOLIST by Robin Spriggs (Anomalous Books)
• VICIOUS ROMANTIC by Wrath James White (Needfire Poetry)

Apex Book Company has made “Ghosts of New York” available online for free, along with Catherynne Valente’s “Days of Flaming Motorcycles” (a preliminary ballot winner for the Bram Stoker award).

Check them out. And then pick up a copy of Dark Faith!

I got the news from my publisher late last night.  Dark Faith made the preliminary ballot for Superior Achievement in an Anthology.  In addition to that, Catherynne Valente’s story from Dark Faith, “The Days of Flaming Motorcycles,” also made the preliminary ballot for Superior Achievement in Short Fiction.

Jason Sizemore, the evil genius behind Apex Books, is making Dark Faith available to HWA members for final ballot consideration.  HWA members that would like a copy should email him at jason@apexbookcompany.com.

Congratulations to all the nominees:

Superior Achievement in an ANTHOLOGY

DARK FAITH edited by Maurice Broaddus and Jerry Gordon (Apex Publications)

HORROR LIBRARY IV edited by R.J. Cavender and, Boyd E. Harris (Cutting Block Press)

CTHULHU’S DARK CULTS edited by David Conyers (Chaosium)

HAUNTED LEGENDS edited by Ellen Datlow and Nick Mamatas (Tor)

THE NEW DEAD edited by Christopher Golden (St. Martin’s Griffin)

BLACK WINGS edited S.T. Joshi (PS Publishing)

EVOLVE: VAMPIRE STORIES OF THE NEW UNDEAD edited by Nancy Kilpatrick (Edge Science Fiction & Fantasy Publishing)

NULL IMMORTALIS edited by D.F. Lewis (Megazanthus Press)

DEAD SET: A ZOMBIE ANTHOLOGY edited by Michelle McCrary and Joe McKinney (23 House Publishing)

SCENES FROM THE SECOND STOREY by Amanda Pillar and Pete Kempshall (Morrigan Books)

I’d also like to congratulate Gary Braunbeck for his heartfelt exploration of the writing life, To Each Their Darkness (this book should be on the shelves of aspiring and veteran writers alike).  Lucy Snyder’s witty and wonderfully inventive Spellbent also received a well-deserved nod.  And Larry Connolly made the list in two categories with Vipers and This Way to Egress (couldn’t happen to a nicer guy).  Nick Mamatas for his editing work with Ellen Datlow on Haunted Legends.  And one last shout out to Greg Hall for his debut Church Street novel.  Good luck everyone!

If you’re interested in the book and still sitting the fence, you’ll find no better place to convince you to order… or at least badger your local library to order a copy for you (most have a special fund for patron suggestions).  If you order Dark Faith directly from Apex Publishing, you’ll receive Last Rites, a limited-edition chapbook, for free.  Dark Faith is also available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Borders.  Or if you prefer electronic form, you can get it for the  Kindle and iPad.

Book Trailer:

Dark Faith:

Faith.  So much of our reality is determined by what we believe, and it can so easily be… undone.  Editors Maurice Broaddus and Jerry Gordon have created an anthology that explores, questions, and shatters the boundaries of faith.

Pick up a gun and write a new psalm with Brian Keene.  Confront the inhumanity of modern society with Gary Braunbeck.  Find magic behind the suburbs of Portland with Jay Lake.  Walk the line between art and desire with Tom Piccirilli.  Through twenty-six stories you will be transported from the rooftops of the twin towers to steps of the Vatican.

Review Blurbs:

“It may be the best anthology I’ve ever read…reads like a “Year’s Best” rather than a nominee for it.”
~Horror Web

“Terrible beauty and mind-shattering horror. It’s all here, in what’s sure to be one of the year’s best anthologies.”
~ Shroud Magazine

“No matter what your ideas about heaven or hell or religion (or lack therof) are, this book is designed to challenge you, to make you think, and most importantly, to entertain you.”
~ Sevier County News

Sample Stories:

Ghosts of New York by Jennifer Pelland

The Days of Flaming Motorcycles by Catherynne M. Valente

Related Fiction:

The Last Stand of the Ant Maker by Paul Jessup

City of Refuge by Jerry Gordon

City of Refuge (audio version) by Jerry Gordon (read by Maurice Broaddus)

Award Nominations:

Bram Stoker Award, Superior Achievement in an Anthology

Nebula Award, Best Short Story “Ghosts of New York” by Jennifer Pelland

Black Quill Award, Best Dark Genre Anthology

Interviews:

Fantasy Magazine (June 2010)

Fangoria Magazine (May 2010)

Dark Faith Devotions (April-May 2010)

Podcasts:

SF Signal Interview with Maurice Broaddus and Jerry Gordon

The Dead Robot Society’s Podcast – Episode 132 – A Discussion of Dark Faith

The Funky Werepig:  Mo*Con V live!

Official Website:

www.darkfaithanthology.com

The Guys Behind The Book:

L to R: Jason Sizemore (Publisher) Maurice Broaddus (Editor) Jerry Gordon (Editor)

The reviews have been exceedingly positive, and the blur of interviews continues.  Here are a couple new ones I couldn’t help but share.  I’m going to have to put together an “All Things Dark Faith” post soon to consolidate these bursts of good news.

“Terrible beauty and mind-shattering horror. It’s all here, in what’s sure to be one of the year’s best anthologies.”  Check out Shroud Magazine’s full review here. 

“It may be the best anthology I’ve ever read… reads like a “Year’s Best” rather than a nominee for it.”  Check out Horror Web’s full review here.

New Interviews:

Many thanks to Greg Hall and R.Scott McCoy for bringing The Funky Werepig to Indianapolis for the launch of Mo*Con.  Scroll down to check out some of the most recent interviews.  And if you haven’t yet, order your copy of Dark Faith!

Live at the Dark Faith Launch: Chesya Burke, Jerry Gordon, Greg Hall, and Maurice Broaddus

Dark Faith Devotions - A series of mini-interviews that explore the writers behind Dark Faith.

Fantasy Magazine - Inteview with Maurice Broaddus and Jerry Gordon on the making of Dark Faith.

The Funky Werepig – A madhouse cast of Dark Faith characters, including Brian Keene, Alethea Kontis, Kelly Owen, Chesya Burke, Maurice Broaddus, and Jerry Gordon.

If you order Dark Faith directly from Apex Publishing, you’ll receive Last Rites, a limited-edition chapbook, for free.  Dark Faith is also available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Borders.  Or if you prefer electronic form, you can get it for the  Kindle and iPad.

Here’s a quick peek at Stephen Gilbert’s final cover to Last Rites, the limited-edition companion to Dark Faith.  Both are available for pre-order via the Apex website.