Friday, March 23, 2012

Derringer Voting Nearing Close

Time is running out to vote for your favorite short mystery. The deadline for voting is March 31. I will be closing the poll at midnight. That means that all the procrastinating members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society should view this post as a wake up call.

That's right people. Next week is the final week of voting. Dive into reading! Make your opinion heard on which of the nominees will be awarded this year's Derringers.

The judges have made their choices. Trust me, choosing wasn't easy. There were lots of great stories and they had the daunting task of narrowing the choices down to the five best in each category.

It is your turn. Jump in and place your vote for the best, that one great story that deserves to take home the prize.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Derringer Awards Voting is Open

All stories selected by the judges as finalists for the 2012 Derringer Awards have been posted to the Derringers Voting Group Files section. Now it is time for the members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society to start reading these excellent stories.

Voting is open until the end of March. I look forward to seeing which stories will win the Derringer Awards.

2012 Short Mystery Fiction Society Finalists

Voting opens today for the Derringer Awards. Below are the five stories selected by our judges as finalists in each category. Congratulations to each of the finalists for the excellent work published in 2011. I look forward to seeing more stories from all of you.

I do not envy our members the task of narrowing the stories to one winning entry in each category. In my opinion, these are all winners.

Finalists for Best Novelette:

Jeffrey Cohen, "The Gun Also Rises: an Aaron Tucker Mystery," Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, January/February 2011

Toni L. P. Kelner, "In Brightest Day," Home Improvement: Undead Edition, August 2011

Doug Allyn, "A Penny for the Boatman," Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, March/April 2011

David Dean, "Tomorrow’s Dead," Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, July 2011

Earl Staggs, "Where Billy Died," Untreed Reads, August 2011

Finalists for Best Long Story

Art Taylor, "A Drowning at Snow’s Cut," Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, May 2011

Trina Corey, "Facts Exhibiting Wantonness," Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, November 2011

Trey Dowell, "Ballistic," Untreed Reads, July 2011

Karen Pullen, "Brea’s Tale," Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, November 2011

William Burton McCormick, "Blue Amber," Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, June 2011

Finalists for Best Short Story:

Elizabeth Zelvin, "Death will Tank Your Fish," Murder New York Style: Fresh Slices, 2011

B.V. Lawson, "Touch of Death," Absent Willow Review Online Magazine, April 2011

Mary E. Stibal, "Sisters in Black," Best New England Crime Stories 2012: Dead Calm, November 2011.

Cathi Stoler, "Fatal Flaw." Beat to a Pulp Online, April 2011

Adam Renn Olenn, "Coronation," Best New England Crime Stories 2012: Dead Calm, November 2011.

Finalists for Best Flash Fiction Story:

Warren Bull, "Company Policy," Yellow Mama, August 2011

John Kenyon, "Countdown," Thrillers, Killers, and Chillers, April 2011

Al Leverone, "Lessons Learned," Shotgun Honey, July 2011

Melodie Campbell, "The Perfect Mark," Flash Fiction Online Magazine, July 2011

Kathleen Ryan, "Heat of Passion," A Twist of Noir, February 2011