Making the lists 2022

It’s Aurealis Awards shortlist time! I’m excited to report that Spawn: Weird Horror Tales about Pregnancy, Birth and Babies has been shortlisted for Best Anthology. From that anthology, two stories have also been shortlisted for Best Horror Short Story: Antoinette Rydyr’s “Mother Dandelion”, and my own contribution “Sins of the Mother“.

A huge amount of work goes into these awards, so my heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone – judges, volunteers, editors, publishers, fellow authors, artists, readers and fans, and anyone else I might have missed – who plays a part in making it all happen.

Supanova, here I come!

On Saturday 22 May, I will be attending Supanova Comic Con in Melbourne. I am 53 years old, and this is my first Comic Con, so I will be taking my 17-year-old daughter, who speaks fluent Pop Culture, as my guide.

I’m not just going for fun (although I anticipate that fun will be had). IFWG Publishing, the good folks who published my short story collection Drive, She Said, are holding a panel to promote the release of two new anthologies. One of those anthologies, Spawn: Weird Horror Tales About Pregnancy, Birth and Babies, contains my story “Sins of the Mother” (you can read more about that story here). So I’ll be sitting on that panel alongside other contributing authors.

We’ll be on the Supanova Seminars Stage at 4.30pm on Saturday. If you’re there, come and say hi.

Women in Horror Month

Did you know March is now Women in Horror Month? In previous years, I have mostly confined my participation in WiHM to reading about other women’s work and pitching in to promote them. This year, given that my most recent collection revolves around women, I thought it was about time I dipped my toe in the bloodied waters.

So if you’re interested, I have two interviews up on different sites for WiHM – one on Superficial Gallery and another on Don’s World of Horror and Exploitation. (I don’t know where Don got the idea that I’m “one of the biggest authors in New Zealand”, but it certainly wasn’t me. Unless he means physically biggest…).

Please make sure, if you visit those sites, to check out the other outstanding female horror artists and participants. After all, that’s what WiHM is all about.