CHRIS HOLM

I just got word that my short story "Action" has been accepted by Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine! The publication-date is still to be determined, but that ain't stopping me from rockin' a little chair-dancing as we speak. "Action" is a dark comedy/caper story conceived as a sort of homage to the late, great Donald Westlake. I'm elated that it'll appear in AHMM.

I'm delighted to report that "The Big Score" was named a finalist for this year's Derringer Award! Big thanks to Richard Helms, editor of The Back Alley, for putting my story out into the world. Thanks also to Patrick Shawn Bagley, for prodding me to write the thing in the first place, and to the Short Fiction Mystery Society, for totally making my day. I'd also like to take a moment to congratulate all the other finalists, particularly the fantastic Sophie Littlefield, who was nominated for her brilliant short "A Taste for It." Oh, and for those of you reading who happen to be members of the SFMS: don't forget to vote! If you vote for me, great. If not, that's cool too—there are a bunch of fantastic stories on the docket.

Today has been a good day. Nay, a great day. Not to mention an unprecedented day (for me, at least). Today was a two-acceptance day. I just received word that my short story "The Toll Collectors" has been accepted by Beat to a Pulp, and is scheduled to go live sometime in February. "The Toll Collectors" is a creepy little cross-genre crime/horror piece, and I couldn't be happier at where it ended up. But wait—there's more! I also received word that "The Well," a nasty little piece of horror flash that may well be the scariest thing I've ever written, is going to appear in Flashes in the Dark! When, you ask? Funny thing, that. It's also gonna go live sometime in February. Which means a big fat February double-feature of me. Big thanks to David and Tony, the editors of BtaP and FitD, respectively. You two just made my day.

This week, I received word from Richard Helms, editor of The Back Alley webzine, that my story "The Big Score" will be appearing in their July issue! "The Big Score" was originally written for an anthology of Maine crime fiction that sadly never came to pass, and I'm delighted that it's found a good home. It's without a doubt the most classically pulpy of all my shorts, complete with McGuffins, double-crosses, triple-crosses, guns, drugs, and, um, literal herrings. It is gratifying, then, that it'd wind up being published by an editor with such a deep appreciation for all things noir that each issue of The Back Alley features a classic noir story from the public domain.

The 2007 Spinetingler Awards were just announced, and "Seven Days of Rain" seems to have, um, won . Obviously, I couldn't be happier. The field was absolutely stacked with awesome stories, and I was honored to have mine listed among them. Thanks to all who voted for me, and to Bryon Quertermous for taking a chance on the story in the first place!