The Preliminary Ballot for the 2007 Bram Stoker Award is now public. My latest book, Proverbs for Monsters, is a contender in the “fiction collection” category, and I’m very pleased. There are a LOT of great books up for the award this year, and the ballot reads like a good “recommended reading” list for 2007, so check it out.

The Stoker is the top accolade for writers of horror fiction, chosen by peer professional authors in the Horror Writers Association, and the competition is always stiff. It really is an honor to be nominated (which technically means making the final ballot, not this early one…but I’m still honored anyway!)

To learn more about the Stokers, visit the HWA home page. A final ballot will be announced this Spring; after pro writers vote on that, the winners will be announced at the end of March, in a banquet at World Horror Convention 2008. Although I haven’t registered yet, I am likely to attend that convention…it’s always fun.