So the Ditmar Awards have now closed to nominations for another year. I expect the shortlisted finalists will be announced in August. A hearty ‘good onya’ to everyone who nominated and best of luck to everyone who is in contention. I’ll be fascinated to see the composition of this year’s shortlist.

This also concludes my free fiction bonanza-thon. The PDFs of Shards, Phoenix and the Darkness of Wolves, and “Chasing Jormungand” have been taken down. Should any of these be shortlisted for the Ditmars, I’ll consider making them available again during the voting period, but until then, ‘ave a good weekend!

Aussie horror author Geoff Brown has just posted a glowing review of Shards.  From Geoff’s insights in the review, he has a good grasp on how flash fiction works and was not sparing in his praise for the stories in Shards, so I tip my hat to you, sir!

The best bit (for me) was this passage:

Shane’s writing is deep and thought-provoking, maintaining a thin veneer of civilisation but hinting at the darkest depths of fear and the human condition. He writes like a surgeon, a good surgeon, operates; with as little as necessary, no waste, no excess. Every word has a place, and there’s a place for every word. The stories work on a bigger level, each leaving you with the feeling that there was a complete tale there, no matter how short. Some writers work shorts like parts of a longer piece, giving you fragments of the story and leaving you to figure out the rest, but Shane gives you totality. You leave his writing feeling dirty, but at least you don’t feel used and left wanting.

Emphasis mine.

Geoff also had good stuff to say about Andrew’s fantabulous illustrations (lavishly accompanying every story in the collection). Of the art, he said:

Each piece sets the mood well for its written counterpart, sometimes complimenting the story, while at other times almost expanding or adding to the tale that follows. McKiernan shows a brilliant sense of what stands out in the mind of a reader and then brings those images to life with a frightening style and ability beyond most artists working today in the smaller presses. If the book was worth getting because of the writing, the artwork contained within is the icing on the cake

You can read the full review at Geoff’s blog.

While the Ditmar Award nomination period is open (until July 23), I’m offering Shards as a free download! Otherwise, you can purchase the book from Brimstone Press (which I urge you to do – you won’t be disappointed!)

Shards is eligible for the Ditmar Awards in the Collected Work and Best Artwork categories.

In case you’re wondering what happened to the Ditmar posts, I’ve been away for several days attending a friend’s wedding in Geraldton. The wedding was festive, and our time in Geraldton was better than I’d expected.

Before I return to the Ditmar stuff (tomorrow, most likely), I thought now was a timely moment to remind you that the books and stories of mine I’ve mentioned in the earlier posts are still for sale from the respective publishers. If you’re interested in my stuff (and I published my best fiction to date last year) for an apples-for-apples comparison with the other works I mentioned, you can buy my books for remarkably cheap prices here:

• Shards – collection (from Brimstone Press)
• Phoenix and the Darkness of Wolves – novella (from Damnation Books)
• “Chasing Jormungand” – short story in ASIM #38 (from ASIM)
• Midnight Echo #2 – magazine edited by Angela Challis & me (from AHWA)

I heartily thank you for your support – and I’m sure the publisher’s would love your business!