Saturday, August 17, 2013

The SMFS at Bouchercon 2013 in Albany, NY

President Tom Sweeney will announce the 2013 Derringer winners at the opening ceremonies of Bouchercon 2013, Thursday, September 19, 7:30–9:00 P.M. in Hart Theater at The Egg. Jim Doherty will send physical plaques to the winners when they are ready.

Bouchercon runs September 19–22. If you are attending or would like to announce a panel or event, please comment on this post. Hope to see you there.

Herschel Cozine is organizing an SMFS Members' Lunch at Bouchercon. He asks that everyone interested gather on Friday, 12:30 P.M. by the registration tables on the Concourse Level of the Empire State Plaza.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

2013 Derringer Award Results

The Short Mystery Fiction Society's Derringer Awards, honoring outstanding published stories and people who've contributed greatly to the genre, are determined by a January 1–March 30 process that considers the previous year.

The Awards Coordinator first posts the results to Shortmystery. Then the public announcement appears here.

Best Flash (Up to 1,000 words)
  • "The Cable Job" by Randy DeWitt (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, September 2012)>
  • "An Old-Fashioned Villain" by Nick Andreychuk (Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, May 2012)
  • "Dead Man" by A.J. Hayes (Off The Record 2: At The Movies, September 2012)
  • "Daddy's Girl" by Nicola Kennington (The Flash Fiction Offensive, July 22, 2012)
  • "Twas the Knife Before Christmas" by Allan Leverone (Shotgun Honey, December 24, 2012)

Best Short Story (1,001–4,000 words)
  • "Getting Out of the Box" by Michael Bracken (Crime Square, Vantage Point, 2012)
  • "A Special Kind of Hell" by Hilary Davidson (BEAT to a PULP: Round Two, May 2012)
  • "Dead Weight" by Allan Leverone (Burning Bridges: A Renegade Fiction Anthology, April 2012)
  • "Nain Rouge" by Barbara Nadel (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, August 2012)
  • "Baby Boy" by Todd Robinson (Protectors: Stories to Benefit PROTECT, September 2012)

Best Long Story (4,001–8,000 words)
  • "When Duty Calls" by Art Taylor (Chesapeake Crimes: This Job Is Murder, 2012)
  • "The Pot Hunters" by David Hagerty (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, June 2012)
  • "A Regular Story" by Peggy McFarland (Best New England Crime Stories 2013: Blood Moon, Level Best Books, November 2012)
  • "Peaches" by Todd Robinson (Grift #1, April 2012)
  • "Double Wedding" by Mo Walsh (Best New England Crime Stories 2013: Blood Moon, Level Best Books, November 2012)

Best Novelette (8,001–20,000 words)
  • "Wood-Smoke Boys" by Doug Allyn (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, March/April 2012)
  • "Iphigenia in Aulis" by Mike Carey (An Apple for the Creature, September 2012)
  • "Mariel" by David Dean (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, December 2012)
  • "Pirate Dave and the Captain's Ghost" by Toni L.P. Kelner (An Apple for the Creature, September 2012)
  • "The Sunny South" by Chris Muessig (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, March/April 2012)


And a committee of the SMFS Officers, Awards Coordinator, and two members-at-large awarded the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer (Lifetime Achievement) to:
  • Loren D. Estleman

Recipients may obtain award certificates by emailing SMFS Vice President Gerald So (G_SO at YAHOO dot COM). Recipients will be publicly recognized at the opening ceremonies of Bouchercon 2013, Thursday, September 19, in Albany, NY.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

2013 Derringer Finalist Certificates Available

As maker of the 2013 Derringer certificates, I will gladly e-mail them as printable files to any finalists who want them.

The certificates feature the signatures of President Tom Sweeney and myself. If you would like a certificate, e-mail G_SO at YAHOO dot COM. In addition to a file suitable for printing, you may request an file suitable for web display.

The Derringer winners will be entitled to additional, winners' certificates.

Finally, as you may know, former SMFS VP Jim Doherty has kindly constructed and presented winners' plaques in the past. I'd like to suggest an optional donation toward the making of the plaques if Jim is willing to divulge his expenses.


Gerald So, SMFS Vice President 2012-14

Saturday, March 2, 2013

2013 Derringer Finalists

As determined by volunteer SMFS-member judges and announced by Awards Coordinator Anthony Rudzki:

BEST FLASH STORY (Up to 1,000 words):

  • "An Old-Fashioned Villain" by Nick Andreychuk (Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, May 2012)
  • "The Cable Job" by Randy DeWitt (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, September 2012)
  • "Dead Man" by A.J. Hayes (Off The Record 2: At The Movies, September 2012)
  • "Daddy's Girl" by Nicola Kennington (The Flash Fiction Offensive, July 22, 2012)
  • "Twas the Knife Before Christmas" by Allan Leverone (Shotgun Honey, December 24, 2012)


BEST SHORT STORY (1,001 - 4,000 words):

  • "Getting Out of the Box" by Michael Bracken (Crime Square, Vantage Point, 2012)
  • "A Special Kind of Hell" by Hilary Davidson (BEAT to a PULP: Round Two, May 2012)
  • "Dead Weight" by Allan Leverone (Burning Bridges: A Renegade Fiction Anthology, April 2012)
  • "Nain Rouge" by Barbara Nadel (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, August 2012)
  • "Baby Boy" by Todd Robinson (Protectors: Stories to Benefit PROTECT, September 2012)


BEST LONG STORY (4,001 - 8,000 words):

  • "The Pot Hunters" by David Hagerty (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, June 2012)
  • "A Regular Story" by Peggy McFarland (Best New England Crime Stories 2013: Blood Moon, Level Best Books, November 2012)
  • "Peaches" by Todd Robinson (Grift #1, April 2012)
  • "When Duty Calls" by Art Taylor (Chesapeake Crimes: This Job Is Murder, 2012)
  • "Double Wedding" Mo Walsh (Best New England Crime Stories 2013: Blood Moon, Level Best Books, November 2012)

BEST NOVELETTE (8,001 - 20,000 words):

  • "Wood-Smoke Boys" by Doug Allyn (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, March/April 2012)
  • "Iphigenia in Aulis" by Mike Carey (An Apple for the Creature, September 2012)
  • "Mariel" by David Dean (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, December 2012)
  • "Pirate Dave and the Captain's Ghost" by Toni L.P. Kelner (An Apple for the Creature, September 2012)
  • "The Sunny South" by Chris Muessig (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, March/April 2012)

The 2013 Derringer winners will be determined by a March 1–30 poll of eligible SMFS members and will be announced March 31.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

More to Do with the Derringers

Originally posted to Shortmystery by Gerald So, Vice President, February 4, 2013:

My thanks to everyone who submitted stories, and to Awards Coordinator Tony Rudzki and the judges. While the judging goes on, it's a good time to sign up for the Derringers Voting Group, where Tony will upload the finalist stories and set up the polls for the March group vote.

If you've signed up previously, just check that you are still a member of the voting group. Log in to http://groups.yahoo.com/mygroups/ with your Yahoo! ID and confirm that "Derringers" is in your list of groups.

We also need to fill out the Golden Derringer committee with one volunteer chosen at random from the membership at large.

This is the committee that choose this year's recipient of the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement. If you'd like to put your name in the hopper, email me offlist by Friday, February 8. I will forward the names to Tom Sweeney, SMFS President and committee chairman. The membership can also participate in the Golden Derringer process by submitting candidates to receive the Award. Tom will announce when we begin accepting candidates.

The same committee will attempt to choose up to two inductees into the Short Mystery Fiction Hall of Fame. The key difference between the Golden Derringer and the Hall is the latter is for writers deceased at least ten years before induction consideration.

Friday, February 1, 2013

2013 Derringer Award Submissions as of January 31

Derringer Awards Coordinator Tony Rudzki has received the following stories for awards consideration. To encourage open-minded judging, stories are identified by title only.

If you don't see your submissions here, please contact Tony at tony DOT rudzki AT gmail DOT com.


FLASH STORY (Up to 1,000 words)

Shades of Gray
Blow Out the Candles
The Cable Job
Super Thesaurus
An Old-Fashioned Villain
The Complete Pinscher
Crack of the Bat
Officer, It Was Self-Defense
Crimewave
The Things We Do For Love
‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas
The Moron
Showtime
Daddy's Girl
Dead Man
Free Advice
The Clueless Mystery
Incompetence Kills
The Pendulum Swings, Until It Doesn't
Exit Interview
Transcript of Statement--11 May 2012--14:23, Subject: Lauren Lindsay
Check Out



SHORT STORY (1,001 to 4,000 words)

Dust Clouds
The Graduate
A Personnel Matter
The End of Grace
Driving Miss Rachel
Thursday Night At Pins and Pub
The City
They eDone Him Wrong
Murderous Lies
The Job
The Trunk
A Man In A Hurry
Death on the Ocean Breeze
The Conversation
DRUMSTICKS CAN BE DEADLY
Dead Weight
Burning Desire
LIFE WITHOUT GEORGE
The Oldest Man in Town
The Takeover
Greed Takes Over the Human Soul
Good Cop/Bad Cop
Suicide By Engagement
Seven Feet of Fire
Stress!
BEWARE THE FLYING MOOSE
Keys To The Kingdom
Strictly Male Fantasy
Mess With Me
The Hotel Room Murder
Tourettes
Plus One
Until I Come Again
Shadow Man
Mama's Boy
Is That You?
Gumbo Weather
Collecting
Stooping to Conquer
Cole's Landing and the Gulchers
Bon Appetit
Yellow Ribbon
They Call Me Mr. Fussy
BRUTAL
There is No Johnny---Just Call Me Smitty
Getting Out of the Box
Acts of Balance
I’m Learning
The History Lesson
Flashback
Mistakes
Nain Rouge
DESPERADOS
The Kindness of Strangers
In Search of Gwen Guattari
As the Screw Turns
NOTES FOUND INSIDE THE BODY OF THE CONVICT CLARENCE SKAGGS
No Corners
Campaign Seasoning
The Sounds of Silence
Murder a la Mode
Baby Boy
A Special Kind of Hell
Cave In
The Cat and the Blue Moon
Kept in the Dark



LONG STORY (4,001-8,000 words)

Blackjack Road
Big Water
The Project
A Regular Story
Double Wedding
Freebie
The Times Square Terrorist
The Shroud of Turin
White People Problems
Everyone Knows The Axeman
The Pot Hunters
Kiss It Goodbye
The Fourteenth Juror
Marsh Island
The Lord Is My Shamus
SPRING BREAK
Old Flames Sometimes Die
Magpie
Death from a bad Heart
Venice Beach Birthday Boogie
Death in the Family
Seven Ways to Kill Harry
Out to Sea
Gymnopédie No. 1
On the Way to Hue
Hit and Run
The Gatekeeper
Jake Says Hello
Shadow of the Crow
House Calls
The Biggest Fish in Texas
Done for the Day
The Kill Stand
Keep It Simple
When Duty Calls
Misprision of Felony
Don’t Breathe
Artie and the Green-eyed Woman
Fontaine House
Ulterior Motives
9 Songs
SHANKS COMMENCES
The Melody Lingers On
Even A Blind Man
THE NIGHT OF THE MURDER
Some Like It Raw
After Cana
Mischief in Mesopotamia
A Change of Heart
The Very Edge of New Harare



NOVELETTE (8,001 to 20,000 words)

Money Never Sleeps
Mariel
Ill-Gotten Games
The Retro Look
The Movement
Death on the Range
Thea’s First Husband
Pirate Dave and the Captain's Ghost
Academy Field Trip
Iphigenia in Aulis
Meatballs and Murder
SHIFTING IS FOR THE GOYIM
Wood-Smoke Boys
The Sunny South
The Morgue File Blues
The Goddaughter
The Flashback Floozy
Switch
DEATH WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE