Something to sink your fangs into

I apologise profusely for being a very bad blogger. If anyone could have predicted how absolutely bizarre, busy and exciting my life would have become over the past year or so, I wouldn't have believed them.

Not only do I celebrate the release of the sequel to my debut novel, Khepera Redeemed, next month, but Khepera Rising (book one) releases in print the same month. But more about that later.

The idly curious are welcome to stop by my Lyrical Press author page for buy-links, excerpts, cover art etc:www.lyricalpress.com/nerine_dorman

What many people don't realise is that on top of having a demanding day-job in the "exciting and fast-paced" world of newspaper publishing (insert picture of author pulling a rude face here), I also edit fiction, which often is the reason my word-count isn't as high as I'd like it to be when it comes to my own writing.

But I am passionate about what I do. There's nothing that gives me more thrills than having one of my authors go on to having a contract offered for her writing, or see her writing improve as the books continue. Or, even better, see her sales do well.

But, as if this is not enough, I have been running a genre fiction writers' group in my home town of Cape Town for the past **gasp** three years and, since last year, have been running the literary component of the SA HORRORFEST.

To add some madness for giggles, my husband, when he's not busy with his freelance glam, fashion and alternative photography, makes award-winning indie art movies and, invariably, I get dragged along for the fun and games.

But I digress. What I really want to give you all a heads-up about today is a call for submissions for BLOODY PARCHMENT, the literary component of the aforementioned SA HORRORFEST. Last year we hosted a very successful reading event at The Book Lounge, an indie bookshop in Cape Town. This year I sat with the SA HORRORFEST organisers and we were in agreement that we'd like to run a short story competition, on top of another reading event.

So, what we want to see is short horror or dark fantasy fiction in three categories: drabble (no more than 100 words); flash (no more than 1 000 words); and short (no more than 3 500 words).First prize is a full round of edits on your novella or novel-length work of fiction, and a few tips on what to do next. The organisers will also have prizes lined up for the best runners-up.

All the details with closing dates are here:http://bloodyparchment.blogspot.com/2010/05/bloody-parchment-short-story.html