Welcome back to “Know a Nominee,” the interview series that puts you squarely between the ears of this year’s Bram Stoker Award nominees. Our final update for this year features Sydney Leigh, nominated in the category of Superior Achievement in a Short Fiction, for “Baby’s Breath.”

Thanks for reading, everyone–and many thanks to all of the nominees who shared their priceless insights. It’s been a pleasure serving as editor for this series. 

–Doug Murano, HWA Communications Coordinator

DM: Please describe the genesis for the idea that eventually became the work for which you’ve been nominated. In the case of a …

Welcome back to “Know a Nominee,” the interview series that puts you squarely between the ears of this year’s Bram Stoker Award nominees. Today’s latest update features Robert Payne Cabeen, nominated in the category of Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection, for Fearworms: Selected Poems.

DM: Please describe the genesis for the idea that eventually became the work(s) for which you’ve been nominated. What attracted you most to the project? If nominated in multiple categories, please touch briefly.

RC: The genesis of Fearworms was quite unexpected. Last year, I ran across Larry Santoro’s Tales to Terrify podcast and noticed …

Welcome back to “Know a Nominee,” the interview series that puts you squarely between the ears of this year’s Bram Stoker Award nominees. Today’s latest update features Jake Bible, nominated in the category of Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel, for Intentional Haunting. 

DM: Please describe the genesis for the idea that eventually became the work(s) for which you’ve been nominated. What attracted you most to the project? If nominated in multiple categories, please touch briefly on each.

JB: I wanted to dive into my own teen years and the anxiety of growing up in an abusive household. At …

Welcome back to “Know a Nominee,” the interview series that puts you squarely between the ears of this year’s Bram Stoker Award nominees. Today’s first update features Jonathan Maberry, nominated in the categories of Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel, for Bad Blood and Superior Achievement in Long Fiction for “Three Guys Walk into a Bar.”

DM: Please describe the genesis for the idea that eventually became the work(s) for which you’ve been nominated. What attracted you most to the project? If nominated in multiple categories, please touch briefly on each.

JM: I’m fortunate to have two works on the …

Welcome back to “Know a Nominee,” the interview series that puts you squarely between the ears of this year’s Bram Stoker Award nominees. This update features Christopher Rice, nominated in the category of Superior Achievement in a Novel, for The Vines.

DM: Please describe the genesis for the idea that eventually became the work(s) for which you’ve been nominated. What attracted you most to the project? If nominated in multiple categories, please touch briefly on each.

CR: I just don’t have a problem believing plants could become animate and suck your blood. Call me crazy. But the “buy-in” for me …

Welcome back to “Know a Nominee,” the interview series that puts you squarely between the ears of this year’s Bram Stoker Award nominees. Today’s second update features Marge Simon, nominated in the category of Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection, with Mary Turzillo, for Sweet Poison.

DM: Please describe the genesis for the idea that eventually became the work(s) for which you’ve been nominated. What attracted you most to the project? If nominated in multiple categories, please touch briefly on each.

MS: The genisis for SWEET POISON (poetry collection): Mary Turzillo and I decided, during one of our annual get-togethers, …

Welcome back to “Know a Nominee,” the interview series that puts you squarely between the ears of this year’s Bram Stoker Award nominees. Today’s first update features Joe McKinney, nominated in the category of Superior Achievement in Long Fiction for “Lost and Found.”

DM: Please describe the genesis for the idea that eventually became the work(s) for which you’ve been nominated. What attracted you most to the project? If nominated in multiple categories, please touch briefly on each.

JM: I’ve been nominated in the Long Fiction category for my story, “Lost and Found,” which appears in the anthology Limbus II. …

Welcome back to “Know a Nominee,” the interview series that puts you squarely between the ears of this year’s Bram Stoker Award nominees. Today’s second update features John Dixon, nominated in the category of Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel for Phoenix Island.

DM: Please describe the genesis for the idea that eventually became the work(s) for which you’ve been nominated. What attracted you most to the project? If nominated in multiple categories, please touch briefly on each.

JD: I started PHOENIX ISLAND without knowing I’d started it. I sat down one day, banged out an eighteen-page character sketch …

Welcome back to “Know a Nominee,” the interview series that puts you squarely between the ears of this year’s Bram Stoker Award nominees. Today’s update features Jason V. Brock, nominated in the categories of Superior Achievement in an Anthology for A Darke Fantastique and Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction for Disorders of Magnitude.

DM: Please describe the genesis for the idea that eventually became the work(s) for which you’ve been nominated. What attracted you most to the project? If nominated in multiple categories, please touch briefly on each.

JVB: With respect to A Darke Phantastique, my anthology on the ballot, …