A veteran dark scribe and an unlikely literary fiction favorite have taken top honors in the 2nd Annual Black Quill Awards, as winners were announced today by DARK SCRIBE MAGAZINE, the virtual magazine "dedicated to the books that keep readers up at night."

WE DISAPPEAR by Boston-based scribe Scott Heim, largely seen as the dark horse nominee in a category that included works by genre veterans Joe R. Lansdale and Neil Gaiman, snagged the Editor's Choice award for DARK GENRE NOVEL OF THE YEAR, while Stephen King took Readers' Choice honors in the same category for DUMA KEY.

The Black Quill Awards were handed out in (7) categories honoring works of dark genre literature - horror, suspense, and thrillers - from both mainstream and small press publishers. While six of the awards recognized literary efforts, one of the awards recognized book trailer production -- a growing marketing aspect of dark genre publishing. Circle of Seven Productions was named Editors' Choice for BEST DARK GENRE BOOK TRAILER for their work producing the book trailer for Alexandra Sokoloff's sophomore effort, THE PRICE. Circle of Seven took home the same award last year for their production work on the trailer for Sokoloff's debut, THE HARROWING. Film director Yossi Sasson took home Readers' Choice honors for his trailer work on Harry Shannon's DAEMON.

Kealan Patrick Burke snagged an Editors' Choice award for BEST DARK GENRE FICTION COLLECTION for THE NUMBER 121 TO PENNSYLVANIA, making him a three-time Black Quill Award winner following last year's wins for BEST SMALL PRESS CHILL (for his novella MIDLISTERS) and BEST AUTHOR WEBSITE. This officially makes Burke the most honored writer in the award's short history. Other repeat winners included Sarah Langan, winner of last year's top honor for her novel THE MISSING, who this year won the magazine's Readers' Choice award for BEST DARK SCRIBBLE for her short story "Afterlife" and CEMETERY DANCE magazine which took home the prize for Reader's Choice, BEST DARK GENRE SHORT FICTION MAGAZINE (Longtime CD editor Richard Chizmar won the Editor's Choice award in the same category last year.).

Nominations for the Black Quills are editorial-based, with both the editors and active contributing writers submitting nominations in each of the (7) categories. Once nominations are announced, readers of DSM cast their votes for their picks in each category. For this year's outing, more than 2,100 votes were cast by the magazine's readers. In a unique spin intended to celebrate both critical and popular success, two winners are traditionally announced in each category - Reader's Choice and Editor's Choice. Winners receive recognition in DSM, inclusion in press release materials announcing nominations and winners, a virtual icon to be used on their own website, and a handsome award certificate.

A complete list of all the nominees and winners follows:

DARK GENRE NOVEL OF THE YEAR: (Novel-length work of horror, suspense, or thriller from mainstream publisher; awarded to the author)

o Duma Key by Stephen King (Scribner) WINNER - READERS' CHOICE
o Generation Dead by Daniel Waters (Hyperion)
o Ghost Radio by Leopoldo Gout (William Morrow)
o Leather Maiden by Joe R. Landsdale (Knopf)
o The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins)
o The Price by Alexandra Sokoloff (St. Martin's Press)
o We Disappear by Scott Heim (Harper Perennial) WINNER - EDITORS' CHOICE

BEST SMALL PRESS CHILL: (Novel or novella published by small press publisher; awarded to the author)

o Into the Cruel Sea by Rich Ristow (Skullvines Press)
o Johnny Gruesome by Gregory Lamberson (Medallion Press) WINNER - READERS' CHOICE
o Miranda by John R. Little (Bad Moon Books) WINNER - EDITORS' CHOICE
o The Confessions of St. Zach by Gene O'Neill (Bad Moon Books)
o The Shallow End of the Pool by Adam-Troy Castro (Creeping Hemlock Press)
o Veins by Lawrence C. Connolly (Fantasist Enterprises)

BEST DARK GENRE FICTION COLLECTION: (Anthology or single author collection, any publisher; awarded to the author or editor[s])

o History Is Dead: A Zombie Anthology, edited by Kim Paffenroth (Permuted Press)
o Inferno: New Tales of Terror and the Supernatural, edited by Ellen Datlow (Tor Books)
o Killers, edited by Colin Harvey (Swimming Kangaroo Press)
o Mama's Boys and Other Dark Tales by Fran Friel (Apex Publications) WINNER - READERS' CHOICE
o Poe's Children: The New Horror, edited by Peter Straub (Doubleday)
o The Number 121 to Pennsylvania by Kealan Patrick Burke (Cemetery Dance) WINNER - EDITORS' CHOICE

BEST DARK GENRE BOOK OF NON-FICTION: (Any dark genre non-fiction subject, any publisher; awarded to the author[s] or editor[s])

o A Hallowe'en Anthology: Literary and Historical Writers over the Centuries by Lisa Morton (McFarland)
o Beauty and Dynamite by Alethea Kontis (Apex Publications)
o Book of Lists: Horror Edited by Amy Wallace, Del Howison, and Scott Bradley (Harper)
o Horror Isn't a Four-Letter Word by Matthew Warner (Guide Dog Books)
o The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi (Grand Central Publishing) WINNER - EDITORS' CHOICE
o Zombie CSU: The Forensics of the Living Dead by Jonathan Maberry (Citadel Press) WINNER - READERS' CHOICE

BEST DARK SCRIBBLE: (Single work, non-anthology short fiction appearing in a print or virtual magazine; awarded to the author)

o "Afterlife" by Sarah Langan (Horror World / Virtual) WINNER - READERS' CHOICE
o "Captain's Lament" by Stephen Graham Jones (Clarkesworld #17 / Virtual)
o "Dust and Bibles" by Michael Colangelo (Chizine #35 / Virtual)
o "Teeth" by Stephen Dedman (Clarkesworld #18 / Virtual)
o "The Blog at the End of the World" by Paul Tremblay (Chizine #38 / Virtual) WINNER - EDITORS' CHOICE
o "Turtle" by Lee Thomas (Doorways Magazine #4 / Print)

BEST DARK GENRE SHORT FICTION MAGAZINE: (Any print or online magazine that published primarily short fiction during the eligibility period; awarded to the editor[s])

o Apex Magazine - Editor Jason Sizemore
o Cemetery Dance - Editor Richard Chizmar WINNER - READERS' CHOICE
o ChiZine - Editor Brett Alexander Savory
o Clarkesworld - Editors Sean Wallace and Neil Clarke (current), Nick Mamatas (former)
o Doorways Magazine - Editors Brian Yount and Mort Castle WINNER - EDITORS' CHOICE
o Shroud Magazine - Editor Timothy Deal

BEST DARK GENRE BOOK TRAILER: (Book video promoting any work of fiction or non-fiction; awarded to the video producer or publisher)

o Daemon / Production by Yossi Sasson (Author: Harry Shannon) WINNER - READERS' CHOICE
o Day by Day Armageddon / Production by Ivan Simoncini (Author: JL Bourne)
o Duma Key / Production by Scribner (Author: Stephen King)
o Ghost Radio (Trailer 1) / Production by William Morrow (Author: Leopoldo Gout)
o Sweetheart / Production by St. Martin's Minotaur (Author: Chelsea Cain)
o The Price / Production by Circle of Seven Productions (Author: Alexandra Sokoloff) WINNER - EDITORS' CHOICE

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