Amra Pajalic

My best friend Veronica got married on Friday. It was a beautiful wedding. I was Matron of Honour and it was a privilege.

The day was amazingly hot, 38 degrees celsius, and we were all melting. The great thing was that the make up and hair held up really well.

I basically spent all day yesterday sleeping and recovering from it all.

Funny moment of the day: Walking into the bridal room carrying a bag that had my change of clothes and everyone recognising the bag from a sex shop. Obviously we’re all dirty buggers.

Highlight of the day: Dancing with my husband to our song-Only Fools Rush In by Elvis Presley.

Only have a few more days of holidays left until I’m back at work. We’re going through a heat wave for the next few days and New Year’s will be a scorcher.

Happy New Year to everyone.

I received the message below from the World Society for the Protection of Animals. If you care for animals please sign the petition.

I have great news to share for animals worldwide. The Commonwealth Veterinary Association has signed a resolution encouraging the United Nations to make a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare.

This Declaration will be global recognition that animals matter, can feel pain and experience suffering. And that all of us – from individuals to governments – have a responsibility to put an end to cruelty around the world.

In a major milestone for our Animals Matter campaign to achieve a Declaration, the Commonwealth Veterinary Association’s resolution:

•recognises all animals which are sentient (the capacity to have feelings and experience suffering and pleasure) deserve to be treated with consideration and respect

•urges governments to accept animal welfare as an important issue, and

•compels governments to take all appropriate steps to prevent animal cruelty, reduce suffering and enforce legislation

This fantastic development brings us closer to a Universal Declaration to help protect all animals, everywhere. But we still need more people to sign our Animals Matter petition to make the Declaration a reality. So if you are yet to sign, please add your name today!

On behalf of the WSPA team, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a wonderful festive season. And thank you for helping create a world where animals matter and animal cruelty ends.

Kind regards

Margaret West

I had a meeting with my editor for three and a half hours. Man time flies when you’re talking about something you love.

I’ve received back my manuscript with notes. As expected I have to pull the novel apart and put it back together again. I will be moving it from 1994 to contemporary and I’m really happy about this because it gives me more aspects to play with. My plan is to use butchers paper and plot chapter by chapter to ensure I follow through all character arcs.

One piece of advice that has come through this experience and that I’d like to share-when writing your novel try to remove yourself from narrating from inside the character’s head. Instead focus on showing the action through dialogue and action on the page. I know this is something that’s always talked about-show, don’t tell, but it’s easier to insert narrative, rather than fix a novel that doesn’t show enough action.

So the holiday is officially over and tomorrow I’m at work on revision.

Best TV Quote this week:
“The Closer” (2005) {Serving the King: Part 1 (#2.14)}
Commissioner Andrew Schmidt: “Odd, isn’t it, how our enemies never change. During World War II, they recited “Mein Kampf” while shoving people into gas chambers. And during most of my professional life, they quoted Marx and Engels while they shot you in the back of the head. And now, they misuse the Qur’an. Same people. Different books.”

Day three of holidays. So pleasant not to have a clock and be able to do things at leisure. Loving it. Today’s activities were baking bread with my Bakesmart and making minestrone soup. Looking forward to seeing how the bread works out.

Been riding my bike everywhere and dreaming the thigh and buttock fat away.

Tonight a new show called Moonlight starts. I think I read somewhere that it’s based on Stephenie Meyer’s books. Looking forward to seeing if it’s any good.

It’s non-ratings season in Australia which is supposedly the time when they put on shows that don’t rate well, but they’ve got all the shows I love on so go figure. Does this mean I have no taste? Quite possible.

My short story and publisher have been nominated. Also another Aussie, Daniel Hatadi, has been nominated for his fabulous forum Crimespace, and my publisher Text Publishing has been nominated.

I’m so stoked to be nominated in the first place. People, other than those who know me personally, actually read the bugger. I am posting the announcement below but to view the cover art and other links please view original announcement here.

Best Novel – Legend

Ken Bruen, Cross
Ken Bruen, Priest
James Lee Burke, Tin Roof Blowdown
Laura Lippman, What The Dead Know
Ian Rankin, The Naming of the Dead
James Reasoner, Dust Devils

Best Novel – Rising Star

Sean Doolittle, The Cleanup
Charlie Huston, The Shotgun Rule
Larry Karp, The Ragtime Kid
Rick Mofina, A Perfect Grave
PJ Parrish, A Thousand Bones
Steven Torres, Concrete Maze

Best Novel – New Voice

Megan Abbott, Queenpin
Declan Burke, The Big O
Allan Guthrie, Hard Man
Steve Mosby, The 50/50 Killer
JD Rhoades, Safe and Sound
Duane Swierczynski, The Blonde

Best Publisher

Bitter Lemon PressEuropa Editions
Hard Case Crime
Poisoned Pen Press
Text Publishing

Best Cover

Robert Terrall – Kill Now, Pay Later
Cover painted by Robert McGinnis

Gil Brewer – The Vengeful Virgin
Cover painted by Greg Manchess

George Axelrod – Blackmailer
Cover painted by Glen Orbik

Allan Guthrie – Hard Man
Design: Vaughn Andrews. Photo: (c) Corbis.

Nick Stone – Mr. Clarinet
Designed by Emily Cavett Taff

Best Editor

Charles Ardai, Hard Case Crime
Stacia Decker, Harcourt
Alison Janssen, Bleak House
Barbara Peters, Poisoned Pen Press
Dave Thompson, Busted Flush

Special Services to the Industry

Daniel Hatadi – Crimespace
Ali Karim – Shots, The Rap Sheet
Graham Powell – Crimespot
J. Kingston Pierce – The Rap Sheet
Maddy Van Hertburger – 4MA
Sarah Weinman – Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind

Best Short Story On The Web

The Leap by Charles Ardai – Hardluck Stories
Breaking in the New Guy by Stephen Blackmoore – Demolition
Amphetamine Logic by Nathan Cain – ThuglitThe Switch by Lyman Feero -Thuglit
Seven Days of Rain by Chris F. Holm – Demolition
Shared Losses by Gerri Leen – Shred of Evidence
The Living Dead by Amra Pajalic – Spinetingler
Convivum by Kelli Stanley – Hardluck Stories

At some point, I may post some of my observations from going through this process. For now, I’ll just say that for the most part, straight voting was considered, other than when there was a tie, in which case editorial input was given final say.

Because of nominations for stories from Spinetingler, the short story category proved most difficult. I didn’t want to exclude these authors from consideration, as that didn’t seem fair, but it also seemed unbalanced to create a second category exclusively for Spinetingler stories.

Some recommendations couldn’t be considered because the guidelines weren’t followed.

What Happens Now

Voting is open. ONE E-MAIL PER PERSON ONLY. You cannot send another vote in, even for a different category – multiple votes from the same sender will not be counted. Take the time to consider your votes carefully. E-mails must be received by December 30, 2007 – authors, if you’re putting this in your newsletter make sure you are clear about the deadline for voting. Many recommendations were not considered in the first round because they were sent late.

You may vote for one winner in each category as long as all votes are submitted in one e-mail. Simply state the category and your chosen winner for each of the eight categories. Any votes that contain more than one selection per category may be removed from consideration completely. No ties.

Send your e-mail to sandra.ruttan@spinetinglermag.com with AWARD NOMINATIONS in the subject line. It is not necessary to explain the reason for your vote.

Popular vote will be counterbalanced against editorial opinion at this stage, except for the short story category. In order to ensure fairness the short story category will be determined strictly by popular vote. While I also appreciate the people who nominated me for special services, I removed myself from consideration for that category as well as from the New Voice category. Winners will be announced in early 2008.