There's been lots of love recently for that massive tome published by Ticonderoga Press, Dead Red Heart. Firstly, 16 writers out of the 33 were listed in Ellen Datlow's recently published Honorable Mentions for 2011 list - about 3.5% of the list. I'm not surprised. It's a great anthology, one of my favourites from 2011. Every story is a gem. And I'm doubly thrilled to find my own story, 'Listening to Tracy', on that list. Here are the rest of the mentioned authors from Dead Red Heart, and their stories.

Anderton, Joanne “The Sea at Night,” Dead Red Heart.
Baxter, Alan “Punishment of the Sun,” Dead Red Heart.
Brown, Simon “Thin Air,” Dead Red Heart.
Cavalchini, Damon “Renfield’s Wife,” Dead Red Heart.
Edwards, Jacob “Behind the Black Mask,” Dead Red Heart.
Fay, Joanna “Black Heart,” Dead Red Heart.
Gates, Raymond “The Little Red Man,” Dead Red Heart.
Hannett, Lisa L. White and Red in the Black,” Dead Red Heart.
Hanson, Donna Marie “The Life Stealer,” Dead Red Heart.
Ivanoff, George “Vitality,” Dead Red Heart.
Jensen, Patty “Quarantine,” Dead Red Heart.
Kempshall, Pete “All that Glisters,” Dead Red Heart.
Lawson, Chris “Apologetoi,” Dead Red Heart.
Mok, Anne “Interview with the Jiangshi,” Dead Red Heart.
Slatter, Angela “Sun Falls,” Dead Red Heart.
White, Jen “Listening to Tracy,” Dead Red Heart.

Congratulations to everyone.

But not only that, all 33 stories in Dead Red Heart have been reviewed in Black Static, the UK horror magazine. Here is what they said about 'Listening to Tracy':

In ‘Listening to Tracy’ by Jen White, a woman transcribing taped recollections by people who survived Cyclone Tracy’s assault on Darwin finds evidence of the existence of a vampire taking part in the rescue operation, but in doing so plunges her own life into danger, the story a clever and double pointed exercise in putting together the pieces.

 It's always interesting to see how others frame one of your stories. I'm also really pleased that Dead Red Heart is getting this attention. It's well deserved!

Sue Bursztynski, a contributor to the Specusphere anthology Mythic Resonance, has been featuring guest blogs by all the other writers in the anthology. I've really enjoyed reading the other contributors' blogs on where their stories came from.

Here is mine.

Ea, master of Apsu, the great water beneath the earth; Gelert, the faithful hound; Medusa and Herakles; sirens, valkyries, fairies; Leonardo Da Vinci and Snow White — these are just some of the legendary characters that resonate within this thought-provoking garland of short stories from Australia.

Archetypes from ancient mythology, lurking in the depths of our psyches, peer at us through the haze of history; cautionary tales from our nursery years remind us of what can happen when we disobey The Rules; well known themes of obsession, betrayal and exploitation, love and loss and renewal are skillfully manipulated into new and compelling forms.

From the lighthearted and tongue-in-cheek to the sad and the sinister, this selection of tales, with their clever mythic echoes, is sure to entertain, enlighten and challenge readers of all ages.

Contents
Foreword — Sue Hammond and Stephen Thompson
The Salted Heart — N A Sulway
The Everywhere And The Always — Alan Baxter
Annabel and the Witch — Paul Freeman
Through these eyes I see — Donna Maree Hanson
A Tale of Publication — Les Zigomanis
La Belle Dame — Satima Flavell
Glorious Destiny — Steven Gepp
Meeting my Renaissance Man — Vicky Daddo
Wetlands — Jen White
Man’s Best Friend — Tom Williams
In Paradise, Trapped — Kelly Dillon
Holly and Iron — Nigel Read
Brothers — Sue Bursztynski

• Phoenix Sullivan: Extinct Doesn't Mean Forever
• Chrystalla Thoma: "The Angel Genome"
• Shona Snowden: "Blood Fruit"
• Kenneth Burstall: "Connect"
• Scott Thomas Smith: "In Ring"

 My story, A Cool, Private Place, will be included in the Future Lovecraft anthology from Innsmouth Free Press. It's due out in December 2011. What better way to relax over the holidays, I ask you, than to read about the return of the Old Ones!