Whew. Announcements a-plenty a-go-go!

OK. Here we go, announcements time!

1. Bull Spec #5 is available now! IN PRINT: You can (1) come to Quail Ridge Books tonight for the launch party at 7:30; (2) wait until early next week for the issue to show up on local newsstands; or (3) order (or, you know, subscribe...) print copies at [bullspec.com]. IN PDF: (1) E-bookstores Weightless Books ($) and Wizard's Tower Books (£) both have the issue available, or (2) via the still-funky-clunky e-order page.

2. The issue contains the winner of the Bull Spec Teen Writing Contest. That winner is Hillsborough's Benjamin Paul, whose story "The Messengers" is on page 29. Honorable mention goes to Maryam Ali's "Out of Darkness".

3. Speaking of contests, the BLACK HALO backhanded evil mini-blurb contest also has a winner. While I really liked Jared's "Probably not the book you'd expect from the cover art." the book goes to Steve Burnett, though, for:

For writing Black Halo, Sam Sykes should not immediately be helping the police with their inquiries.

4. Lastly, and this quite fun: I've just heard from SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America) that its board has voted to accept Bull Spec as a qualifying short fiction market. That was one of the goals I set out for Bull Spec, and along with delivering on a (more or less!) quarterly schedule, now looks to be achieved. Thanks again to the writers and artists who've entrusted me with their work, and I look forward to the next challenges.