Killer Nashville Writers' Conference Announces Winners of 2013 Awards

This year the 2013 Killer Nashville Writers' Conference drew attendees from as far away as Portmahomack, Scotland; Rome, Italy; and Hadano, Kanagawa, Japan. The festivities may be over, but the awards' program produced many winners in different categories.

Since its inception in 2009, The Claymore Award Writing Contest has led to publication for many authors and to agent representation for still more. The Claymore Award is given each year to the best first 50 pages of an unpublished manuscript not currently under contract. Over $1,500 in prizes are awarded, in addition to a possible publishing contract. Any author may enter, published or not. Winners are determined through a blind judging process. Judges consider any subgenre of mystery, thriller, or suspense.

The competition for 2013 was fierce, especially in the final round of the blind judging process. The final winners were chosen by Deni Dietz, senior editor of Five Star Mysteries. The top three winners for the 2013 Killer Nashville Claymore Award are:

Winner: Terri Coop, Dial 1-Pro-Hac-Vice
1st Runner Up: Jacob M. Appel, The Man Who Trounced God at Chess
2nd Runner Up: Elizabeth Visser, Profile of a Killer

Terri Lynn Coop, this year's winner stated, "I want to thank everyone on the Killer Nashville staff and the attendees, really the whole family, for their warm wishes and congratulations on my winning the Claymore Award. It is such an honor, I am still stunned."

The Silver Falchion Award is bestowed upon the author of the best book published for the first time in the current or previous conference year by a registered Killer Nashville attendee. The winner is determined by the votes of the other attendees during the conference.

The 2013 Winner of the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion are:
Winner: Sara J. Henry, A Cold And Lonely Place
1st Runner Up: Alana White, The Sign Of The Weeping Virgin
2nd Runner Up (tie): Jamie Mason, Three Graves Full; and Molly MacRae, Last Wool & Testament

The Magnolia Award is given to a member of the Mystery Writers of America Southeast Chapter (SEMWA) who has shown exemplary service to the chapter. For MWA's 2013 Magnolia Award, the voting members chose author Mary Saums.

The Dupin Detective Award is one of Killer Nashville's most popular awards given to the conference attendee who solves the "crime scene." Each year a mock crime scene is staged by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Special Agents. Attendees gather clues and try to solve the case.The person who best interprets the clues and solves the murder wins the Killer Nashville Dupin Detective Award which includes a free registration to next year's conference. This year's award winner is Lisa Anderson.

"Killer Nashville Writers Conference is about helping authors of all genres," Killer Nashville founder Clay Stafford said following the sold-out awards ceremony. "The Claymore Award, the Silver Falchion Award, the Dupin Detective Award, the Magnolia Award are all extensions of that. What better way to help authors than connecting them with reputable presses and their target audiences?" Killer Nashville is a volunteer organization and receives no profit participation from any of their many success stories. "It's all about giving back," Stafford says.

The Killer Nashville Thriller, Mystery, and Crime Literature Writers' Conference, held annually on the fourth full weekend in August, was created in 2006 by author/filmmaker Clay Stafford to bring together forensic experts, writers, and fans of crime and thriller literature. For more information: http://www.KillerNashville.com, http://www.ClaymoreAward.com, Contact@KillerNashville.com, 615-599-4032