8th Annual Peacemaker Awards Finalists

On behalf of Western Fictioneers, I’m pleased to announce the finalists in the 8^th annual Peacemaker Awards for the best in Western fiction published in 2017. Finalists are in alphabetical order by author.

BEST WESTERN NOVEL
BILL RILEY’S HEAD, Douglas Hirt (Five Star Publishing)

OUT OF THE DARKNESS, Robert D. McKee (Five Star Publishing)

HARD TO QUIT, Mark Mitten (Milford House Press)

DESTINY AT DRY CAMP, John D. Nesbitt (Five Star Publishing)

THE PECOS UNDERTAKER, Mel Odom writing as Colby Jackson (Colby Jackson)

BEST FIRST WESTERN NOVEL
THE BLOODLETTING, Greg Barth (Greg Barth)

EL RENO, Kevin L. Evans (Kevin L. Evans)

COYOTE COURAGE, Scott Harris (Dusty Saddle Publishing)

THE OPEN ROAD, M.M. Holaday (Five Star Publishing)

GALLOWAY’S GAMBLE, Howard Weinstein (Five Star Publishing)

BEST YOUNG ADULT/CHILDREN’S WESTERN NOVEL
WEST FROM THE CRADLE, Brigid Amos (Clean Reads)

A RANGER’S RETURN, James J. Griffin (Painted Pony Books)

THE CRY NOT HEARD, Cliff Hudgins (Wolfpack Publishing)

CLOAKED, Rachel Kovaciny (White Rook Press)

STRANDED, Matthew P. Mayo (Five Star Publishing)

BEST WESTERN SHORT FICTION
“Tibby’s Hideout”, Frank Kelso (THE POSSE: A WESTERN ANTHOLOGY, Intellect Publishing)

“Firewater”, Olivia Norem (Olivia Norem)

“The Armadillo’s Hole Saloon”, Mel Odom writing as Colby Jackson (Colby Jackson)

“Train Robbery”, Mel Odom (BASS REEVES, FRONTIER MARSHAL, VOLUME 2, Airship 27 Productions)

“The Society of the Friends of Lester McGurk”, Richard Prosch (BEST OF THE WEST, Sundown Press)

Congratulations to all the finalists! The winners of this year’s Peacemaker Awards will be announced on June 15. Thank you to all the authors and publishers who submitted work to the awards, and special thanks to the judges, whose diligent efforts make the Peacemaker Awards possible.

And last but certainly not least, the 2018 Peacemaker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Western Fiction goes to . . .

MICHAEL NEWTON

Peacemaker Awards

Don't forget that the Peacemaker Awards are open for submissions in all four categories: Best Western Novel, Best First Western Novel, Best Children's/Young Adult Western Novel, and Best Western Short Fiction. All the rules and details can be found on the Western Fictioneers website here. If you have a book or short story you're planning to submit and it's already out, don't wait for the last minute! Get those submissions in!