The Dead Letter Award Ballot is Available Online! Cast Your Votes!

Two of my proudest moments was when the first two books in the AS THE WORLD DIES zombie trilogy won the Dead Letter Award for Best Novel in 2008 and 2009.

I wept when I received the news in 2008.  I had self-published THE FIRST DAYS for my fans and really had no idea that it would launch my publishing career in a dynamic way.  I remember being excited at selling 25 books a month.  When I began selling over three hundred in a month, I was in shock.  This was before the advent of the ebook revolution, so these were all paperback sales.

I didn't even know that THE FIRST DAYS was on the ballot until someone told me.  I immediately pulled up the ballot and was overwhelmed to see my book on the list.  Just being nominated was a huge honor and in many ways validated my zombie novel.  The nomination was a clear indicator of the book's acceptance by fans of the zombie genre.

The day the nominations were announced, I was at work.  I first learned that the book had won when I started to receive emails congratulating me.  I turned on the awards show as low as I could in my office and listened anxiously.  When I heard that my book had won, I cried.

I won't lie, I'm still proud of this little banner.  It mean so much to me.

The next year I was again thrilled that one of my zombie novels had made the ballot.  FIGHTING TO SURVIVE was the one book in the trilogy that was really difficult for me to prepare for publication.  The self-published edition had new scenes and I fretted over it connecting the first and the third while not losing any of the story's power.

SIEGE had also come out in 2009, so I was pleased that at least one of the books had made it onto the list.  During the voting time period, my agent was preparing to pitch the trilogy to the major publishing houses.  We both agreed that winning the Dead Letter award would add a little more oomph to the pitch.

"Tell me if you win," she said.

I promised I would.

I was climbing into my car when I got a phone call letting me know I had won the Dead Letter Award again.  I was in tears of joy when I called my agent.  She was ecstatic.

Within a month, Tor would acquire the series.

When I received the cover art for THE FIRST DAYS, I was thrilled.  It was exciting to see my first official Tor cover.  And, much to my delight, right above the title were the words "Winner of the Dead Letter Award for Best Novel."

Though there are other awards in fiction, the Dead Letter will always have a special place in my heart because the fans of the zombie genre voted for my books.

To cast your ballot for the Dead Letter Awards, click here.