Kathryn Ptacek to Receive HWA’s First Mentor of the Year Award

LOS ANGELES - March 30, 2015 - PRLog -- The Horror Writers Association (HWA) today announced a new award, Mentor of the Year, which will be presented for the first time during the Bram Stoker Awards® ceremony, held in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 9, 2015. The recipient of the inaugural Mentor of the Year award is Kathryn Ptacek.

“Kathryn is an extraordinary example of someone willing to give of her time and talents,” said Mentorship Chairperson Michael Knost. "She exhibits a selfless passion for helping writers find their way in an ever-expanding industry. Being a mentor doesn't mean you have all the answers, it just means you are willing to share what you know. Kathryn excels in this ability, and we are very fortunate to have her as an HWA member, volunteer, and mentor.”

One of the most popular benefits of HWA membership is the Mentorship Program, in which new writers are paired with established pros who offer them guidance on their work and the business of publishing. HWA will now annually recognize the work of one mentor who has made an especially significant contribution. The HWA’s Mentorship Program Chairperson and the Program’s Committee select the award’s recipient.

“We’re very proud of our Mentorship Program and all the professionals who have volunteered their time and experience to help newer writers, and we think this is a wonderful way to honor the program and to offer our gratitude to one writer who has given so much,” added Lisa Morton, HWA President.

About Kathryn Ptacek

Raised in Albuquerque, NM, Kathryn Ptacek sold her first novel, Satan’s Angel, when she was twenty-seven years old. Since then, she's published numerous novels in a variety of genres, as well as short stories, reviews, articles, and essays. She has edited three anthologies, including the landmark Women of Darkness and Women of Darkness II. Her novels are now coming out as eBooks from Crossroad Press and Necon EBooks. Her first collection of short stories, Looking Backward in Darkness, was released by The Borgo Press in 2013. A member of the Horror Writers Association since its founding, Kathryn edits the HWA monthly newsletter. She is a past recipient of HWA's Silver Hammer Award and the Richard Laymon's President Award for Service. A long-time resident of rural northwest New Jersey, she lives in a 131-year old Victorian house haunted by the ghost of her late husband, writer Charles L. Grant.

About the Horror Writers Association

The Horror Writers Association is a nonprofit organization of writers and publishing professionals around the world, dedicated to promoting dark literature and the interests of those who write it. The HWA formed in 1985 with the help of many of the field’s greats, including Dean Koontz, Robert McCammon, and Joe Lansdale.

Media Contacts:

Communications Coordinator: Doug Murano, doug.murano@gmail.com

Asst. Communications Coordinator: Tom Calen, tom@tomcalen.com