The Horror Writers Association (HWA), the premier organization of writers and publishers of horror and dark fantasy, today announced the recipients of the association’s Richard Laymon President’s Award for Service. HWA’s President Lisa Morton has chosen the publicity team of Doug Murano, Tom Calen, and Brock Cooper to receive the 2014 Richard Laymon Award. Murano, Calen, and Cooper will receive the award at the Bram Stoker Awards® Banquet in Atlanta on May 9th, 2015, held as part of the World Horror Convention.
Instituted in 2000, the award is named in honor of Richard Laymon, who died in 2000 while serving as the Horror Writers Association’s President. As its name implies, it is given by the HWA’s sitting President. The Award is presented to a volunteer who has served HWA in an especially exemplary manner and has shown extraordinary dedication to the organization.
“These three gentlemen have completely re-created HWA’s promotion and publicity, taking it from almost zero to sixty in record time,” Morton said. “Thanks to this amazing trio, we’ve received hundreds of thousands of hits on campaigns like our ‘Horror Selfies’, our press releases have been receiving international attention, and more readers than ever know about the Bram Stoker Awards®. Our former President Rocky Wood held Doug, Tom, and Brock’s work in the highest standing, and I share that admiration and appreciation.”
About Doug Murano, Tom Calen and Brock Cooper
South Dakota native Doug Murano lives somewhere between Mount Rushmore and the mighty Missouri River. Since 2008, his short stories have appeared in a number of venues. He co-edited the Amazon best-selling horror anthology, Shadows Over Main Street, and is an Affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association. He has served on the HWA’s communications team since October 2013, and in 2014, he established the HWA’s Know a Nominee interview series, which provides insights and information into the work of Bram Stoker Award® nominees.
A New York City native, Tom holds a degree in English and spent several years in the business world before abandoning all reason and deciding to write full-time. He is the author of the bestselling horror series, The Pandemic Sequence. His seventh novel, the supernatural thriller Sarah of the Romani, was published earlier this year. In early 2014, Tom moved to Nicaragua, where he is working on his next book. Tom joined the Horror Writers Association as an Active member in July 2014.
Brock Cooper is a native of Illinois, where he lives with his wife, Jessica, and three boys. He studied physics and English at Illinois Wesleyan University, but his calling was always writing in one way or the other. He spent seven years as a journalist before moving into the world of marketing and media relations. His short story, The Devil is in the Details, made it to the preliminary list of the Bram Stoker Awards® in 2010 and has since been optioned for a film.
For more information on the Richard Laymon President’s Award (including a list of former recipients), please visit www.horror.org. For information on the World Horror Convention and Bram Stoker Awards® banquet, visit www.whc2015.org.
