Nominees for the 2013 Blood Scotland Short Story Competition Announced

The Blood Scotland short story competition has its shortlist, with six stories delving into the dark underbelly of the crime world and the "Bad Luck and Trouble" — the competition's theme — that can follow.

With the aim of discovering the next big name in crime fiction, the competition gives previously unpublished writers the opportunity to have their work on the Bloody Scotland website where authors, agents, publishers and readers will have the opportunity to see it. The winner will receive £1000, a weekend pass to Bloody Scotland 2013, and a bottle of whiskey.

The nominees are:

• "Preacher Man" by Ben Borland;
• "Bad Luck and Trouble" by Keith Dumble;
• "A Different Kind of Freedom" by Carol Hunter;
• "The Jonah" by Stuart McLean;
• "The Best Dish" by Mindy Quigley; and
• "Bishop" by Keith B. Walters.

You can read each of these stories on the festival's website, and vote for your favorite. The winner will be announced during Bloody Scotland, which takes place September 13th through 15th, 2013 in Stirling.