Mechanicsburg, PA - Western Fictioneers (WF) is pleased to announce the NOMINEES for the third annual (2013) Peacemaker Awards. Mark Mitten's "Sipping Whiskey in a Shallow Grave" is a finalist in the Best Western First Novel category.

About Western Fictioneers: Western Fictioneers is the only professional writers organization composed entirely of authors who have written Western fiction, the classic American genre. Western Fictioneers is comprised of writers who love what they’re doing and who believe in the literature of the old west--devoted to keeping the traditional western alive. Stories of the west have been entertaining readers since the days of James Fenimore Cooper, and Western Fictioneers believe that western fiction is just as compelling ever. They have already produced a fine anthology of western tales. There’s a lot more to come in 2012, so look for some exciting announcements in the months ahead. Membership in Western Fictioneers is open to professional authors who have written Westerns, as well as fans of the genre who can join as patron members. If you’d like to join the group and be a part of the fun, you can find the requirements at the website below. They welcome everyone who shares their love of traditional western fiction. About this year's nominees: Western Fictioneers (WF) is pleased to announce the NOMINEES for the third annual (2013) Peacemaker Awards ** Nominees are in no particular order. The Lifetime Achievement Peacemaker will be presented to Robert Vaughan 2013 BEST WESTERN NOVEL: City of Rocks (Five Star Publishing — Cengage) by Michael Zimmer Unbroke Horses (Goldminds Publishing, LLC) by D.B. Jackson Apache Lawman (AmazonEncore) by Phil Dunlap Wide Open (Berkley Publishing Group) by Larry Bjornson 2013 BEST WESTERN SHORT STORY: “Christmas Comes to Freedom Hill” (Christmas Campfire Companion — Port Yonder Press) by Troy Smith “Christmas For Evangeline” (Slay Bells and Six Guns — WF ) by C. Courtney Joyner “Keepers of Camelot” (Slay Bells and Six Guns — WF) by Cheryl Pierson “The Toys” (Slay Bells and Six Guns — WF) by James J. Griffin “Adeline” (Protectors: Stories to Benefit PROTECT — Goombah Gumbo Press ) by Wayne Dundee 2013 BEST WESTERN FIRST NOVEL: High Stakes (Musa Publishing) by Chad Strong Wide Open (Berkley Publishing Group) by Larry Bjornson Red Lands Outlaw, the Ballad of Henry Starr (AWOC.com Publishing) by Phil Truman Last Stand At Bitter Creek (Western Trail Blazer) by Tom Rizzo Sipping Whiskey in a Shallow Grave (Sunbury Press) by Mark Mitten Congratulations to all the nominees. Winners will be announced on June 1, 2013 on the WF website (www.westernfictioneers.com) Western Fictioneers (WF) was formed in 2010 by Robert J. Randisi, James Reasoner, Frank Roderus, and other professional Western writers, to preserve, honor, and promote traditional Western writing in the 21st century. Entries were accepted in both print and electronic forms. The Peacemaker Awards are given out annually. Submissions for the Peacemaker Awards for books published in 2013 will be open in July, 2013. Submission guidelines will be posted on the WF web site. For more information about Western Fictioneers (WF) please visit: http://www.westernfictioneers.com/ or http://westernfictioneers.blogspot.com/ About "Sipping Whiskey in a Shallow Grave" It is 1887. Snow is falling in the high country of Colorado. Bill Ewing led a bank heist in the small mountain town of Kinsey City — but just woke up tied to the back of a mule. "Sipping Whiskey in a Shallow Grave" is an epic novel chronicling Bill Ewing’s gang of thieves and the posse that takes after them, the cowhands of the B-Cross-C, and the unexpected turns of life which bring them all together. Following the Great Die-Up, the harshest winter to ever hit the West, LG Pendleton and Casey Pruitt lead a mixed herd of Polangus and Durham cattle down the stage road in Lefthand Canyon. Their way of life is fading with the changing times. Fences cross what once was open range, locomotives are eliminating the trail drive, and both Casey and LG must learn to change with it — or fade away themselves. At once both personal and immutable, "Sipping Whiskey in a Shallow Grave" is a sweeping tale of randomness and destiny, reminding us of the power of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Sipping Whiskey in a Shallow Grave Authored by Mark Mitten List Price: $16.95 6" x 9" (15.24 x 22.86 cm) Black & White on Cream paper 338 pages Sunbury Press, Inc. ISBN-13: 978-1620061466 ISBN-10: 1620061465 BISAC: Fiction / Westerns Also available on Kindle and Nook For more information, please see: http://www.sunburypressstore.com/Sipping-Whiskey-in-a-Sha...