Unearthing author John Kern

A recent trip to the New York Public Library revealed some interesting finds in the archives of Canadian author Robin Hardy (1952-1995). He was a prolific author of men's adventure novels and YA books, all of which were published under pseudonyms or house names when he worked as a writer-for-hire. 

These archives include a number of cover flats that are typically sent to authors for them to approve the final design and text elements. Of great interest were two proofs for books attributed to John Kern, both published in 1988 by Lynx Books: The Falstaff Cross and Outside Man. Could this be yet another pen name used by Hardy?

2023 Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot Announced

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) has announced the Final Ballot for the 2023 Bram Stoker Awards®. The HWA (see http://www.horror.org/) is the premier writers organization in the horror and dark fiction genre, with more than 2,000 members. They have presented the Bram Stoker Awards in various categories since 1987 (see http://www.thebramstokerawards.com/).

Unearthing author Joseph Trainor

While researching possible pseudonyms that Canadian author Robin Hardy (1952-1995) had used, "Joseph Trainor" stood out as a potential match, primarily because there's little to no information about him. 

For those who were preteens in the early 1980s, the name may seem familiar: he was attributed as the author of two books in the popular series Twilight: Where Darkness Begins, published by Cloverdale Press--which is where Hardy got his start after moving to New York City, becoming the executive editor from 1987-1991.