Thank you for your patience as we determined our final Dead of Winter results, which are:

• 1st: “The Cold Face of the Mountain” by Karen Sheard (Theme: Alaska)
• 2nd: “A Guiding Light” by H.B. Bendt (Theme: The Haunted Lighthouse)
• 3rd: “Carriers” by Matt Boyle (Theme: The Award)
• Honorable Mention: “The Reborn” by Becca Yenser (Theme: Heart and Soul)
• Honorable Mention: “The Seagull” by Alex Grey (Theme: Nevertheless She Persisted)

The most popular themes submitted to our 20th annual horror fiction contest were “Nevertheless She Persisted” and “The Hand of Fate.” The first, second, and third place stories will appear in Toasted Cheese 21.1, our Spring issue.

Our next contest is the renamed The Savage Mystery Writing Contest (formerly Three Cheers and a Tiger), which opens Friday, March 19 and ends Sunday, March 21. Please remember to follow theme, genre, and word count parameters on all contests. There is no registration, entry fee, or geographic restriction for this or any TC contest.