Gary Braunbeck took home two Bram Stoker Awards from HWA at this year’s World Horror Convention, held in Salt Lake City, Utah. Other Leisure finalists included Mary SanGiovanni for her debut, The Hollower, and John Everson.

The weekend-long celebration of horror gave readers, writers, artists, editors and booksellers a chance to participate in workshops, readings, signings and, of course, parties.  The Leisure Books bash—hosted by vice-president Tim DeYoung, editor Don D’Auria and publicist Erin Galloway—drew a huge crowd eager for free books and the chance to mingle with some of their favorite authors, including WHC Guests of Honor Simon Clark and Braunbeck, among many others.

The following night, HWA President Deborah LeBlanc presided over the annual Stoker Award banquet.  Braunbeck’s two wins give him a lifetime total of five, currently the same number as Robert McCammon. 

“Our own doyen of the diabolical, Don D’Auria, has had great success in finding new authors for the Leisure horror line at these conventions, including talent such as John Everson, Gord Rollo, Robert Dunbar and Wrath James White,” DeYoung says.  

Check out the photos below for a weekend recap!

Author Gord Rollo displays a cover flat for Jigsaw Man, an August release, with his editor, Don D'Auria.		Gary Braunbeck accepts his second Stoker Award of evening, for his work of long fiction Afterward, There Will Be a Hallway.
Don D'Auria (center) with authors John Everson and W. D. Gagliani at the HWA Bram Stoker Awards Banquet.		Wrath James White--whose Leisure debut, Succulent Prey, releases in December--signs some of his current titles.
Gary Braunbeck accepts his first Stoker Award of the evening, for the anthology Five Strokes to Midnight, which he edited with Hank Schwaeble.		Gord Rollo prepares for the booksigning event.
Heather Graham and Deborah LeBlanc at the World Horror Author Signing.		Don D'Auria, Jim Argendeli from CNN.com, W.G. Gagliani and David Simms enjoy the Leisure Books Party.
Authors and readers enjoyed a night of fun and relaxation at the Leisure Books Party.		John Everson, Don D'Auria and W. D. Gagliani at the Leisure Books Party.
Readers were able to meeting their favorite authors at the World Horror Author Signing.		John Everson displays the cover flat for his September  Dorchester release, Covenant.
John Everson and Erin Galloway at the Dark Arts Pajama Party.		The late-night Leisure Books Party was the place to be at World Horror!