Willamette Writers member Mary Lowd has 4–count ’em–4 works nominated for this year’s Ursa Major Awards!

In a Dog’s World, is a coming-of-age/romance story about a young cat, graduating from high school and heading off to a mostly-dog college.  A free e-book of it can be downloaded from Smashwords with the coupon code: CJ98M

Her short story, “Lunar Cavity,” is about a bat-like alien trying to save his home world with the help of a human scientist.  It can be read for free on the web-zine Deep Sky Anchor.

Her collection of short stories, The Necromouser and Other Magical Cats, features six stories about her popular character Shreddy, the cantankerous tabby cat, and his techno-mystical adventures; then there are seven stories about other magical felines.  A free e-book of it can be downloaded from Smashwords with the coupon code:  JW97Y

Finally, ROAR Volume 6 is a collection of short fiction that Mary edited for FurPlanet. It features a wide range of furry stories — sci-fi, fantasy, slice of life, detective, adventure, humor, fable — about all different kinds of animals. It’s also her first nomination as an editor.

The Ursa Major Awards are designed to recognize excellence in anthropomorphic arts and literature — basically, art and fiction that features talking (or otherwise anthropomorphized) animals. They’re based on a popular vote, and anyone can participate. Voting is open through April 15th.