Peter A. Balaskas’ fiction and poetry have been published internationally. His short novel, The Grandmaster, a supernatural thriller that takes place during the Holocaust, was published by Bards and Sages Publishing. Originally his graduate master’s thesis, The Grandmaster ranked third in the Bards and Sages nationwide Speculative Fiction Novel Contest and is now on sale at amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. The Grandmaster has also been awarded as a Top Ten Finalist by the Preditors and Editors Reader's Poll for Best Horror Novel of 2007. It has also been named Best Science Fiction Novel of the Year by the Hollywood and New England Book Festivals. He has just completed his first short story collection, In His House, for which he is seeking publication. One story from that collection, "Crossing the Styx," was awarded Best Unpublished Short Story at the 2007 DIY Book Festival in Los Angeles. His short story, "Oranna's Song," was awarded Honorable Mention (ranked SECOND in the nation) in the Romance Category by the Fourth Annual Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards. He also often serves as a reviewer for L.A. Splash (www.lasplash.com). Peter is now writing his first full-length Wagner Mythos Novel.