Archive for November, 2011

Dreadful Tales and The Man Eating Bookworm

The Burning Effigy event, “An Evening with the Authors,” went very well, despite the rainy weather and the Grey Cup game. Thanks to Monica for setting it up, and thanks to fellow performers Jeff Cottrill and Tobin Elliott for helping to make it such a great night.

Colum McKnight of DreadfulTales.com videotaped the readings and I’ve included links to mine below. In the first one, I read a short excerpt from “Black-Eyed Kids,” while in the second one I read from a new, unpublished Felix Renn story, “Out of the Blue.”

Jason Darrick has also done an incredible write-up of the night’s festivities. Be sure to check it out.

In other news, The Man Eating Book Worm weighs in with a review of “The Ash Angels”:

“…The writing is mature and as professional as anything being stacked on the “Bestsellers!” table at Chapters.

With The Ash Angels Ian Rogers did me a solid. He affirmed my observations from his first chapbook, that a new talent had entered the literary world. The story is told with the same confidence and maturity, assuring the reader that they are in competent hands.”

Read the full review.

Thanks to Dreadful Tales for recording the event, and to the Man Eating Bookworm for the excellent review! 

First review of Deadstock

Colum McKnight at the excellent website DreadfulTales.com has reviewed Deadstock. Here’s an excerpt:

Proper setting and placement are absolutely essential to the well being of a well crafted Weird West novel. If these things aren’t handled properly, the author stands on the precipice of another genre altogether, namely Steampunk. Rogers handles this task brilliantly and expertly, keeping the realism directly steeped in a properly historical context, and limits himself to that time periods alone. Add the weight of a supernatural element and BAM! what you have in your grubby little hands is one of the best Weird West pieces you’ll ever read.

Read the rest of the review.

That’s right, folks: one of the best Weird West pieces you’ll ever read. I’d say straight from the horse’s mouth, but according to the review, Colum is actually afraid of horses. So instead I’ll say straight from the mouth of a damn fine reviewer. Big thanks to Colum and Dreadful Tales!

Deadstock is available on Amazon.com and as a Kindle e-book.

Those crazy “Kids”

I just heard that “Black-Eyed Kids” is going into a second printing!

Thanks to everyone who helped sell out the first printing, and in just a little less than two months’ time. Nice!

Reading and Review

I’m very excited to announce that I will be one of the featured guests at “An Evening with the Authors,” along with fellow scribes Tobin Elliott and Jeff Cottrill. The event, which will be hosted by Monica S. Kuebler of Burning Effigy Press, will be held at the Black Swan Tavern (154 Danforth Ave.) on Sunday, November 27th, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

I don’t know about you guys, but with a name like the Black Swan Tavern, I’m hoping for a homicidal Natalie Portman sighting! 

I’ll be reading from the latest Felix Renn novella, “Black-Eyed Kids,” as well as from a new, unpublished Felix story called “Out of the Blue.”

Hope to see you there!

In other news, The Man Eating Bookworm has posted a really incredible review of “Temporary Monsters.” Here’s an excerpt:

If you are a fan of urban fantasy fare as delivered by Jim Butcher or Simon R. Green, you’ll be sure to love what Rogers has in store. This short novella introduces readers to a world where things that go bump in the night and our own are separated by only the most delicate of veils.

Read the rest of the review.

And finally, Dreadful Tales posted an article on their favourite Canadian horror authors, and they included me on their list!

All in all, a great way to start the weekend. Thanks, everyone!

Interview at The Ginger Nuts of Horror

There’s a fairly in-depth interview with me over at The Ginger Nuts of Horror in which I talk about my writing background, urban fantasy, detective fiction, Deadstock, and of course, Felix Renn and the Black Lands.

Reviews a-poppin’

There have been a lot of reviews of the Felix Renn chapbooks popping up lately.

Mary Rajotte over at Bloody Bookish had this to say about “Temporary Monsters”:

“Right from the 1st line, “The waiter got killed before he could drop off the bill”, which is so stark, it immediately plunges you into the heart of the action, readers are thrown into a world where monsters are the norm and the Paranormal Intelligence Agency (PIA) and the paranormal itself acts as a dangling carrot that entices both readers and Renn alike.”

Read the rest of the review at Bloody Bookish.

And she had this to say about “The Ash Angels”:

“From the very start, Rogers conjures up a darker more melancholy universe for Renn. Set against the backdrop of Christmas Eve, The Ash Angels is a darker, grittier read that adds more depth to Renn and continues to peel back the layers of the story that readers will undoubtedly be intrigued with the same way I was.”

Read the rest of the review at Bloody Bookish.

Meanwhile, The Ginger Nuts of Horror covered all three Felix Renn chapbooks in a single review, which is a first for me, and includes the first review of “Black-Eyed Kids.” Here’s some excerpts from the review:

On “Temporary Monsters”:

“A fast paced story, where the action kicks of from the word go and never lets up.”

On “The Ash Angels”:

“…this is a much quieter tale than it’s predecessor, however it still has the same great dialogue, great writing and snarky humour of Temporary Monsters. It was good to see such a different style of tale, it shows that Rogers is no one trick pony.”

On “Black-Eyed Kids”:

“This is a brilliant example of noir horror, chilling, thrilling, full of excellent dialogue, and a great cast of characters. Rogers has excelled in creating a truly chilling adversary in the Black Eyed Kids, these kids are creepy to the max.”

Read the full review at The Ginger Nuts of Horror.

There are more reviews coming down the pipe, as well as some interviews and other cool announcements that I’ll be able to tell you about soon.

Until then, if you have yet to check out the world of the Black Lands, Burning Effigy Press is currently offering a sweet deal where you can get all three Felix Renn chapbooks for only $20.

I’d also like to take a moment to once again thank everyone for their continuing support. The interest in this series has been overwhelming (and the hunger for a Felix Renn novel is voracious). If I could spend my days writing Felix Renn/Black Lands books, I’d be one happy cat. I don’t know if that will ever happen, but I do know that every time someone buys one of my stories, I’m one step closer to achieving that dream. It means a lot. So thank you!

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What are the Black Lands?

The Black Lands is a dimension filled with supernatural creatures that lies next to our own world. This alternate reality is the setting for a series of stories by Ian Rogers.

To find out more about the Black Lands, read the history.