I’m very excited to announce that I will be one of the author guests at this year’s Wizard World Comic Con, taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on April 14-15.

I’ll have a table in Artist Alley where I’ll be selling and signing copies of Deadstock and the Felix Renn chapbooks.

You can find my bio on the convention website, and information about the event itself on the main page. Lots of great guests will be in attendance, so come out and say hello!

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 In the first one, I read a short excerpt from “Black-Eyed Kids,” while in the second one I read from a new, unpublished Felix Renn story, “Out of the Blue.”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! 

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I’ll be reading from the latest Felix Renn novella, “Black-Eyed Kids,” as well as from a new, unpublished Felix story called “Out of the Blue.”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

“Black-Eyed Kids” is now available on the Burning Effigy Press website!

Also, if you’re on Facebook, swing on over to the Felix Renn / The Black Lands fan page and check out pics from this year’s Word on the Street.

If you’re in the Toronto area this weekend, come on out to the launch of the new Felix Renn novella, “Black-Eyed Kids,” taking place at the Word on the Street book and magazine festival.

I will be signing from noon to 1:00 p.m. at the Burning Effigy Press booth (FB18) located at Queen’s Park Crescent East, halfway between St. Joseph’s St. and Wellesley St.

Also, this arrived today…

The June 1946 issue of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine featured the winners of the mag’s very first short story contest. Consequently it also marked the first appearance of Lew Archer, the private detective created by Ross Macdonald, and the one, along with Robert B. Parker’s Spenser, who provided the primary influence for Felix Renn.

The story in this issue is called “Find the Woman” (it came fourth in the contest), and it’s credited to Kenneth Millar, which is Ross Macdonald’s real name. Millar wouldn’t start calling himself Macdonald until the publication of the first Lew Archer novel, The Moving Target.

Macdonald wrote 18 Lew Archer novels in all. The final one, The Blue Hammer, was published in 1976, the year I was born.

In an amusing twist, Macdonald’s detective actually had a different name for his short story debut in “Find the Woman.”

His name?

Rogers.

On Thursday I’ll be flying out to Austin, Texas, for this year’s World Horror Convention. This marks the second time I’ve attended this particular con — the first being the one held in Toronto in 2007— and the first time I’m actually taking part in the programming. My involvement is fairly minor compared to some, but I’m very happy to be moderating a panel and taking part in a book launch. Here are the deets:

Book Launch – EDGE Books

2:00 – 4:00 PM, Friday, April 29 – Convention Suite

Join hosts Michael Kelly and Jaym Gates for the multi-author book launch of “Chilling Tales”, “Rigor Amortis”, and “Those Who Fight Monsters”. Plus get a special sneak peek of EDGE’s Fall Horror line up, including “EVOLVE Two: Vampire Stories of the Future Undead”, and “Gaslight Arcanum: Uncanny Tales of Sherlock Holmes.”

The End of Good Advice

1:00 PM Saturday, April 30 – Dezavala

Mikal Trimm, Ian Rogers (M), Vanessa Fewings, Peter Straub, Gord Rollo, Wayne Allen Sallee

In the old days, there were a few solid ways to build a career—get some attention with short stories, or get an agent and sell a novel to New York. But good advice often has an expiration date, especially in the rapidly changing publishing field of the Internet era. What good old advice still works, and what new advice do the old pros not even know?

If you’re going, don’t be stranger. Come up and say hello. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

I will be at Ad Astra this Saturday for the second part of the Chilling Tales launch. There will be a panel discussion at 11 a.m., and then a launch party from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. If you’re attending the convention, make sure to stop by and check it out.

My work hasn’t appeared in very many publications that have had actual book launches, so what were the odds I’d get double-booked for two such events? Pretty good, apparently.

BIFF BAM POP, the pop culture website where I’m currently writing a book review column, is publishing a graphic anthology called The Collected Biff Bam Boo, featuring two of my flash fiction pieces, “Wendy” and “Vogo,” with artwork by J.P. Fallavollita.

Meanwhile, EDGE Books is launching the all-Canadian horror anthology Chilling Tales, featuring a new Felix Renn story called “My Body.”

Both events take place this Saturday, March 19th. The Biff Bam Boo launch will be held at the Curzon restaurant (1192 Queen St East) from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Chilling Tales launch will be at Bakka Phoenix Books (84 Harbord St.) from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

My plan is to hit the Chilling Tales launch first and sign books for an hour or two, then zip over to the Curzon for the Biff Bam Boo launch. The latter is taking place at a restaurant, and even though the end time is slated for 7:30 p.m., I’m told that the event will go on as long as people are there.

So if you’re hankering for more Felix Renn and you want your book signed, I’d suggest you come to the Chilling Tales launch on time, as I won’t be there for the whole thing. And if your interests lie more toward horror comics, you should swing by the Curzon and pick up a copy of The Collected Biff Bam Boo.

Or hell, come to both and have a REALLY good time!