It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a general news roundup. The past few months all I’ve really talked about are my two collections, but there’s been some other stuff going on that, unfortunately, has gotten kind of pushed to the wayside as a result.

I’ve got a couple of new short stories out. A dark comedy, “I Hate Needles,” in the eBook anthology Strange World, published by the talented crew over at Biff Bam Pop and available exclusively for the Kobo eReader. And there’s “Out of the Blue,” a new Felix Renn story available in the Fungi anthology, which features stories by many other excellent writers. The book is available in trade paperback, eBook, and a hardcover edition that has some extra stories. The publisher has created a snazzy website devoted to Fungi, with all kinds of fungusy fun.

I sold a new story over the holidays, a dark wilderness tale called “False North.” It will appear in an anthology called Shadows Edge, edited by Simon Strantzas and published by Gray Friar Press.

“Temporary Monsters,” the first Felix Renn novella, is still available as a free eBook. You can download a copy for your eReader of choice at Smashwords, or read it online at Wattpad or Scribd. (And if you enjoy TM, you might want to check out the Felix Renn collection SuperNOIRtural Tales.)

And finally, I will be on Trent Radio tomorrow night, January 15th, from 7:00-8:00 p.m., talking about books, writing, Felix Renn and the Black Lands, coffee, the woods, and anything else that might come up. If you’re not in the Peterborough area, you can still listen to the show online. Hope you can tune in.

Correction: We’ll be recording the show on the 15th, but the show will air at a later date that has yet to be determined.

It’s been so long since I’ve posted here I expected to find tumbleweeds rolling around the place! With one book in the can and another that I’m waiting to get edits back on, I find myself enjoying an unexpected break from writing. So I thought I’d take the opportunity to provide a few updates on some of my projects.

First, the Fungi anthology, which will include a new Felix Renn story, “Out of the Blue,” has a release date of December 2012. The publisher has created a very cool website for the book with all kinds of groovy fungi-related info, as well as the table of contents and pricing on the various editions.

An interview I did with Mike Carey, Linda Carey, and Louise Carey about their collaborative novel, The Steel Seraglio was posted on the HarperCollins book blog, The Savvy Reader. The Careys are an extremely kind and talented family, and I was fortunate enough to meet Mike and Linda last year when they were in town for the SpecFic Colloquium. The interview was very informative and a lot of fun.

The Canadian “best of” anthology, Imaginarium 2012, is popping up in bookstores and various online venues. If it’s not available at your favourite outlet, it should be by the end of the month. The book includes my story, “The Candle.”

A new short story, “I Hate Needles,” will be published in September in the eBook anthology Strange World. This is the first book from BIFF BAM POP, the pop culture website where I wrote articles on TV’s Lost as well as the occasional book review.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention that there is now less than one moth to order the hardcover limited edition of my forthcoming collection, Every House Is Haunted. The hardcover will contain bonus material not included in the trade paperback or the eBook, including a full-colour frontispiece and an extra short story, “The Secret Door.” The hardcover won’t be available in bookstores, so be sure to order soon if you want to snag a copy.

I think that’s everything that’s going on right now. Hopefully it’s enough to tide you over while I prep for my favourite time of the year. Shark Week! Time to put on my shark jersey, slip into my shark slippers, and cue up the Jaws theme.

A new Felix Renn story, “Out of the Blue,” has been sold to an anthology called Fungi, edited by by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Orrin Grey, to be published by Innsmouth Free Press later this fall.

I remember meeting Orrin Grey a few years ago at Readercon, and he told me about his fungus fascination. It was one of the first things he told me, in fact, and I recall smiling, nodding, and backing away slowly. Then he explained that he was interested in fungus-related stories (Hodgson’s “The Voice in the Night,” Lovecraft’s Fungi from Yuggoth, Jeff VanderMeer’s Ambergis books) and that it was his hope to one day put together a collection of them for a themed anthology. Well, it finally happened, and I’m very happy to be a part of it.

I’m particularly excited about “Out of the Blue” because it introduces a new character to the Black Lands universe. Jerry Baldwin is a smooth-talking real estate agent (and Felix’s sometime lawyer) who only represents haunted properties. Haunted houses, haunted apartments, haunted condos, haunted farms, etc. In addition to providing a bit of comic relief, Jerry is an example of the way ordinary people have adapted to live in a world where the supernatural exists as a part of their daily lives. In Jerry’s case, he tries to make a few bucks out of the situation.

Fungi will be published in hardcover, paperback, and as an e-book. The hardcover will feature some bonus material not included in the other editions. Very excited about this one!

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!