Archive for the ‘Publicity’ Category

Reviews and Interview

There were a couple of reviews of SuperNOIRtural Tales posted over the holiday break. Ted E. Grau over at The Cosmicomicon had this to say:

Rogers’ style is a perfect fit for this sort of fiction, as his writing is clean and straight ahead, without a lot of jazz hands, while also dashing the stew with a necessary amount of sarcasm and bone dry, black humor.  But there is also a depth of character, and a firm respect for what makes both good Horror and good Crime Fiction.  Like a mellow scotch, Rogers’ writing is the ideal blend of the spooky and the restrained, the shocking and the procedural, striking a balance that serves this sort of mash-up perfectly.

Ted also interviewed me for his website, which you should definitely check out because Ted is a big a fan of horror and noir as I am. Here’s an excerpt:

Do you have any more stories percolating that take place in or around the Black Lands?

My first non-Felix Black Lands story was recently published in the anthology Chilling Tales 2, edited by Michael Kelly. It’s called “Day Pass,” and it deals with a kind of halfway house for shapeshifters. People who have been infected by a Black Lands virus that’s basically the supernatural equivalent of rabies.

I’ve got a new Felix Renn story called “Eyes Like Poisoned Wells” that’s currently making the rounds.

And I’m currently working on a short story featuring Jerry Baldwin, the haunted house realtor from “The Brick.” It’s a tale of demons and exorcism called “Possession is Nine-Tenths of the Law.” Jerry’s stories tend to be a bit lighter. Not outright comedies, but less dark than the rest of my Black Lands stories. I like them because they let me explore not just another character, but another view of the world. Jerry’s outlook is very different from Felix’s. He doesn’t like the way the Black Lands is intruding on our world, but he’s trying to make the most of it. Even more, he’s trying to make money out of it.

You can read the whole review and the rest of the interview at The Cosmicomicon.

Josh Black also reviewed the book for Hellnotes:

The Brick is easily the highlight of the collection. It’s a creepy and effective haunted house tale, a terrifying monster-battling romp, and a strikingly poignant family saga that asks some probing questions regarding self-sacrifice. This one had me laughing, tearing up and nearly jumping out of my chair in equal measure.

Read the full review

Thanks to both of these fine gents for the excellent reviews.

The Next Big Thing

My bud, Rio Youers, tagged me to be a part of this online q&a called The Next Big Thing. The idea is to answer ten quick fire questions on your blog, and then tag five other writers, and so on. It’s a good idea, and a nice way to drum up interest in your latest work. Rio tagged me and you can read his answers on his website. Here are mine:

1. What is the working title of your next book?

My next book is titled…. UNTITLED FIRST FELIX RENN NOVEL. Actually, I know the title of the book, but I’m not ready to reveal it here. If you really want to know, I mentioned it in the story notes in my Felix Renn collection, SuperNOIRtural Tales. It just came out, so let’s talk about that book instead, okay?

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

SuperNOIRtural Tales is a collection of five stories featuring a recurring private detective character named Felix Renn. I don’t recall where the idea for Felix came from, except that I’ve always enjoyed supernatural fiction and detective fiction, and thought it would be fun to combine them in one story.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

I suppose some people would say it’s urban fantasy, but UF has become synonymous with paranormal romance these days, so I tend to refer to these stories as supernatural noirs, or supernoirturals (hence the title of the book).

4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

I think Ryan Gosling could make an interesting Felix. And I think Alicia Witt would do well as Felix’s ex-wife/assistant, Sandra.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Felix Renn is a private detective in a supernatural world.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

The book was published by Burning Effigy Press.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

The collection is the culmination of three years’ worth of stories. The longest story, “The Brick” at 50,000 words, took about three months to write.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Hmm. Tough question. I think of Felix as more Harry D’Amour than Harry Dresden, so I’m reluctant to compare the book to others in the field of urban fantasy. The Felix Renn stories actually owe more to detective fiction than horror, so while I would compare the story to something like Everville, by Clive Barker, I’d also include the Lew Archer series by Ross Macdonald and the Spensers books by Robert B. Parker.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My love for detective/supernatural fiction mash-ups.

10. What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

Well, I think Felix Renn and the Black Lands series stands out among others in its subgenre, if only because I don’t self-identify as an author of urban fantasy. It’s not about marketing. I think if you read these stories (and you can read the first one in the series, “Temporary Monsters” for free), you’ll see that they stand very much on their own.

So there we go. Quick and painless. Unfortunately, I’ve only managed to tag one other author so far. Orrin Grey is up next in the hot seat one week from today.

The Fall of Felix

There’s a lot of Felix Renn stuff going on over the next few months, enough that I’ve declared this the Fall of Felix! (To be spoken in the same boisterous tone as George Constanza saying “The Summer of George!”)

Here’s the rundown:

In the next week or so, Supernatural Tales #22 will be out, featuring the Felix Renn vampire story, “Midnight Blonde.” (Speaking of vampires, swing over to Speculating Canada and read an article I wrote on Black Lands vampires called “Vamping Things Up.”)

On October 1st, SuperNOIRtural Tales will be available for pre-order from Burning Effigy Press. A very cool preview will be available for electronic download at the same time (more on that later). SuperNOIRtural Tales will include the three Felix Renn novellas (“Temporary Monsters,” “The Ash Angels,” and “Black-Eyed Kids”), the short story “My Body” (featured in the Chilling Tales anthology), and a brand-new, 50,000-word novella called “The Brick.” Other extras include story notes, a history of the Black Lands, and an introduction by Mike Carey. The book will be out in November, just in time for the World Fantasy Convention in Richmond Hill, which I will be attending.

And finally, coming out in December (yeah, technically it’s winter not fall, so sue me), the anthology Fungi will include the story “Out of the Blue,” which features Felix Renn and his haunted real-estate selling foil Jerry Baldwin.

There’s some other cool stuff coming later this year and early next year — a new Black Lands story in Chilling Tales 2, as well as Felix’s first foray into electronic self-publishing — but this should be enough to hold you for the time being.

Thanks to everyone for their continued support of my work. There’s going to be a lot going on this fall (“The Fall of Felix!”), in terms of book launches, readings, and conventions. If you live in the area, I hope you’ll come out and say hello.

Skull Salad and Toronto Writing Examiner

Two new reviews to help ring in the new year. The first comes from Gef Fox over at Skull Salad Reviews. Here’s what he had to say about “Temporary Monsters”:

“The world Ian has created here is surprisingly robust when barely using thirty pages to know only set the stage, but tell the whole story. The added twist of a drug that seems to temporarily morph users into monsters of choice is both macabre and original. There’s a good payoff at the end with enough of a teaser for future installments… Seeing Canada portrayed as something other than a snowbound land of overly polite syrup-suckers is always welcome, and Ian did a heckuva job layering grime all over Toronto. I’m looking forward to reading what else he has in store for the great white north and abroad.”

Read the full review.

Meanwhile, over at the Toronto Writing Examiner, Mary Rajotte has written an article on the series as a whole. Here’s an excerpt:

With a catalog of stories that are dark in tone and which explore everything from ghosts to demons, Rogers is well-schooled in the art of scaring readers.

But his supernatural detective series of stories deftly mixes darker tones with the thrilling adventure that comes with the classic whodunnit.

Read the full article.

Thanks to Mr. Fox and Ms. Rajotte for the kind words. And best wishes to everyone for a Happy New Year!

“Of Wraiths and Wandering Daughters”

I wrote a short essay on the occult detective genre called “Of Wraiths and Wandering Daughters” for my final week in the Bloodlight over at BloodyBookish.com.

Thanks to Mary Rajotte for all of her hard work. I’ve done a few guest blogging posts in the past, but nothing remotely close to this. I really felt like a celebrity this past month. All I need now are some book groupies. If anyone is looking for some last minute Christmas ideas for me… Anyway, I had a lot of fun, and I think we succeeded in introducing a number of people to Felix Renn and Black Lands.

Since I probably won’t be posting again before the holidays are upon us, I want to take a moment to thank not just Mary but all of the wonderful book bloggers who have been kind enough to promote my work this past year.

If the Felix Renn novels are ever published, and if they are successful, it will be because of the early word-of-mouth of websites like Bloody Bookish, Dreadful Tales, The Man Eating Bookworm, Ginger Nuts of Horror, Wag the Fox, Book Den, and The Darkeva.

So I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for making my year. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Felix Renn contest giveaway

It’s week two of The Bloodlight over at BloodyBookish.com, and the website is holding a contest. Answer five questions about Felix Renn and the Black Lands (the answers can be found on this website) and you’ll be included in a draw to win a set of the three Felix Renn chapbooks.

Check out BloodyBookish.com for the full contest details.

The Bloodlight

I’m very excited to announce that I am the feature author of this month’s edition of The Bloodlight over at BloodyBookish.com. Over the next few weeks, BB will be posting a series of articles about me and my work. I’m very honoured to have been asked to take part in this. BloodyBookish.com is a really great website for readers and writers. I strongly recommend you check it out.

First up in The Bloodlight is an interview with yours truly. Next week: a review of “Black-Eyed Kids”!

Speaking of reviews, the fine folks over at Innsmouth Free Press have reviewed the Canadian horror anthology Chilling Tales. Here’s what they had to say about my Felix Renn story:

Ian Rogers brings us My Body. This is a well-thought-out tale with some great twists. A private detective meets a little girl who takes him into a haunted house. It is now his job to try to figure out who is doing the haunting.

Read the full review.

Thanks to IFP for the review, and thanks to BB for putting me in The Bloodlight!

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.

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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.