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!

The all-Canadian horror anthology, Chilling Tales, which features a new Felix Renn story called “My Body,” is now available from Amazon.ca.

Amazon.com and BN.com list an April 2011 release date, so U.S. readers may have to wait a bit longer for the book. Of course, if you’re really hankering for more Felix Renn, you might want to just go ahead and order it from Amazon.ca. I wouldn’t blame you if you did. The line-up for this book is pretty damn impressive. I count myself lucky to have my work appear alongside such talented authors.

In other Felix news, I learned the lesson of why it is usually a bad idea to talk about works-in-progress. About a week into the writing of the new Felix Renn chapbook, I came to the conclusion that the story was much bigger than I had originally envisioned. Suffice to say, Exhibition Loop will be written one day, not as a novelette but as a novel.

After a week or two of tossing around new ideas, I finally started on another story that will be the third Felix Renn chapbook. And no, I’m not going to tell you what it’s called. At least not until it’s finished. I learned my lesson.

Simon Strantzas, one of Canada’s premiere authors of weird fiction, has posted a review of “The Ash Angels”:

What can one say about “The Ash Angels”? The first sequel to “Temporary Monsters”, TAA take Rogers’s hero, Felix Renn, into quieter, more emotional territory. But don’t let that description fool you — Rogers’s dialogue is as sharp and funny as ever. He understands the rat-a-tat-tat language of the best noir, and uses it to explore the interpersonal relationships of his characters. The fact that “The Ash Angels” is a different beast from “Temporary Monsters”, and yet just as enjoyable, cements the proof that the Felix Renn character has a lot of life in him, and a lot of distance to travel. Which is good, as Rogers promises on his website many more adventures for the detective. That may be unlucky for Renn, but it’s oh so lucky for us.

It’s always great to get a good review, but it’s even better when the reviewer truly understands what the writer was setting out to accomplish. Mucho thanks, Simon!

My publisher has informed me that “The Ash Angels” will be going into a second printing. Mucho thanks to everyone who picked up a copy and helped make this possible. If you’re interested in snagging a first printing, you might still be able to get one from Horror Mall or, if you act fast, directly from the publisher.

The support for the Felix Renn/Black Lands stories has been truly overwhelming. I’m grateful to everyone who has bought one of the chapbooks, as well as the people who have taken the time to approach me at conventions and readings to tell me how much they enjoy the series, or to ask me when the next one will be out, or, better yet, when I will be getting to work on a Felix Renn novel.

I can tell you the novel is coming, once I get a couple of other projects off my plate, and as for the third Felix Renn chapbook, I expect to begin writing it within the next couple of weeks, for a September 2011 release. It will be called “Exhibition Loop.”

I’m excited to announce the upcoming publication of Chilling Tales, an anthology of Canadian horror fiction edited by Michael Kelly, from EDGE Publishing. My contribution is a new Felix Renn story called “My Body.”

Here’s the cover art and line-up:

“Stay” by Leah Bobet
“Blacklight” by Michael Colangelo
“The Needle’s Eye” by Suzanne Church
“The Shrines” by Gemma Files
“King Him” by Richard Gavin
“The Carpet Maker” by Brent Hayward
“Foxford” by Sandra Kasturi
“Sympathy For the Devil” by Nancy Kilpatrick
“Dead” by Claude Lalumière
“Cowboy’s Row” by Christopher K. Miller
“Looker” by David Nickle
“Last Waltz” by Jason S. Ridler
“404” by Barbara Roden
“My Body” by Ian Rogers
“Safe” by Brett Alexander Savory
“The Deafening Sound of Slumber” by Simon Strantzas
“The Weight of Stones” by Tia V. Travis
“Tom Chestnutt’s Midnight Blues” by Robert J. Wiersema

The book will be launched at next year’s World Horror Convention in Austin, Texas. It’s currently available for pre-order from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

This is a reminder that I will be a guest at DarkLit Fest of Durham tomorrow at the Oshawa Public Library. I’ll be moderating a panel in the morning called “Dark and Stormy Nights: Writing Horrifying Horror Fiction.” I’ll also be signing copies of “Temporary Monsters” and “The Ash Angels” that will be available for sale. And I’ll be doing a short reading after lunch.

If you’re in the area, you should definitely come out. The event is free and there will be many great authors and publishers in attendance. A full listing of the guests and events can be found at the DarkLit Fest of Durham website.

I hope to see you there.

The first review of “The Ash Angels” has come in, and it’s really freakin’ great. Here’s an excerpt:

“Rogers has taken his incredible main character — Felix Renn — and expanded the story, bringing a more emotional and descriptively dark side of his writing style out for all to see. The pace is fast, the writing tight, but most important of all (to me) — this piece is pitch black in humor and style.”

Paperback Horror
Read the full review

Thanks to Colum at Paperback Horror for the wonderful review. And I promise, that Felix Renn novel is coming. I’m currently in training — writer training, that is, which means I’m working on some Felix Renn short stories to gear myself up for the main event. In fact, I just finished one the other day, and I’m currently thinking about where I should submit it. Once I get another story or two finished, I’ll be ready to tackle the novel. Cue the Rocky music.

Andy Burns from BIFF BAM POP interviewed me about the Black Lands, Felix Renn, and life as a writer, while Mary Rajotte from the Toronto Writing Examiner did a great two-part article on the upcoming release of “The Ash Angels” and my participation in some upcoming events.