Cemetery Dance Publications has acquired Ian Rogers’ debut novel, Sycamore, in a two-book deal.
Rogers is best known as the author of the award-winning collection Every House Is Haunted (reprinted by Cemetery Dance in October 2022). A story from the book, “The House on Ashley Avenue,” was a finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award and is currently being adapted as a feature film, produced by Sam Raimi and directed by Corin Hardy.
Sycamore, which tells the story of a PI investigating a disappearance in a quaint suburb, is the first novel in The Black Lands series, set in an alternate history Earth where mysterious portals to a monster-filled dimension began appearing in the 20th century. Cemetery Dance has also acquired reprint rights to SuperNOIRtural Tales, the story collection that first introduced the Black Lands universe.
“Cemetery Dance is proud and excited to have acquired Ian’s debut novel,” said Kevin Lucia, editor at Cemetery Dance Publications. “We’re even more excited to be the official home of The Black Lands series, a rich and terrifying world with so many thrilling possibilities.”
Sycamore is schedule to be published in fall 2024, with SuperNOIRtural Tales to follow in 2025.
Rogers is represented by Jack Gernert of The Gernert Company for books, and Peter Katz of Story Driven for film and television.