I released the novella for Kindle a while back, but hadn’t gotten around to pushing it out to Nook yet.
It’s available here.
Neither the Amazon page nor the Barnes and Noble page has any reviews yet. If you’ve read the story, I’d love for you to post a review.
Click here to read the full post with comments.
Just a quick reminder that my most recent Devil’s Cape story, “Star of St. Diable,” was published in the second issue of Comets and Criminals this month. It features Doctor Camelot and some armored combat on an oil rig.
The story will eventually be available on the Comets and Criminals site for free, but you can buy the whole issue in Kindle, epub, or PDF format for a mere $2.99 right now and get a bunch of cool stories. Tell ’em I sent you.
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Devil’s Cape has been translated into German and will be published by Piper Fantasy in January. I love the cover, and am also excited about the publicity page, which includes a video (in English) from yours truly. Please recommend it to all your German-speaking friends!
Many thanks to Michelle Gyo from Piper, as well as Christian Jentszch, the translator.
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Just in time for today’s new movie release, I’ve released some Sherlock Holmes content of my own. My novella, “The Adventures of the Pirates of Devil’s Cape,” which sees Holmes and Watson tracking a mystery to the city of Devil’s Cape in the 1890s, is now available as a Kindle ebook at the low price of $2.99.
This story has previously been available in the terrific anthology The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, but this is the first time it’s been available as a stand-alone. As a bonus, I’ve added a new “making of” afterword, kind of like a special feature on a DVD.
I’ll likely try to get this released on Barnes & Noble in the next few days, and possibly on Smashwords as well. Many thanks to ebook guru Ben Trafford for his work in formatting.
Here’s a little of the story to give you some flavor:
Click here to read the full post with comments.I had assumed that the long summer boat journey, particularly the sweltering leg that took us through the Caribbean Sea and into the Gulf of Mexico, had prepared me for the heat of Devil’s Cape, but I was wrong. It was a tangible, constant presence, like walking through water.
Holmes and I emerged from the steamship that had carried us there—not that different, really, than the Friesland—squinting into the sun, having left our trunks behind with instructions for them to be transported to a nearby inn where I had arranged rooms. The docks were a swarm of faces and voices. A crew of black men was singing a chantey while unloading our ship. Three Chinamen hawked cool beverages and roasted nuts, arguing about prices and stirring cinnamon-coated pecans over small pails of hot coals. Masses of people milled back and forth, shoving and swearing. I heard traces of French and Portuguese and Hindi. I stared openmouthed, taking it in.
“Not so fast,” Holmes said, darting out an arm and catching a street urchin by the ear. The lad, blond-haired and tan as leather, winced as Holmes took hold of his elbow and forced a wallet out of his hand. My own wallet, I recognized. “Tut, tut,” Holmes said, handing my wallet back to me, and I wasn’t certain if he was scolding the boy or me. He gave the boy a quick kick in the rump and sent him scurrying off.
I nodded my thanks. “Not unlike one of the Baker Street Irregulars,” I said. “Where to, Holmes?”
He pointed at a black hansom drawing up, pulled by an Appaloosa horse. “I believe our transport has arrived,” he said.
The driver stepped from the cab and swaggered to us. He was smartly dressed in a tailored suit, the jacket open in front, a diamond gleaming from a ring on his pinkie. He had tanned skin, a handlebar moustache, and a confident smile. A golden police badge shaped like a sail was pinned to his jacket. “Holmes and Watson, right?” he asked in what I’d later come to identify as a Cajun accent. “I hope you not been standing here too long, you.” He shook Holmes’s hand, then mine, his grip forceful enough to grind my knuckles together. “My boss, he ask me to show you around town real nice and send you back where you belong, see,” he said. “Now, my cousin, he ask me to help you any way I can.” He grinned, showing an infectious smile and a chipped tooth. “I’ll leave you to guess which one I’ll listen to best. You got some boys bringing your things to your rooms?”
I nodded.
“That’s good,” he said. “We can start right quick, then, though I fear your entire trip’s been a waste.” He patted the hansom. “Hop in, gentlemen,” he said. We climbed inside, and he climbed above us, taking the reins. Then his head popped up in front of us, upside down, as he looked through the front of the cab. “Aw, hell,” he said. “I forgot to introduce myself.” He smiled again. “I’m Deputy Chief Jackson Lestrade. Welcome to Devil’s Cape.”
I’m very pleased to announce that a new Devil’s Cape short story will be published in the second issue of the new genre magazine Comets and Criminals. The story, “The Star of St. Diable,” features Doctor Camelot.
Last I heard, the issue should go live on Jan. 1. I’ll plan to send out another update once the story goes live.
Click here to read the full post with comments.
I’m getting ready for ArmadilloCon, but Mihir Wanchoo at Fantasy Book Critic posted a review of Devil’s Cape that I had to pass along right away.
Here’s an excerpt:
Random chance gave me another opportunity to read Devil’s Cape, and I’m very glad it did. Rob Rogers’ debut is a fantastic gem, the kind of novel that one fervently searches for, but rarely finds. In fact, Devil’s Cape has now become one of my favorite UF books of all time and I find it a cruel shame that the book is not more popular amongst SFF readers.
Obviously I’m very pleased with and grateful for the review.
You can read the whole thing here.
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I’m going to be a panelist at ArmadilloCon 33 in Austin this weekend and am really looking forward to it.
I’ve posted my schedule below. For the reading, I’m planning to read a new Devil’s Cape short story starring Doctor Camelot. I’ll be interested to hear what people think.
Also, I’m moderating a panel Sunday afternoon about superhero movies. If you’ve got any questions you’d like me to ask the panel, or an particular movies you’d like us to address, please let me know.
ROB’S ARMADILLOCON SCHEDULE
Just a quick note about something I found interesting:
In the wake of Osama bin Laden’s death, we of course saw a flood of comments on Twitter and Facebook. Most people felt relieved at his death and happy for that closure. But some also felt ambivalent or guilty about their reactions, not liking the idea of celebrating someone’s death, even bin Laden’s. Riding on the heels of that, I saw two quotes being passed around a lot:
"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy." — Martin Luther King, Jr.
And:
"I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." — Mark Twain
Both of these were interesting ways of dealing with that ambivalence or with discomfort at seeing the general Schaudenfreude at bin Laden’s death. They were so representative of the world’s feelings that they were copied and pasted and forwarded hundreds of times.
The catch? The Martin Luther King, Jr. quote didn’t come from Martin Luther King, Jr. And the Mark Twain quote? Not from Mark Twain.
The King quote seems to have been made up on the spot, although it was often used to introduce an actual quote from King. You can read more about that in The Atlantic. The Twain quote came from Clarence Darrow instead, but was altered to better fit the situation. That was covered on The Atlantic Wire.
Correcting the attribution of the quotes doesn’t change their sentiment. After all, the quotes did a good job of representing the emotions of hundreds of people. But maybe it does diminish their impact if you attribute the first one to “some guy” and the second to “a paraphrase of Clarence Darrow.”
The lesson? I’m not sure. I don’t want to get all preachy about always double-checking the facts before passing something along. You’ve heard that already. Everybody’s received a forwarded message that’s been debunked by Snopes. And in these cases, I think the sentiment of the quotes was more important than the truth of their origin. But maybe let this be a tickler in your brain: Even if you see it in print, it ain’t necessarily so.
Click here to read the full post with comments.
Christian Lindke was kind enough to write about the eBook release of Devil’s Cape as well as some of his take on the book. He also links to my interview on his Geekerati podcast. Check it out.
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So I let everyone know that Devil’s Cape is available on the Kindle and got a few questions about availability on the Nook (the Barnes and Noble e-reader). And I’m happy to report that it’s now available on the Nook also! You can check it out here.
As before, I always appreciate sales, but it’s also great just to have reviews on these sites. If you wouldn’t mind sharing info about the book through Facebook, a blog or whatever, I’d appreciate that, too.
By the way, if anyone has already purchased Devil’s Cape for the Nook, please drop me a line. It’s currently showing zero sales. That’s fine, since I’ve done zero promotion up until now, but if someone’s actually bought the thing already, I’d like to know if there’s some glitch in the reporting. Thanks.
Next planned post: Where’s the damn sequel, Rob?
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I’ve gotten a number of requests over the past year or so to make Devil’s Cape available as an e-book, so I’m pleased to announce that it’s now available through Amazon on Kindle. That means it’s available for Kindle readers, of course, but it’s also viewable through any device using the Kindle application—including PCs, iPads, iPhones, etc. I’ve got it fired up on my own iPhone, as a matter of fact.
The original Devil’s Cape cover was designed through Wizards, and although I like it a lot, I needed something different for the Kindle release. So I hired myself as a designer. After playing around with some different options, I went for a simple, clear concept that I hope is striking.
If you haven’t read Devil’s Cape, this is a good opportunity to do so. And if you have read it, please review it on Amazon, pass the word on to your friends, gift the book, etc. The sales are nice in and of themselves, but the more I can show there’s a market for my writing, the more likely I’ll be to sell another book.
Click here to read the full post with comments.
Dallas-area folks, this weekend, Sept. 17-19, is FenCon VII. FenCon, the largest fan-run literay and filk convention in Dallas/Fort Worth, is a great con. I had loads of fun there last year and am excited to be going back.
If you get a chance, please come by and say hi. This year’s featured guests include Spider & Jeanne Robinson, John Picacio, Joe R. Lansdale, and Robert J. Sawyer! You can read more about it at the convention site.
I’ll be attending and will be hopping busy with panels on Friday and Saturday, so please come by and say hello.
Here’s my schedule: (If things change, you can find an updated version of it here.)
Friday 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Trinity 1/2
Rebooting Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Insane or Merely Crazy?
Description: First it was a movie in 1992, then it was a seven-season television show from 1997-2003. Is it too soon to consider a reboot? Or in a vampire-crazed world is now the right time to dip into the pool a third time?
Panelists:
C. Havens , A. Martinez , R. Rogers , C. Spector *
___________________________
Friday 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM Trinity 6
Comic Book Movies: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Description: From the weekly serials in the 1940s to Iron Man II, how Hollywood handles comic book heroes on the big screen.
Panelists:
S. Patrick , R. Rogers , B. Waller , C. Havens *
___________________________
Saturday 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Oak Ballroom
75 years of DC Comics
Description: 75 years ago a small company was formed that eventually became the home of the first comic book Super-Hero, Superman! Soon Batman, Wonder Woman, and a myriad of comic icons followed The Man of Steel. Join us for a look back at seven and a half decades of a comic book juggernaut.
Panelists:
J. Lansdale , M. Nelson , S. Patrick , R. Rogers , B. Waller *
___________________________
Saturday 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Trinity 1/2
Mobile Holmes (I’ll be moderating this one)
Description: Sherlock Holmes is an iconic character, and he seems to find himself adapted into a lot of science fiction and fantasy works. He’s been Dracula’s brother, he’s fought dinosaurs, and he’s even met Batman. How much can you tweak Holmes and still have him be Holmes?
Panelists:
P. Blair , B. Waller , M. White , R. Rogers *
___________________________
Saturday 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Gallery
Autographs
Panelists:
R. Rogers, L. Carl, A. Martinez, C. Donahue, M. Fletcher, M. Tatum
___________________________
Saturday 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM Director's
Reading
Description: I’ll be giving a reading. I haven’t decided on what I’ll read yet, but I’m leaning toward an unpublished Devil’s Cape short story.
Panelists:
R. Rogers
___________________________
Saturday 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Trinity 6
Random Novel Reading
Description: You won't believe this: Panelists read random passages from randomly selected books. Not for the fainthearted. Oxygen may be required. Be prepared to laugh uproariously.
Panelists:
M. Bonham , J. Burk , M. Muenzler , R. Rogers , S. Wedel , Libby S. *
(Note: I was in this one last year and had an absolute blast.)
A few months back, I mentioned that Devil’s Cape had been reviewed on the wicked fun Seattle Geekly podcast. And earlier this week, Shannon and Matt interviewed me about my writing as part of Seattle Geekly’s Author Explosion week. I really enjoyed the interview and am looking forward to listening to the whole podcast, which you can find on the Seattle Geekly site or on iTunes.
Other authors interviewed are A.P. Stephens, author of The Stolen Moon of Londor, Mark Henry, author of Happy Hour of the Damned and Road Trip of the Living Dead, and Cherie Priest, author of Fathom, Boneshaker, and several other books. I’m supposed to be at around 40 minutes, 25 seconds, but be sure to listen to the whole thing.
FenCon is a DFW-based science fiction and fantasy literary and filk convention coming up this weekend. It will be held at the Crowne Plaza North Dallas in Addison. I’ll be there as a panelist and will also give a reading and sign some books, so if you’re in town, please come out.
Here’s my schedule for the con:
Friday
5 p.m.: Reading. Director’s area. I’m not sure what I’m going to read yet. I might read from my novel in progress or from a short story I’ve been working on. I had four people come to my reading at ArmadilloCon. They were wonderful people, granted, but I’d like to see a few more faces this time. Can anyone help me make it as many as five or six?
8 p,m.: Superhero fiction panel, Addison Lecture Hall. “Description: We will discuss novels with superheroes as main characters. How has this genre developed and evolved over the last few decades, and where do the pros think that it's going?” I’ll be moderating this one, and I’m definitely looking forward to it. Other panelists are Keith R. A. DeCandido, A. Lee Martinez, Beverly Hale, and Caroline Spector. Should be a great panel. I’m nervous. Come support.
Saturday
11 a.m.: Signing, Gallery. I’ll have copies of Devil’s Cape available and look forward to meeting new people.
7 p.m.: Random Novel Reading, Trinity VI Programming. “You won't believe this: Panelists read random passages from randomly selected books. Not for the fainthearted. Oxygen may be required. Be prepared to laugh uproariously.” I’ve got no idea what to expect with this one, but am looking forward to it. I enjoy reading and hamming it up, so there you go.
If you can make it to FenCon, please do!
For a complete list of activities (because obviously there's a ton more to do at FenCon than just see little old me), visit the convention site.
Click here to read the full post with comments.UPDATE: The problem's been resolved with some help from Dina's IT group and the advice of some of my friends. Thanks for the help and input!
OK, technophiles out there, here’s an opportunity to help my wife and me out (involves XP and Vista).
We bought a new laptop for Dina a few months back. It works fine, but one of the main purposes Dina needs it for is to connect to her office with Remote Desktop. The problem is that her laptop has Vista and her work computer seems to be compatible only with Windows XP. (Her IT people have confirmed this, so it’s not just a matter of me guessing.)
Here are my questions:
I’m stuck and frustrated over this. The whole idea was to get Dina something that would be a lot less hassle than the antique computer she’s been using, but it hasn’t worked out so far.
Thanks in advance.
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