C.B. Calsing's Blog, page 9

Review of "Silent Meridian"

I was really exited when I saw this Elizabeth Crowens' Silent Meridian posted as a possibility to review with Books Unleashed. I love steam punk and gaslight fiction. I love stories that incorporate historic figures in fun, imaginative ways, as Seth Grahame-Smith did with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter or in another story I reviewed, Tim Symonds's Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Einstein's Daughter.  In my mind these stories work best when one or two historic characters are thrown into the path of our protagonist. I also love alternative methods of time travel stories, as I am a huge Doctor Who fan.
So I gave this story a couple of thumbs-up before I even read it. There are a lot of really interesting elements going on it. For the most part the protagonist is likable and I sympathized with him. I enjoyed the various settings and the mysticism built in.

Ultimately, however, it left me feeling as if it could have used another good edit before it went out to audiences. A few typos and, more jarringly, inconsistencies really pulled me out of the enjoyment of the reading. And the plot never really seemed to gel. I never felt as if I understood what the real struggle was for the protagonist, where he needed to get by the end of the story.

The blurb:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is obsessed with a legendary red book. Its peculiar stories have come to life, and rumors claim that it has rewritten its own endings. Convinced that possessing this book will help him write his ever-popular Sherlock Holmes stories, he takes on an unlikely partner, John Patrick Scott, known to most as a concert musician and paranormal investigator. Although in his humble opinion, Scott considers himself more of an ethereal archaeologist and a time traveler professor.
Together they explore lost worlds and excavate realms beyond the knowledge of historians when they go back in time to find it. But everything backfires, and their friendship is tested to the limits. Both discover that karmic ties and unconscionable crimes have followed them like ghosts from the past, wreaking havoc on the present and possibly the future.
Silent Meridian reveals the alternate histories of Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells, Houdini, Jung and other luminaries in the secret diaries of a new kind of Doctor Watson, John Patrick Scott, in an X Files for the 19th century. Stay tuned for A Pocketful of Lodestones, book two in the Time Traveler Professor series by Elizabeth Crowens.

Review of "Scenes and Sequels"

Mike Klaassen has written a book, Scenes and Sequels, that is fairly easy to understand and pretty useful for an aspiring writer. In it, he explains how to use scene and sequel to help craft a better novel. This information could be utilized before drafting or as an analysis tool once a first draft is complete.
In addition to the exploration of the concepts of scene and sequel, Mr. Klaassen provides several concrete examples from novels with which most readers will be familiar. He also uses a fairy tale and passages from his own writing. These help effectively illustrate the structures he is discussing. As a writer myself, I can't over stress the need for writers to first be avid readers, and his analysis helps drive home that point.
While reading this book, I was also reading Raymond Chandler’s The High Window. I found myself thinking of the novel's structure in terms of scene and sequel, and being able to see the structure in action gave me some insight into my own writing.
A lot of the work here can be found elsewhere, so if a reader has already explored this topic, he or she may not find anything new, other than the specific examples.
My biggest problem with Scenes and Sequels is the use of filler to increase word count. The author repeats a great deal of information, summarizes chapters at both the beginnings and endings, and includes a large glossary of literary terms, many of which are not applicable to the text. I would definitely feel more comfortable buying this book if the cover price were lower.
All in all, I would recommend this to an author who has yet to put pen to paper, someone who feels as if he or she has a novel inside but does not yet know how to go about organizing it. I think this book could help a writer like that hit the ground running and end up less frustrated in the long run.

Review of "Something Down There" by Nancy Widrew

Review of Something Down ThereI was very interested in the premise of this book; the idea had me hooked. I enjoy stories based around cults, and the idea of members of a cult moving into a cave to completely isolate themselves from the outside world seemed like an idea that would hold a lot of tension and potential. The story is a solid attempt by a first-time novelist. Would I read it a second time? Probably not, but I was entertained the first time around and other readers probably would be too.
The basic plot is this: Karen and Jeremy go spelunking, are abducted by the leader of an underground cult, and are forced to assimilate. The tension comes from the couple's desire to reach the outside world again, the failed attempts of a friend to find them, and infidelity on both Karen's and Jeremy's part.
The strength of this novel is definitely in the setting. I enjoyed envisioning the cave, its formations, the waterfalls, and the strange flora. I just recently finished Journey to the Center of the Earth again, and so this was a nice follow-up.
And a couple of critiques. Spoilers ahead!
The cult aspect is underutilized. The members seem more a bunch of misfits rather than a group grounded and ruled by a set of strange, fringe beliefs. Some members claim to be Christian, others not. Fertility rites and gods are hinted at but disappointingly never explored or exploited. The story sort of lost my interest because I was really expecting some "diabolical cult" members, as promised in the blurb. They are cranky and demanding--like squatters sharing a derelict building--but not diabolical. Even the leader, who has somehow mutated to become something subterranean, lacks the charisma, slyness, and fervor I expected.
On top of that, from the very beginning I found both Jeremy and Karen to be unsympathetic. Jeremy is manipulative and downright mean to Karen. I had to question why she was with him in the first place. Because she was weak and gave in to him, I disliked Karen. I wanted her to stand up for herself more than she does.
The ending was unexpected. Granted, at least Karen did not stay with Jeremy, but her change of heart did not seem supported by her point of view leading up to the final decision. I wish there had been more foreshadowing as to Karen's transformation.

FEATURED BOOKCheck out this special feature from Something Down There by Nancy Widrew! SOMETHING DOWN THERENancy WidrewGenre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Azure Spider Publications
Publication Date: November 15, 2017)Not all caves are uninhabitedHorror erupts when newlyweds, Karen and Jeremy, cross paths with members of a diabolical cult inside a West Virginia cave. Living below the earth’s surface has triggered mutations, rendering the cult members nearly infertile. Their leader, a wild-eyed, cunning brute, refuses to let the couple leave, believing they and their potential offspring hold the key to surviving underground. Are Karen and Jeremy doomed to spend their lives inside this sunless, subterranean wasteland, or do they escape before their minds shatter and their bodies betray them?Add to Goodreads[Praise]- [Name], Goodreads ReviewerPurchase LinksAvailable now $3.99 only. Grab your copy today.Available on Amazon.comBlog Tour ScheduleOngoing till December 2, 2017.Get behind the scenes on Something Down There.Visit each stop daily and discover more features, excerpts, reviews, interviews, fun facts and other extras.To check the latest schedule, visit the Something Down There Book Page at Book Unleashed. GiveawayWIN A PRINT COPY OF
SOMETHING DOWN THERE ** Available for US Residents OnlyContest runs from November 1 - December 2, 2017.a Rafflecopter giveawayAdditional GiveawayJoin the Goodreads Giveaway and win a print copy of Something Down There (US Residents only).
Contest runs from September 19 - November 15. Click here to enter.About Nancy Widrew
Nancy Widrew was born and raised in NYC before settling in New England with her husband. She has two grown children and two four-legged furry ones, always a source of amusement. She has had short stories published in webzines and a print anthology. This is her first novel.Follow Nancy Widrew on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nancywidrewIn partnership with Book Unleashed Blog Tours

*** SPECIAL 20% PROMOTION ***Get a whopping 20% off the r...

*** SPECIAL 20% PROMOTION ***Get a whopping 20% off the regular price of Silent Meridian, a thrilling fantasy novel by Elizabeth Crowens. Check it out now. SILENT MERIDIANElizabeth CrowensSeries: The Time Traveler Professor Book 1
Genre: Speculative Fiction, Gaslight Fantasy, Alternative History
Publisher: MX Publishing
Publication Date: May 15, 2016A 19th century "X" Files meets H.G. Wells's "Time Machine" featuring Arthur Conan Doyle and partnerSir Arthur Conan Doyle is obsessed with a legendary red book. Its peculiar stories have come to life, and rumors claim that it has rewritten its own endings. Convinced that possessing this book will help him write his ever-popular Sherlock Holmes stories, he takes on an unlikely partner, John Patrick Scott, known to most as a concert musician and paranormal investigator. Although in his humble opinion, Scott considers himself more of an ethereal archeologist and a time traveler professor.Together they explore lost worlds and excavate realms beyond the knowledge of historians when they go back in time to find it. But everything backfires, and their friendship is tested to the limits. Both discover that karmic ties and unconscionable crimes have followed them like ghosts from the past, wreaking havoc on the present and possibly the future.SILENT MERIDIAN reveals the alternate histories of Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells, Houdini, Jung and other luminaries in the secret diaries of a new kind of Doctor Watson, John Patrick Scott, in an X Files for the 19th century. Stay tuned for A Pocketful of Lodestones; book two in the Time Traveler Professor series by Elizabeth Crowens.SPECIAL PROMOTION !!Get 20% off your purchase of Silent Meridian! Promo valid till Christmas.Promo Price: $13.56 (Original: $16.95)Use coupon code: silentAvailable at: Sherlock Holmes BooksBook ExcerptTake an inside look at Silent Meridian with this thrilling excerpt!Edinburgh, 1898Scotland was just barely crawling its way out of the nineteenth century. I was a naïve, but ambitious student studying music at the University of Edinburgh hurrying over to meet Arthur Conan Doyle, the man who would change my life forever.“John Patrick Scott, sir,” I said as I approached Mr. Doyle, who was already seated at a back corner table where he hoped he wouldn’t be recognized. He had picked the Deacon Brodie, the pub that inspired the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.I extended my hand to greet him and removed my rain-soaked hat, while my overcoat slipped out of my hands and fell on the floor by accident. It was still hard to believe that good fortune had finally brought us together, but we were both nervous.“The pleasure is all mine.” Doyle responded like a father to his son.“Mr. Conan Doyle, or should I call you Doctor Doyle?” I said unsure how to address him.Doyle scrutinized me from top to bottom as he signaled the waiter. “John, call me Arthur,” he said casually, ignoring the tension I couldn’t control.“Sir, I’m so honored that you agreed to discuss this matter. Perhaps you can enlighten me in a way that I’ve failed to comprehend.”I wanted to ask him about my unusual turn of events straight away but he caught me off guard and was dead set on pulling me into the swift current of an unexpected conversation.“Can I assume you believe in the transmigration of souls?” he asked.“Until now, I haven’t given it a lot of thought,” I said, unsure as to which direction he was leading.“Did you ever read those books about that Swiss doctor who felt his body and soul had been taken over by a Benedictine monk? That presented a curious case. He claims that he was approached by the spirit of an elderly monk before he died, and that the monk needed to rent his body to continue his spiritual mission.”“Rent?” I choked in disbelief.“We truly don’t take anything with us when we pass on, do we? This monk knew that he was dying, and therefore had to replace his physical body with something more youthful and vital.”“That’s incredible. It debunks the theory that you have to die and be reborn as an infant to carry on your spirit,” I said.Mr. Doyle had the tinge of excitement in his voice.“John, here’s another instance. I’ve had my suspicions about a famous musician who had an obsession about a notorious and controversial mystic. You’d surmise by his overwhelming attraction to that person that he might’ve been him in a previous lifetime, but facts were clear that he was born three years before the mystic died. My understanding is that the mystic knew he didn’t have long in his present incarnation. Therefore he made plans for some sort of partial soul transference while he was still alive to imprint his essence upon the child. That would’ve allowed him to carry on and accomplish unfinished business that couldn’t have been executed otherwise. Essentially he had the ability of being two places at once.”“Sounds more like Spiritualism,” I replied.“Honestly, John, I don’t think there are any steadfast rules when it comes to this matter. That’s what makes it so intriguing.”I sensed he had a secret agenda.Doyle reloaded his churchwarden pipe with fresh tobacco and continued, “This is not at all like anything you’ve ever read from H.G. Wells or Jules Verne. We’re poking holes in every treatise written on the subject— the idea of being able to reincarnate a part of yourself while you are still alive into another soul.”Our conversation was quickly becoming like a speeding train ready to jump the tracks. Realizing this, Doyle slowed down the pace and took a deep breath. He carefully composed his next statement.“Fiction it may seem to be but it’s not hocus pocus. Don’t you also find it strange that you somehow found yourself initiated into a mystical order on a commuter train bound from London to Edinburgh when the instigators kept on mistaking you for me? There are no accidents.”About Elizabeth Crowens
Elizabeth Crowens is the pen name author of SILENT MERIDIAN, an alternate history/ 19th century “X Files” alternate history novel published by MX Publishing in London. Recently she won First Prize in Chanticleer Review's Goethe Award for Turn-of-the-Century Historical Fiction, is on the short list of finalists for Chanticleer’s 2016 Cygnus Awards for Speculative Fiction, Paranormal and the Ozma Award for Fantasy Fiction and received an Honorable Mention in Glimmer Train’s fiction short story contest for Emerging Writers. She has also published a variety of non-fiction articles and is currently writing a column called The Poison Apple in the World Fantasy and Alfie Award-winning publication, BlackGate.com. Recently, she participated on panels at The World Fantasy Convention, MidAmericon II/Worldcon, Lunacon, Heliosphere, the Writer's Digest Conference, Queens Book Festival, Philcon and was also interviewed for the radio show, Hour of the Wolf. A Pocketful of Lodestones, the sequel to Silent Meridian is awaiting a publication date. Current work-in-progress is Dear Mr. Hitchcock, a psychological/domestic suspense novel/series.A 15-year veteran of the film industry in Hollywood, she’s also an alumnus of Algonkian workshops and the Gotham Writer’s Workshop and a member of the Horror Writers Association, Historical Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America. An active Sherlockian, she’s lectured on Arthur Conan Doyle, belongs to several Sherlockian scions, and is an independent scholar on Eastern and Western mysticism and Jungian psychology. A blackbelt in martial arts, she’s lived in Japan. Currently, she lives in New York City.Official website: http://www.elizabethcrowens.comConnect with Elizabeth Crowens on social media:Facebook | TwitterIn partnership with Book Unleashed Blog Tours

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY !!SOMETHING DOWN THERENancy WidrewGen...

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY !!SOMETHING DOWN THERENancy WidrewGenre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Azure Spider Publications
Publication Date: November 15, 2017Not all caves are uninhabitedHorror erupts when newlyweds, Karen and Jeremy, cross paths with members of a diabolical cult inside a West Virginia cave. Living below the earth’s surface has triggered mutations, rendering the cult members nearly infertile. Their leader, a wild-eyed, cunning brute, refuses to let the couple leave, believing they and their potential offspring hold the key to surviving underground. Are Karen and Jeremy doomed to spend their lives inside this sunless, subterranean wasteland, or do they escape before their minds shatter and their bodies betray them?Add to Goodreads[Praise]- [Name], Goodreads ReviewerPurchase LinksAvailable now $3.99 only. Grab your copy today.Available on Amazon.comBook Tour ScheduleSave the Date! Follow the book tour from November 20 - December 2, 2017. Get behind the scenes on Something Down There.Discover more features, excerpts, reviews, interviews, fun facts and other extras on the tour.To check the latest tour schedule, visit the Something Down There Book Page at Book Unleashed.Book ExcerptTake an inside look on Something Down There with this thrilling excerpt.Reaching into his pants pocket, he drew out a small leather case attached to a silver chain and dangled it before her eyes.Karen grabbed it from his hand and looked it over as if she needed to make certain it was real. “I know I took the damned keys from the car,” she said. All the same, she felt a moment of relief at having a new set in her possession. That relief, however, ended in a flash.With a powerful leap to a ledge above, Rahm crossed his arms over his chest like a dictator about to make a pronouncement. “They won’t do you any good,” he bellowed.Jeremy swallowed hard, raising a hand to his throat. “W-what do you mean?” he said, reaching out for something to grab onto. Finding nothing, he spread his legs wide, feet flat on the floor, trying to maintain his balance.Rahm, aware of the significance of this moment and wanting to ensure that it remained stamped in everyone’s mind, stood tall, chin out. “While you were sleeping last night, I climbed out and drove your car off a bridge. You will not be allowed to leave.”Karen’s hands flew to her face. She began to cry and dropped to one knee. Protectively, Jeremy rushed to her side, encircled her in his arms, and pulled her close. He glared at this insane man, his new enemy, standing above. With hate etched in the dark hollows of his cheeks and in the lines of his furrowed brow, he said, “What do you mean? Why can’t we leave? You won’t get away with this!”Rahm, a leader of few but a leader nonetheless, addressed his flock, gathering with solemnity about the pair, now unofficial members of the tribe, even if against their will. All eyes riveted up.“You can’t leave because we need you. That is, we need your baby—the baby you will have, sooner or later. And yes, we will get away with it. You see, the harnesses are gone, and we dismantled the machinery that lowered you down. You will never be able to find your way out. Don’t even try. It would be suicidal.”Karen stared at her husband, her jaw dropping in disbelief, as the horror of her predicament bore down with jackhammer force into her brain. Unless she and Jeremy were guided out, they were snared, trapped, condemned, damned. Without the candles, lanterns, or torches they couldn’t see the tips of their fingers, and even with their carbide lamps they wouldn’t know the way through this puzzling maze with its unknown levels and intricate network.Jeremy’s nails dug into his wife’s shoulders. “Dear God,” he wailed. “We’re doomed, and it’s all my fault. Forgive me, Karen. Please!”She looked at him blankly, then blinked, her breath coming in staccato bursts, piercing her lungs like wounds from a knife. She began to run blindly, crying, “Let me die! Let me die!”GiveawayWIN A PRINT COPY OF
SOMETHING DOWN THERE ** Available for US Residents OnlyContest runs from November 1 - December 2, 2017.a Rafflecopter giveawayAdditional GiveawayJoin the Goodreads Giveaway and win a print copy of Something Down There (US Residents only).
Contest runs from September 19 - November 15. Click here to enter.About Nancy Widrew
Nancy Widrew was born and raised in NYC before settling in New England with her husband. She has two grown children and two four-legged furry ones, always a source of amusement. She has had short stories published in webzines and a print anthology. This is her first novel.Follow Nancy Widrew on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nancywidrewIn partnership with Book Unleashed Blog Tours

NEW COVER REVEAL !!THE SPITTING POSTJason R. BardenGenre:...

NEW COVER REVEAL !!THE SPITTING POSTJason R. BardenGenre: Horror, Dark Fantasy
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: December 8, 2017Vincent must find the Spitting Post, but only the purple swan knows the way.Vincent Carpenter’s life is a wreck. He has given up his dreams. He has lost his job after an economic disaster. His ten-year marriage is crumbling. Then he awakens in a maniacal land of frighteningly vivid realism with skull trees, glowing forests, ravenous beasts, and other psychologically haunting adversity. While traveling through this demented unearthly world, he has a chance encounter with a beautiful maiden dressed in green; before he can start a conversation, she disappears into the unknown. Vincent must try to find her at a fantastical place known as the Spitting Post. But first he must overcome many macabre misfortunes and face nightmares that question his sanity. Will he reach her? What will the Spitting Post reveal? Will he suffer more disappointment and tragedy? Or will he find peace at last?Add to GoodreadsPre-Order LinksAmazon | The Wild Rose Press | iBooksAbout Jason R. Barden
Jason R. Barden began writing poetry around the age of thirteen. At age thirty three he decided to transition into fiction writing with his first novel The Spitting Post. In addition to writing he enjoys hiking and photography. Jason lives in Fort Worth, Texas where he is currently working on a collection of his poems.Follow Jason on Facebook at Facebook. For more information, visit The Spitting Post Book Page at Book Unleashed.About The Wild Rose Press
The Wild Rose Press has been publishing electronic and print titles of fiction for more than nine years. Our titles span the sub-genre spectrum from sweet to sensually erotic romance in all lengths to mainstream and womens fiction. To check out the latest and upcoming releases and more, visit https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com.Social media: Facebook | Twitter | PinterestIn partnership with Book Unleashed Blog Tours

PRE-ORDER ALERT !!Check out this upcoming psychological t...

PRE-ORDER ALERT !!Check out this upcoming psychological thriller and reserve your copy today.Releasing November 15, 2017 SOMETHING DOWN THERENancy WidrewGenre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Azure Spider Publications (November 15, 2017)Not all caves are uninhabitedHorror erupts when newlyweds, Karen and Jeremy, cross paths with members of a diabolical cult inside a West Virginia cave. Living below the earth’s surface has triggered mutations, rendering the cult members nearly infertile. Their leader, a wild-eyed, cunning brute, refuses to let the couple leave, believing they and their potential offspring hold the key to surviving underground. Are Karen and Jeremy doomed to spend their lives inside this sunless, subterranean wasteland, or do they escape before their minds shatter and their bodies betray them?Add to Goodreads[Praise]- [Name], Goodreads ReviewerPRE-ORDER LinksPre-order this exciting psychological thriller today for $3.99 only!Available on Amazon.comBook Tour ScheduleSave the Date! Follow the book tour from November 20 - December 2, 2017.Get behind the scenes on Something Down There.Discover more features, excerpts, reviews, interviews, fun facts and other extras on the tour.To check the latest tour schedule, visit the Something Down There Book Page at Book Unleashed.GiveawayWIN A PRINT COPY OF
SOMETHING DOWN THERE ** Available for US Residents OnlyContest runs from November 1 - December 2, 2017.a Rafflecopter giveawayAdditional GiveawayJoin the Goodreads Giveaway and win a print copy of Something Down There (US Residents only).
Contest runs from September 19 - November 15. Click here to enter.About Nancy Widrew
Nancy Widrew was born and raised in NYC before settling in New England with her husband. She has two grown children and two four-legged furry ones, always a source of amusement. She has had short stories published in webzines and a print anthology. This is her first novel.Follow Nancy Widrew on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nancywidrewIn partnership with Book Unleashed Blog Tours

New Anthology Cover and Table of Contents Reveal!

Mrs Clausedited by Rhonda Parrish
When you think of Mrs. Claus, do you imagine a quiet North Pole homebody who finds complete fulfillment in baking cookies, petting reindeer and crafting toys alongside elves? How about a magic-wielding ice goddess, or a tough-as-nails Valkyrie? Or maybe an ancient fae of dubious intentions, or a well-meaning witch? Could Mrs. Claus be a cigar-smoking Latina, or a crash-landed alien? Within these pages Mrs. Claus is a hero, a villain, a mother, a spacefarer, a monster hunter, and more. The only thing she decidedly is not, is a sidekick.
It’s Mrs. Claus’ turn to shine and she is stepping out of Santa’s shadow and into the spotlight in these fourteen spectacular stories that make her the star! Featuring original short stories by Laura VanArendonk Baugh, C.B. Calsing, DJ Tyrer, Jennifer Lee Rossman, Kristen Lee, Randi Perrin, Michael Leonberger, Andrew Wilson, Ross Van Dusen, MLD Curelas, Maren Matthias, Anne Luebke, Jeff Kuykendall, and Hayley Stone.Table of Contents:“Wight Christmas” by Laura VanArendonk Baugh“The Asylum Musicale” by C.B. Calsing“Desperately Seeking Santa” by DJ Tyrer“Christmas Magic” by Jennifer Lee Rossman“Good Morning” by Kristen Lee“Moves Like Jagger” by Randi Perrin“Miss ‘Lil Toe Head” by Michael Leonberger“Unexpected Guests” by Andrew Wilson“The True Story of Christina and Kristopher Kringle” by Ross Van Dusen“Shouldering the Burden” by MLD Curelas“You’d Better Watch Out” by Maren Matthias“Captain Lizzy and the Stranger in the Fog” by Anne Luebke“Agatha Sings to the Scorpions” by Jeff Kuykendall“Red to Hide the Blood” by Hayley Stone
ANTHOLOGIST BIORhonda Parrish is driven by the desire to do All The Things. She was the founder and editor-in-chief of Niteblade Magazine, is an Assistant Editor at World Weaver Press, and is the editor of several anthologies including, most recently, Sirens and D is for Dinosaur. In addition, Rhonda is a writer whose work has been included or is forthcoming in dozens of publications including Tesseracts 17: Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast, Imaginarium: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing (2012 & 2015), and Mythic Delirium. Her website, updated weekly, is at rhondaparrish.com.
FIND IT ONLINEOfficial page:http://www.worldweaverpress.com/store...
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075NRZK8X
Barnes & Noble:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mrs-...
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/mrs-...
iBookstore:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id12...

Anthology Just in Time for Christmas

A short horror story I wrote,"The Asylum Musicale," will appear in an upcoming anthology.

The inspiration and source material was an article in the publication produced by the patients at the Uttica State Hospital in the 1850s. I love finding slightly innocuous things like that which can be spun into the creepy, the off-putting.

I'll be posting the table of contents and the cover art as it is made official by the editor and the publisher. I do hope my readers can budget a few dollars around the holidays for this, as it is my first acceptance in a very, very long time.

Review of "Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Einstein's Daughter"

After reading my review, make sure you scroll down to the contest entry!

In Tim Symonds's Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Einstein's Daughter, we are treated to a mystery wherein the great detective is asked to look into the past of the up-and-coming physicist, Albert Einstein.

This is a book for nerds, both for Einstein nerds and Sherlock Holmes nerds. It is chock-full of inside references and history. Those already savvy in the lives of the historic and fictional characters involved will really get them, while others might feel a little lost. I am both an Einstein and a Holmes nerd, so I appreciated most of these references and allusions.

This book is extensively well researched, as the end notes and acknowledgements show. The tone and characters fit right along with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's canon, as well as those who have come between him and Tim Symonds. The author also gives us a deeper grounding into Watson's point of view than Doyle would have, which probably appeals more to modern audiences. There are many lush geographical details and a nice touch of the macabre to boot.

A couple of things sort of irked me about this story. The first is that the title case is not presented until about a third of the way through the story. That seemed a little late in coming. The other issue for me was the sheer number of times other cases were mentioned by their story title. To me that became a little distracting, even if it is a hallmark of the genre.

This was a very satisfying summer read for this nerd, and I look forward to more adventures with Holmes and Watson from Mr. Symonds.
Another adventure brings Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson face to face with Albert EinsteinSHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE
MYSTERY OF EINSTEIN'S DAUGHTERTim SymondsGenre: Mystery
Publisher: MX Publishing
Publication Date: January 13, 2014Add to GoodreadsThe Dean of a Swiss university persuades Sherlock Holmes to investigate the background of a would-be lecturer. To Dr. Watson it seems a very humdrum commission - but who is the mysterious 'Lieserl'? How does her existence threaten the ambitions of the technical assistant level III in Room 86 at the Federal Patents Office in Berne by the name of Albert Einstein? The assignment plunges Holmes and Watson into unfathomable Serbia to solve one of the intractable mysteries of the 20th Century.In Tim Symonds' previous detective novels, Sherlock Holmes and the Dead Boer At Scotney Castle and Sherlock Holmes And The Case Of The Bulgarian Codex the author based pivotal historic facts and a principal character on real life. So too in this new mystery.“Einstein’s Daughter by Tim Symonds takes the reader back to the early years of the 20th Century. It is an enjoyable romp for both Sherlock Holmes fans and for history buffs. The story is based on a true fact of Albert Einstein’s life and it is interwoven with Sherlockian grace. There are many Holmes pastiches, but Symonds manages to find the true voice of Conan Doyle.”- Yvonne BeltzerAbout Tim SymondsTim Symonds was born in London, England, and grew up in Somerset, Dorset and the Channel Island of Guernsey, off the coast of Normandy. After spending his late teens farming in the Kenya Highlands and driving bulldozers along the Zambezi River, he moved to California and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA with an honours degree in Politics.He lives in the ancient woodland known as the High Weald of Sussex, where the events recounted in Sherlock Holmes and The Dead Boer at Scotney Castle took place. His second novel, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Bulgarian Codex (MX Publishing 2012), took Holmes and Watson into the very depths of the Balkans in 1900. Holmes and Watson were back in the region – Serbia - in Sherlock Holmes And The Mystery of Einstein’s Daughter (MX Publishing 2014), and not long afterwards in ‘Stamboul’ investigating a plot against the despotic Sultan, in Sherlock Holmes And The Sword of Osman (MX Publishing 2015).Visit Tim Symonds's official website:
http://tim-symonds.co.uk/Purchase LinksAvailable now for $5.99 only. Grab your copy today.Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle) | Waterstones | Book Depository |
MX Publishing | Kobo | Barnes and NobleBook Tour Schedule Follow the book tour from July 5 - 18, 2017.Check out excerpts, reviews, interviews, fun facts and more features on the book.For the latest tour schedule, visit the Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Einstein's Daughter Book Page at Book Unleashed.GiveawayWIN $10 AMAZON GIFT CARDContest runs from July 5 - 18, 2017.a Rafflecopter giveawayIn partnership with Book Unleashed Blog Tours