Steve Emecz's Blog: Musings of a Sherlockian Publisher, page 21

Philip K. Jones reviews Mark of the Baskerville Hound by Wilfred Huettel

“This author is new to Sherlockian fiction, with his only previous book a history of U-Boat warfare in the Gulf of Mexico.  For a first effort at Sherlockian fiction, or any fiction, for that matter, this book is remarkable.  The events recounted take place in the 1980s and the story is hard to define.  It is a mystery and a horror story and a romance, all combined.  It has supernatural elements if one chooses to read it that way, yet it is also intimately involved in psychology and, of all things, Theology.  Perhaps I can explain my viewpoint best by recalling a lesson in Theology passed to me long ago.  “The God of Christians is a God of Infinite Love.”  The point of this lesson was that damnation is not a process enforced on a person by God, but rather it is a process that the person chooses, freely, over the chance to love.

There are many reasons that people choose not to love, mostly from fear of rejection or of revealing oneself to the intimate knowledge of another, but all have their roots in pride.  People choose pride over love and lose what they most desire, a chance to give and to receive love.  This book presents a series of characters who are given chances to love and to place the well-being and happiness of others before their own.  This book tells us their stories, although that is not what it looks like until well along in the tale.

The protagonist is a retired New York policeman who was injured in line of duty.  As a retirement hobby, he has taken up Sherlockian inquiry and has specialized in “The Hound of the Baskervilles.”  After some years of writing and corresponding, he is invited to be a guest lecturer in Literature at Oxford with expenses paid and a small stipend.  In the depths of winter, a power failure at the University disrupts classes and living accommodations, so our hero elects to visit Dartmoor during this enforced vacation.  Time spent in a small country inn introduces other guests and local problems and the moors exercise their own magic.

The story begins with our hero trying to recover from his experiences on the moors and to put his life back together after a complex experience.  His nightmares and his increasing rejection of his surroundings are pushing him into madness and the process of curing him is one of teaching him to love, first himself, and then others.

The book is well-edited, thoughtful and moving.  Americanisms are appropriate to the narrator and the setting and viewpoint are intrinsically Sherlockian.  It contains something for every taste, action, mystery, horror, supernatural events and romance.”

Mark of The Baskerville Hound is available from all good bookstores including in the USA Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Classic Specialities, in the UK Amazon, Waterstones,  and for everywhere else Book Depository who offer free worldwide delivery. In ebook format there is Kindle, Nook, iPad and Kobo.

Sherlock Holmes Society of London reviews The 1895 Murder by Dan Andriacco

“The title of The 1895 Murder by Dan Andriacco (MX Publishing,

www.mxpublishing.co.uk; £9.99/$16.95/€12.99) refers neatly to a play

based on ‘The Bruce-Partington Plans’, written by Professor Sebastian

McCabe of St Benignus College, Erin, Ohio. As he proved in No Police

Like Holmes and Holmes Sweet Holmes, Mac is a devoted Sherlockian

and a highly skilled detective, so when a man is shot dead outside the

theatre where he’s playing Mycroft Holmes, he and his brother-in-law

Jeff Cody are pleased to help find the killer. Well, mostly. Jeff‘s mind,

naturally, is on his impending wedding and the need for diplomacy with

his fiancée’s rather unpredictable parents. It’s a pleasure to visit Erin

again and to watch the solving of a particularly baffling mystery.”

The 1895 Murder is available from all good bookstores including in the USA  Amazon, in the UK Waterstones and Amazon, and for everywhere else Book Depository who offer free worldwide delivery. In ebook format there is Kindle, Nook, iPad and Kobo.

Samuel Williams was a proud winner at the 2012 Southern California Book Festival this month

Samuel Williams was a proud winner at the 2012 Southern California Book Festival this month. His Sherlock Holmes novel - Anomalous - received the ‘Honorable Mention’ award in the hotly contested General Fiction category.

Anomalous – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is available from bookstores including in the USA Barnes and Noble and Amazon, in the UK Waterstones, Amazon and Book Depository (free worldwide delivery) and in electronic formats – iTunes (iPad), Kindle, Nook and Kobo.

THE WODEHOUSE / ROBINSON PANTOMIMES: WHERE’S WODEHOUSE?

“The literary archaeologists at Madame Eulalie have unearthed yet another rare Wodehouse tidbit from the distant past – a set of four playlets of political satire in pantomime form, jointly credited to Sir Plum and one Bertram Fletcher Robinson. The first, “A Fiscal Pantomime – The Sleeping Beauty” was published in the London Daily Express on Christmas Day 1903; the next was “Our Christmas Pantomime – Little Red Riding Hood; or, The Virtuous British Public and the Smart Set Wolf” which appeared inVanity Fair on December 8, 1904; “A Winter’s Tale – King Arthur and His Court” from Vanity Fair, December 14, 1905, and finally “The Progressives Progress – Some memories of 1906” which appeared inThe World, January 1, 1907.

For the uninitiated, pantomime is an art form rooted in antiquity and it has a strong link to Commedia dell’arte; it evolved as an English entertainment in the eighteenth century. Performed at Christmas, pantomime was (and is) a form of theatre incorporating song, dance, slapstick, cross-dressing, in-jokes, topical references and audience participation. Pantomimes are usually based on traditional fairy tales but adapted for comic or satirical effect as other characters and situations arise. Traditions include the leading male juvenile character (principal boy) to be played by a young woman, usually in tight-fitting male garments that make her gender evident; An older woman (the dame) is usually played by a man in drag. The animal is played by an actor in animal costume, often a horse or cow played by two actors in a single costume. Audience participation includes calls of “He’s behind you!” or (“Look behind you!”), and “Oh, yes it is!” and “Oh, no it isn’t!” The audience boos the villain and “awwwwws” the poor “victim” as in nineteenth-century melodrama.

The Wodehouse-Robinson pantos parody the debate in Britain surrounding tariff reform and proposed changes to tax law. The heroes (conservative) and villains (liberal) are variously represented: Little Red Riding Hood is played by “The Virtuous British Public” while King Arthur is “(Prime Minister) A.J. Balfour;” The Unionist Party is personified by “Queen Guinevere” and in Sleeping Beauty, The Tariff Reform League is portrayed by the “A dragon.”

Although they weren’t intended for actual production, while reading these farces the reader can certainly imagine himself amidst a raucous London Christmas audience of a century ago, delighting at the buffoons and heroes, the slapstick, the wicked political satire, the ridiculous costumery. Pantomime music most often combines well-known songs with lyrics re-written for the occasion, which encourage audiences to sing along as well. (Pantomime is seldom performed in the United States, and Americans misunderstand the word “pantomime” to refer to the art of “mime.”)

Bertram Fletcher Robinson (whose name evokes the recollection of how PGW sold “Something New” to the Saturday Evening Post under the grand name Pelham Grenville Wodehouse) was eleven years PGW’s senior. A well-liked writer of articles, satirical playlets, short stories, lyrics, numerous articles, poems and books, Robinson is today known primarily for assisting his friend Arthur Conan Doyle with the plot of The Hound of the Baskervilles….”

Read the full article here.

Bobbles and Plum, a PG Wodehouse Playlets Book by Paul R Spiring is available from all good bookstores worldwide including in the USA Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Classic Specialities, in the UK Amazon, Waterstones and Book Depository (free delivery worldwide).

Review of 'And The Next Question Is...' by Rachel Alexander and Julia Russell

Alexander and Russell, and the next question is . . .

Book Review: William Bergquist

I received and the next question is . . . in the mail for my review and set it aside to be read over the weekend. My wife, Kathleen, has just returned from an intensive two weeks of consultation and training. She sits down in our living room, exhausted. She sees the book lying there on the coffee table, picks it up, starts reading it. She grows more excited and seems much less exhausted. As Vice President for Coaching Services at a major consulting firm, Kathleen is always looking for tools that will assist the twenty-some coaches she supervises. This is it! A book that can be of practical assistance. She wants to order copies of the book for her staff!

With this introduction from my own wife, I decided that it will be quite a treat to prepare a review about a toolbox that can actually be of use in the everyday, challenging work of professional coaching. I very much like what I have read. In the foreword, Jan Efline suggests that this book is a source of assurance in the middle of chaos. I would suggest that this carefully-crafted and organized set of questions offers not just assurance but also guidance and balance. We need a kayak (not a canoe) in the “white water” world of contemporary chaos. Kayaks require that the occupant be centered and balanced. These questions can help provide clarification for the client, which in turn leads to this critical centering and balancing.

I like the fact that the questions are organized around themes. As a coach, I can ask what my client is concerned with right now and then readily turn to the questions related to this concern. I also like the wide range of questions Alexander and Russell are offering. Sadly, there is often a wide gap between strategies engaged when doing personal coaching, on the one hand, and doing organizationally-based coaching, on the other hand. There are questions related to both personal and organizational coaching in this book (there is a leaning toward personal coaching, but valuable organizational questions are to be found particularly in Chapters 3, 6 and 7).

I would also offer several suggestions concerning how a coach might make best use of and the next question is . . .  I find in my own coaching work that my clients tend to work in one of three domains: (1) information (where the client is right now, what she needs to know and what she already knows or thinks she knows); (2) intentions (where the client wants to be and how she will know when she gets there); and (3) ideas (how the client gets from where she is right now to where she wants to be).  Some clients like to linger in one of these three domains and need to be encouraged with questions to explore the other two domains. Some of the questions in Alexander and Russell’s book relate specifically to one of these three domains: (1) information [Ch 2/Distractions, Ch 2/Obstacles], (2) intentions [Ch 1/Values, Ch 5], and ideas [Ch 2/Outcome Planning, Ch 8]. Some sets of questions work systematically through all three domains [particularly Ch 2/GROW model].

I am also pleased that some of the questions concern the coaching relationship itself. The coach and client “meta-communicate” about their own working relationship [Ch 1, Ch 12]. In addition, some of the questions are divergent in nature (spirit-full) (moving the client upward toward inspiration and creativity) [Ch 4], while others are convergent (soul-full) (moving the client downward toward reflection and resolution) [Ch 1/Ponderings and Ch 9, 10 and 11]. Finally, I would suggest that a coach consider not just offering questions (making full use of the rich resources in and the next question is . . .), but also offer suggestions, metaphors and examples that provoke inquiry (what Argyris and Sch ö n call advocacy inviting inquiry).

The questions that Alexander and Russell offer can certainly be a wonderful start (and finish) to this rich process of coaching inquiry.

’And the Next Question is’ is available from all good bookstores worldwide including Amazon USA,  Barnes and Noble USA,  Amazon UK,  Waterstones UK,  Book Depository ( free delivery worldwide) and soon in all electronic formats.

Sherlock Holmes Society of London Reviews - Anomalous: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Every Holmes author waits for the most important review - The Sherlock Holmes Society of London. Here are their thoughts on Samuel Williams - Anomalous.

""Very few writers have tried to imagine what sort of things Holmes got up to, and what sort of people he met during his years living as the disaffected Irish-American, Altamont. He began his ‘pilgrimage’ in Chicago, so it’s natural that he would run into Diamond Jim Colosimo’s criminal organisation and encounter one of its youngest members, Al Capone. Natural too that he would visit the Café de Champion on West 31st Street, to meet its famous owner, Jack Johnson, the first black world heavyweight champion. The great boxer is actually the central character in a powerful novel, Anomalous: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes featuring Jack Johnson and Alphonse Capone by Samuel Williams Jr (MX Publishing). Johnson’s turbulent fortunes bring him to London, where two very different people, both black, have important rôles to play in a struggle to save both Johnson’s life and the security of the realm. You’ll recognise their names, I’m sure: Lucy Hebron and Steve Dixie…"
Anomalous: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes featuring Jack Johnson and Alphonse Capone

Philip K. Jones reviews Sherlock Holmes and the Dead Boer at Scotney Castle

“This is a first novel by an author new to Sherlockian fiction.  The presentation of Holmes and Watson is a bit different than is common in such works, but it does seem more sensible than others, both in the Canon and in the many pastiches available.  Holmes and Watson disagree and argue and look at the world quite differently than as we are accustomed to view them.  On the other hand, the world inhabited by this Holmes and Watson is quite different from that of the Canon and most pastiches.  It is a complex, gritty and more realistic world where things are seldom as they appear.

Early in the story as well as near the end, the author describes meals featuring a Turkish dish, Imam Bayildi, translated as “The Swooning Imam.”  In many ways, this dish is representative of the story as a whole.  Imam Bayildi is a main dish made with eggplant (aubergines) and a number of vegetables, herbs and spices.  In reality, the eggplant merely serves to provide neutral bulk and texture for the dish whose taste is compounded of the many flavors of the other ingredients.  In this story, the tale itself is complex and convoluted and not really believable, but it provides an excellent medium in which to present the gorgeous tapestry of places, characters, objects and opinions included by the author.

Holmes and Watson receive a peremptory summons to make presentations to a small society of wealthy Kipling fans.  In arriving early for the appointment, Holmes manages to scramble some of the plans for the event and this has consequences.  Plans are shifted and adjusted and complex events proceed with deviations.  A naked corpse is found in a pond on a neighboring estate and, from newspaper accounts Holmes decides that murder has been committed.  Watson objects and the dance begins.

The characters perform, the scenery changes and Holmes begins to realize his mistakes.  Dr. Watson comes to see that murder has been done and Holmes realizes the murder cannot be proven or prosecuted.  Clues contradict clues and the world shifts around as viewpoints change.  The author continues to present paradoxes and the characters act out their destined roles.  The modern world shifts its focus and Europe edges closer to the brink of war.

In addition to sharing my taste for complex prose and tangled events, the author also exhibits some talent in his fiction writing which does not appear in mine.  The only problems I could find were a very few anachronistic terms and a possibly over-active imagination.  Either the editor is quite capable or the author is most erudite or both contingencies apply.  A wide range of subjects are discussed and presented in complex language without becoming boring.  It was a real joy to read.”

Sherlock Holmes and the Dead Boer at Scotney Castle is available from all good bookstores including in the USA Barnes and Noble and Amazon, in the UK Waterstones, Amazon and Book Depository (free worldwide delivery) and in all electronic formats including Kindle and  iPad.

2012 Sherlock Holmes Fashion Awards - Judged by BBC Sherlock

Forty young designers entered the 2012 Sherlock Holmes Fashion Awards as part of Sherlock Holmes Week and created designs for six of the BBC Sherlock characters. The winners are announced today by Catwalk Queen one of the world’s top fashion blogs - with the judge, BBC Sherlock costume designer herself Sarah Arthur.

The competition is part of the awareness for the Save Undershaw campaign - please join the BBC crew and thousands of others to help preserve Conan Doyle’s home.https://www.facebook.com/saveundershaw

Click here for all the winners - Catwalk Queen http://www.catwalkqueen.tv/2012/08/th...

The winner for best Sherlock outfit was Amy with her design ‘the all seeing eye’

Sherlock Holmes Week 2012 - A Review

The point of Sherlock Holmes Week (31st July - 5th August) Sherlock Holmes Week was to keep Save Undershaw [please visit and click 'like'] in front of the Sherlock Holmes fans around the world - and create a vehicle for fans to organise their own events. By The Fans, For The Fans was the mantra and the Holmes fans around the world responded brilliantly.

We had lots of help from the main franchises (BBC Sherlock, Big Finish etc) the #1 fan site Sherlockology , the societies around the world and the podcasts www.bakerstreetbabes.com and www.ihearofsherlock.com.

Over 30 events were held in the week from small gatherings in local pubs in places as far flung as the Phillipines (apparently the first ever get together of Holmes fans in the country's history) to Thailand, Canada to Finland.

Some highlights for me were the jaw droppingly good event in New York where a major museum gave Holmes fans the run of the place, and two hours, to find which of the artifacts in the museum had been replace by a fake. Genius. That event sold out very fast.

The French society organised a beautiful train trip and visit to a stately home and there was even a real-time online Holmes mystery collaboration between 8 Holmes groups.

The finale to the week was the live deduction and mentalism display by Joe Riggs aka 'The Real Sherlock Holmes' using the new Vokle video broadcast system. The 55 people that saw it live (and hundreds since) were treated to a quite amazing event - I still have no idea how on earth he did what he did.
http://www.vokle.com/events/70997-joe...


The most important thing from the week was that it made hundreds of key Holmes people around the world aware of Save Undershaw (www.facebook.com/saveundershaw) which will become vital in the coming months as the Undershaw team begin the fundraising to preserve this important part of the Sherlock Holmes legacy. After all, without Undershaw, there would be no Sherlock Holmes.....

Fans can support the cause by getting hold of the book Sherlock's Home - The Empty House which includes contributions from many Holmes writers and actors including Mark Gatiss and Stephen Fry.Sherlock's Home: The Empty House

I'd be very interested in comments - especially from those that took part in the week.