Derrick Belanger's Blog: Book Reviews, Author Interviews, and Ramblings of a Sherlockian - Posts Tagged "i-hear-of-sherlock-everywhere"

Hello everyone,

It has been a few months since I posted on this blog mainly because I have begun to write for the blog, "I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere." I wanted to take a moment and update you on my current projects and upcoming events as well as update you on the authors that I have interviewed (or plan on interviewing) for my series.

A Busy Winter
Over a period of two months in January and February, I had the honor of speaking in front of five different audiences about Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and my own writing My smallest group was four people in a discussion of the accuracy of the depictions of Buddhists in Doyle's The Mystery of Cloomber, and my largest audience was my talk at the CCIRA conference in Denver. I gave my presentation, "How to Teach Like Sherlock Holmes," to an audience of 140 teachers. Probably the talk I am most proud of was being the guest speaker for the 40th anniversary dinner of Dr. Watson's Neglected Patients, Denver's scion Sherlock Holmes group. I'm taking a little break from speaking engagements for the moment, but stay tuned. I should have information on speaking at a conference in October, the first ever Denver area Sherlock Holmes conference in November, and also information on the upcoming The Science of Sherlock Holmes exhibit at The Denver Museum of Nature and Science. I am in the early stages of assisting the museum on a few events, one may be an author talk given by yours truly. Also, in early June I'll be teaching about Sherlock Holmes at a Peace and Justice Summer Camp. My audience will be ages 3 - 12, so that should be a fun, high energy group.

On the writing front, I have two Holmes pieces coming out this fall. The first is Attack of the Violet Vampire the second MacDougall twins with Sherlock holmes chapter book. This one is much longer than the first book with many more illustrations. The book has been the #1 Hot New Release off and on in the Amazon UK Sherlock Holmes list since it was posted in pre-release in February. Here's the cover:



I also have a story which will be included in the upcoming anthology, The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories which will have something close to 50 authors contributing new, traditional Sherlock Holmes tales. All proceeds will benefit The Undershaw Preservation Trust. This is a book I would say all Holmes fans will want, so it should be a bestseller and it goes to a good cause.

I have another non-Holmes related story coming out in a anthology this summer. I am still sworn to secrecy on the details, but this will see my work next to the likes of New York Times bestsellers, so it is very exciting. I'll tell you more when the publisher gives me permission to remove my muzzle.

Author Updates

Since I started this blog in August, I have conducted a dozen author interviews, and I Brian Belanger interviewed me for this blog as well. Here are updates on all of the authors and the one illustrator interviewed. If you are on this list, and I missed something, please add a comment below explaining what else you have that is upcoming. Going in interview order:

Kieran Lyne - The youngest author endorsed by The Conan doyle Estate is following up his excellent Holmes? Ripper novel with a collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories to be released this year.

Chuck Davis - The aviation expert has a short story in The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories which will involve what happened to the White Bird, supposedly the first plane to make a transatlantic flight.

Geri Schear will have a sequel to her excellent novel, A Biased Judgement released this year.

Joel Jensen is drafting a piece on the history of evidence. What constitutes evidence and how has it changed over time? Sounds like an article Holmes would draft himself.

David Marcum is busy as always. Next month sees the release of his third Sherlock Holmes short story collection, Tangled Skeins. He is also the editor and compiler of The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories. Personally knowing how difficult it is to put an anthology together when you are working with just four authors, I cannot imagine the work the man is putting into working with 50 different authors. I salute the man for his effort and know this anthology will be amazing.

Daniel D. Victor continues his American Literati Sherlock holmes series with the novel Sherlock Holmes and the Baron of Brede Place which I'm sure will be another intriguing historical page turner.

Dan Andriacco will see a release of his Holmes story "The Peculiar Persecution of John Vincent Harden" translated into Persian.

Petr Macek just released another of his action packed Holmes novels. This one is a dark tale entitled, Golem´s Shadow: The Fall of Sherlock Holmes.

Kim Krisco will have a short story in The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories. He also will be participating in the Denver Sherlock Holmes Conference.

Dean K Miller , so far my only non-Sherlockian author interview released a collection of poetry in December entitled Echoes: Reflections Through Poetry and Verse. He also is working on his first novel.

Brian Belanger is working as fast as he possibly can on completing the artwork on Attack of the Violet Vampire!. After that, he will be right back at it on the third MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes book which will complete The 1897 trilogy.

That covers my interviews so far. Look for interviews with Sherlockian authors GG Rosenquist, Luke Benjamin Kuhns, Stephen Seitz, and Elizabeth Varadan in the coming months.

I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

As stated earlier, I am now writing articles for I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. My next piece will be about a forthcoming 12 Part Sherlock Holmes novella series. I have had two articles published so far. One is an interview with author Kim Krisco. The second was a piece about Benedict Cumberbatch being this generation's Sherlock Holmes. So far the only article which is forthcoming is my interview with Diane Gilbert Madsen which has been in the queue at "I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere," since March 7th. Things move much slower when working with a bigger publisher and the same is also true of blogs. Hopefully, the article will see the light of day in the next few weeks. For my current articles, follow this link: http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search...

If you know of any Sherlockian news you think would make for a good article please let me know. I'm trying to write a few pieces a month for the blog.

That is my long winded update. Take care everyone and keep living in Victorian times.

Derrick Belanger is an author and educator most noted for his books and lectures on Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Both volumes of his two volume anthology A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural Volume 2 were #1 best sellers on the Amazon.com UK Sherlock Holmes book list, and his MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes chapter book, Attack of the Violet Vampire! was also a #1 best selling new release in the UK. His first book in the series The Amazing Airship Adventure has been reviewed in England, India, and America. Mr. Belanger’s academic work has been published in The Colorado Reading Journal and Gifted Child Today. A former instructor at Washington State University, and a current middle school Language Arts teacher at Century Middle school in the Adams 12 School District, Derrick lives in Broomfield, Colorado with his wife Abigail Gosselin and their two daughters, Rhea and Phoebe. Find him at www.belangerbooks.com and on Facebook.

Hi everyone,

I will have another post soon with a huge announcement. Until then, I wanted to update everyone on the two Kickstarter projects I'm involved in as well as publish an interview with one of the authors in the second volume of the Sherlock Holmes anthology.

The MX Sherlock Holmes Anthology Kickstarter

This project has done incredibly well. As I write this blog entry, 242 people have backed the project which has earned over five times its goal level. To read my I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere articles on the anthology, follow these links:
http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/0...

and

http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/0...

Look for two additional articles interviewing the anthology participants in the coming days. I also will include links to several authors' other books in future blog postings.

And if you haven't seen the Kickstarter yet, here it is: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

My Peculiar Family Kickstarter Update

This is a horror/ science fiction anthology project which stems from one of the coolest ideas ever for a book. Each author was given a black and white photo of a person from the late 19th - early 20th century. From that photo, we had to create a story about that person. My photo was a picture of a governess named Rosalee. From that photo, I composed the short story, "Pieces of Rosalee," which is somewhat of a departure for me from my Holmes stories, though fans of O. Henry will be pleased with what I've come up with, even if it is grounded in the horror genre.

Definitely check out this project and back it! There is still one Derrick belanger Sherlock Holmes reward for the taking.

To back the project, follow this link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

Author Interview with Carl L. Heifetz



Carl Heifetz has been a prominent Sherlockian for many years, publishing works in several Sherlock Holmes journals and magazines. Recently, Carl produced his first book, Voyage of the Blue Carbuncle: Journey Into a Parallel Universe, which is a novella combining the worlds of Sherlock Holmes and Star Trek. I interviewed Carl about his work via email last month, and this is what the master had to say.

DB: The Voyage of the Blue Carbuncle combines aspects of both Sherlock Holmes and the Star trek universe. What made you decide to incorporate both worlds into your tale?

CH: Both of these worlds are very important to me. When I first started this item, I had been puzzled by the existence of the Blue Carbuncle. The fact that carbuncles are never blue was a subject of discourse on Hounds of the Internet and Welcome Holmes for many years. It finally hit me that there could be only one explanation: the carbuncle would be red in the universe in which it was created, the fact that it was blue in ours could only mean that it was that color due to the wave length of light emitted due to the velocity of light in our universe. It must have been created in another universe and left at the Amoy River as a clue for anyone who was smart enough to figure that out. If they could fly in space to the original location, as they get closer, the gem would eventually become red. That would tell us where the opening to the other universe is located.

But how to get there? I originally thought of Star Trek. No doubt, in the future, a space ship – the Enterprise with Commander Spock – would do the job. As a result of this, I initially wrote and published a short item entitled “A Bauble in Space Time.” Later, I decided to expand it into a book and the novella Voyage of the Blue Carbuncle: Journey Into a Parallel Universe emerged.

Since I intended to try to market the latter, I decided to change the names of the characters. Since many Sherlockians felt that Spock was based on Sherlock Holmes, why not a descendent? I had already written a short story featuring a character named Verner, who was a current-day descendent of Sherlock Holmes cousin Dr. Verner, the one who bought Dr. Watson’s practice. This, of course, was set up by Sherlock Holmes. As you would suppose, the English Dr. Verner is also a relative of Sherlock Holmes French family, the artist Vernet.

DB: You've written a number of other Sherlock Holmes essays and articles. Tell us about some of your favorites.

CH: The article that got the most interest, including a request to place it in a German magazine, was “Sherlock Holmes The Education of the World’s First Forensic Scientist.” My interest in writing about Sherlock Holmes led to two early items: “Sherlock Holmes Master of Espionage” and “Sherlock Holmes and the Magic Bullet.” Finally, the item that almost made BSJ, but it had already been published, was “In Defense of the Greek Interpreter.” I didn’t have the patience to wait for them, since another of my offerings sat ignored for at least two years and two tries without response.

DB: The question I ask all Sherlockians, if you were stranded on a desert island with only one Sherlock Holmes story, which would it be and why?

CH: I would like the whole Canon, but if I had to pick one story it would be <>Sign of Four.> It is a complete story with only a little back story. It involves all of the elements: a boat chase, a dog following a scent, a mysterious beginning, a bumbling inspector, and a romance, among many other aspects. Also, it demonstrates one of my main themes, that as a trained chemist Sherlock Holmes used “the method of scientists” to solve this case. My support for this is also attached.

DB: What are your future projects?

I am working on a full length science fiction novel featuring the genesis of Verner. The secondary title so far is “Love, Lust, Telepathic Tomatoes, and Interplanetary Communication.” It is loosely a prequel to “Voyage of the Blue Carbuncle” but has very little Sherlockian content and no reference at all to Star Trek. I’m hoping it would attract the UFO crowd and the Fans of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”

Other News

I'll keep this brief, since I've had this post go long enough.

The second book in the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes series, Attack of the violet Vampire, is available in ebook format. The softcover edition release date is September first. If you haven't read the first book in the series, The Amazing Airship Adventure, you should check it out, especially if you have a child between the ages of 5 - 10. I've heard from multiple sources, both young and old, that this is a great series to introduce children to Sherlock holmes. At my last book signing, a seven year old boy told me that he hadn't heard of Sherlock Holmes before reading my books, now he wants to read everything with the world's first consulting detective. To get the ebook, follow this link: http://www.amazon.com/Attack-Violet-V...

Lastly, my fellow Sherlockian author and good friend David Marcum has started his own blog. David is a bit of a luddite, so this is possibly a sign of the end times. Until the Earth is swallowed up by the abyss, you can read his musings here: http://17stepprogram.blogspot.com/

I think I'll sign off with that last bit of news. Take care everyone, and look for a huge announcement next week!!

Sherlockian Author Derrick Belanger's publications include an eclectic mix: book reviews, articles for education journals, short stories, poems, comic books, and the graphic novel, Twenty-Three Skidoo! A former instructor at Washington State University, and a current middle school Language Arts teacher, Derrick lives in Broomfield, Colorado with his wife Abigail Gosselin and their two daughters, Rhea and Phoebe. Visit Mr. Belanger's Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Derrick-Belange...

As I write this, the Kickstarter campaign for the World's Largest Collection of New Sherlock Holmes stories has come to a close. With 342 pledges, the anthology came in at over 23,000 dollars, well above the 3,000 dollars needed to make the project happen. We had great press from The Radio Times, various blogs, and even NBC News did an article on the poor conditions of Undershaw, the estate the Kickstarter campaign funds were going to help restore.

I am proud to say I did my part to help along the campaign with four author interview blogs on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. You can read interviews with almost all sixty authors by going to the Derrick Belanger page on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere by clicking here: http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search...

Now I am on to supporting another Kickstarter campaign, which only has a few weeks left and needs a bit of a boost. This anthology is titled, My Peculiar Family, and it is a really cool concept book. All of the authors were given a tin type photo of a person, and we then had to come up with a story about that person. My story is a horror story which has an O.Henry twist to it. There are some New York Times bestselling authors in the mix including Christopher Golden, Tracy Hickman,William Meikle, Rob WattsKristi McDowell, and many other talented writers (including me, Derrick Belanger).

Look for an interview article with William Meikle at I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere in the near future. Also, I hope to have a few interview articles with the authors on this blog as well. Stay tuned, and check out My Peculiar Family at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/....

More updates on my upcoming Sherlock Holmes anthology, Beyond Watson, plus my publishing venture, are coming soon!!

With just over two weeks to go, the My Peculiar Family Kickstarter campaign is nearly funded, but we still have some cool prizes left. One of my favorites is the Stacey Longo award. For $75 dollars, you get the My Peculiar Family anthology in paperback, your name listed on the book's patron page, two volumes of horror anthologies which contian Stacey Longo stories, and this very cool handmade pillow which looks like a blood stain. I interviewed Ms. Longo about her gruesome contribution to My Peculiar Family and her current projects. Please consider getting one of her deliciously devilish awards before they sell out!

1. Tell us a little about your story. What makes it so peculiar?

My story is the tale of Gussie, an assistant in an apothecary. She uses her position to help women in unfortunate situations deal out dark deeds. Gussie is perfectly fine with the idea of playing God—deciding if the women who come to her in desperation really need her poisons. She misjudges one such client's situation, with ominous repercussions.

2. What made you want to participate in My Peculiar Family?

When the Dome first mentioned it to me, I was immediately on board. The premise of this anthology was wildly ambitious and creative, and I thought it was a fabulous project to be a part of. He had some great names attached, and some amazing stories came about from this project. I was honored to even be asked.

3. What are some of your other projects you'd like to tell the readers about?

I have a young adult horror mystery, My Sister the Zombie, coming out this summer from Caliburn Press. It's the tale of two sisters who are trying to figure out who's doing all the murdering and brain-eating in town. Since one of the sisters is the only zombie in the tri-state area, naturally, she's a suspect. The girls have to catch the real killer before the undead sister gets a bullet to the brain.

4. Any last thoughts?

Please support My Peculiar Family by donating to the Kickstarter campaign (http://kck.st/1Wel4OZ). You'll be glad you did!



A Bit of Sherlock Holmes Controversy

I was surprised to see some controversy in the thread of my I Hear of Sherlock article on the 4th Volume of the MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories. The question raised was does MX Publishing really donate the royalties from the anthologies to preseve Undershaw. Steve Emecz graciously replied:

"I can confirm that the costs for MX, in outright financial costs and in time - which is in the hundreds of hours - [we which do have to also attribute a cost, even if at minmum wage] on this project have significantly outweighed any profits that we would have made, and are ever likely to make. MX is a tiny outfit with no paid employees with all efforts put in alongside our day jobs. I will happily, in private, share more information but feel its inappropriate to discuss this further in public. We can ask both Stepping Stones and Happy Life for public statements about whether they are happy with the effort if you think that is needed.

For the latter, that we spend weeks living in with the children every Christmas and New Year in Nairobi in Kenya is a vital part of what we do and extremely difficult to put an accurate cost on. Those that would like to understand more about what MX is about can read 'The Happy Life Story: Saving Abandoned Children on the Streets of Nairobi', the short book my wife wrote about the project last year. I understand the concerns, as for many years we too have been frustrated by lots of people that claim to 'support' causes, yet have raised no funds and importantly given little time to it. I commend all the authors in this project, and several others, for donating their royalties which will make a material difference - especially David Marcum who has given many hundreds of hours of his time."

Thank you, Steve Emecz for clarifying. MX Publishing has done a wonderful job of keeping the spirit of Holmes alive through your hundreds of Holmes titles. The Sherlock Holmes community commends you for all of your hard work in helping to preserve Undershaw and in publishing some of the best pastiches of the 21st century.

You can see the full IHOSE blog post here: http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/0...

On a final note, my latest e-book from Endeavour Press was just released. The book entitled Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure Of The Primal Manhas Holmes investigating a supposed Yeti body which has been brought to London. The novel also explains in detail what Holmes was up to when he visited Tibet during the Great Hiatus. You can find the book on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes...

Look for a lengthier blog entry on Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure Of The Primal Man, more author interviews for My Peculiar Family, and another I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere article soon!!

Derrick Belanger is the author of the #1 bestselling book Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance which was in the top 200 bestselling books on Amazon. He also is the author of the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes books, the latest of which is Curse of the Deadly Dinosaurand edited the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle horror anthology A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural. Mr. Belanger also is a frequent contributor to the blog I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. Mr. Belanger resides in Colorado and continues compiling unpublished works by Dr. John H. Watson.