Derrick Belanger's Blog: Book Reviews, Author Interviews, and Ramblings of a Sherlockian - Posts Tagged "sir-arthur-conan-doyle"

Hi everyone,

I wanted to let you know I now have a Facebook page and web site dedicated to my books that I create with my brother, Brian Belanger. The web site is located at Belangerbooks.com.

On Facebook, just do a search for the group, Belanger Books, or go to link to Facebook page

Current projects showcased on the web site include A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural Volume 2as well as the upcoming series, The MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes.

Please check us out. Thank you,

Derrick Belanger

Enter to win a free copy of the first volume of my anthology, A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural, autographed by editor and compiler Derrick Belanger.

To enter, follow this link:

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...

The contest ends on September 17th.

More from MX: Derrick Belanger has edited two volumes of A STUDY IN TERROR:

SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'S REVOLUTIONARY STORIES OF FEAR AND THE SUPERNATURAL

(2014; 274+288 pp., $16.95 each); the non-Sherlockian stories, with inter-

esting introductions and commentary (including Chuck Davis on "Aviation and

the Horror of the Heights"; the editor on "Arthur Conan Doyle and the Mary

Celeste Mystery" and "The Making of the Modern Mummy"; and Joel K. Jensen

on "Horror and The Mystery of Cloomber").

I am starting a monthly interview series with other Sherlockian authors. This month, my interview is with new author Kieran Lyne on his novel, The Last Confession of Sherlock Holmes.

Interview with Author Kieran Lyne by Derrick Belanger

1. Tell us a little bit about your story. What made you decide to write a new Sherlock Holmes book?


Kieran: I began writing fiction in the summer of 2012 in the form of short stories and naturally began to think of writing a Holmes story. In particular I was taken by the idea of expanding upon the events which surround the hiatus of Sherlock Holmes as, though fabulously handled in the canon, to me there was more to the Moriarty story.
Essentially, The Last Confession of Sherlock Holmes is the revelation by Dr. Watson of how he and Sherlock Holmes deceived the world.

When developing the plot I was a student of History and so I tried thinking of any events which a plot could be twisted around; but it was not until I watched From Hell that I first began to think of a Holmes story about Jack the Ripper. The brutality and senselessness of the crimes were in such stark contrast to the elegant puzzles found in the canon and I thought this offered something different. I was also interested in the dynamic created by these very public events, and the effect they would have on Sherlock Holmes, as the Ripper was never caught. I did not research any other works on a similar theme until after I completed my plot outline as I wished to approach the story from an entirely fresh perspective.



2. You are the youngest author to be endorsed by the Doyle estate. How did you get the endorsement?

Kieran: I had sent my novel off to a few agents and was not enjoying a lot success, so I started trying to make things happen for myself through self-publishing as an EBook. The copyright situation surrounding the Holmes characters is very complicated and I wished to avoid any hassle. With this in mind I approached the Conan Doyle estate, who endorsed my story, gave me use of their seal and recommended me to MX Publishing.


3. Unfortunately, it seems like the Doyle estate has become a bit of a villain to Sherlockians due to the court battle with Leslie S. Klinger. What are your view on the case and the outcome? Do you feel Sherlock Holmes should now be a public domain character?

Kieran: I have heard several conflicting versions of the events and to be honest I find it all a bit strange. This situation has been quite a headache and I hope that soon enough transparency will become the norm. I’m not sure how but I hope these relationships can be mended, as in theory we should all be in the same boat. What I do want to say is that Jon Lellenberg was a great help in getting me published and for that I am very grateful.

First and foremost I consider myself a fan of Sherlock Holmes; I do not understand all the ins-and-outs of the law, particularly in the U.S, but as a fan I believe the characters should be in the public domain: I am all for creativity and artistic interpretation. However, I am also a young author trying to break into an extremely crowded and competitive industry and I have to be practical: I hope the seal will be a positive for me. Regardless of the controversy, I hope that the endorsement of the Doyle estate is a sign of quality and will not put off any Sherlockians. One of my few objectives when I set out to write the story was authenticity; I wanted Holmes to be Holmes, Watson to be Watson, and that the events should fit almost seamlessly into the canon, so the opinion of Sherlockians is important to me. I hope that my story will be judged for the quality of my writing and nothing else.



4. If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one Sherlock Holmes story to keep with you forever, which would it be? Why?

Kieran: Tricky one! But ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’, as I believe it encapsulates everything which makes Holmes such an iconic character and the stories so timeless. We of course get to see Holmes’ trademark powers of observation and deduction, as well as his fondness for disguise and theatricality. But what sets Holmes apart is that he chooses his cases based upon intellectual intrigue and is not rigidly in favour of the law; this allows for more ambiguous crimes and interesting stories. All of this we of course witness through the exploits of the woman. Not only is Irene Adler a fabulous character, but this is her only appearance in the canon. For me this is a masterstroke of subtlety and class by Conan Doyle: it elevates her status and shows greater insight into Holmes as a character.


5. Any last thoughts for the audience?

Kieran: My journey to becoming an author was a strange one, and I am not a trained writer. I have studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, and History at the University of East Anglia: but I have not studied literature for seven years. The only instruction I had was through two books on writing by Elizabeth George and Stephen King. I would therefore encourage anyone who is thinking about writing to give it a go, whether it is Sherlock Holmes, or something entirely original. I have no idea whether my novel will be a success, but it can be done.

Kieran Lyne is the author of The Last Confession of Sherlock Holmes, and he is the youngest author ever to be endorsed by the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Author Derrick Belanger is the editor of the bestselling two volume anthology, A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural. He is a middle school Language Arts teacher, and he loves young adult literature as well as anything and everything to do with Sherlock Holmes.

Interview with Chuck Davis on
A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural (Volume 1)

Derrick: First off, give us a little bit of background. What was your interest in Doyle, Horror of the Heights, and this anthology?

Chuck: Actually, I hadn’t been a Sherlock Holmes or Doyle fan until about twenty years ago when I first came across “The Horror of the Heights”. Anything with airplanes, or some aeronautical aspect, always grabs my attention. Doyle’s story was very different, though, because of its science fiction flavor. The concept of huge aerial beasts above our heads thrilled and frightened me. I imagined if they were real, how they would affect the development of high altitude aviation, the dangers they would pose to a modern airliner. Sometimes stories like THOTH capture my imagination just because of the possibilities. Sir Arthur’s short story did just that and also gave me an exciting read. I must have read it ten times by now.
I wasn’t ignorant of Doyle, or Sherlock Holmes (I loved the Robert Downey portrayal better than Basil Rathbone’s) for I had seen the movie version of “The Lost World” many, many times. As to Sherlock Holmes, my only exposure was to the Rathbone and Downey movies and the recent BBC series.
As far as “A Study in Terror” anthology goes, it was when I recently got reacquainted with you, after years of relocating prairie dogs, and discovered we had many intellectual and literary interests in common. First we created the Mystery Aircraft website and blog. Soon, we were discussing Doyle and Sherlock Holmes and you brought up your idea for the anthology. I loved the idea, especially since it would contain my favorite Doyle story. When you asked me to write an article discussing Doyle’s aeronautical expertise, I just couldn’t resist.
I think the whole project turned out perfect and I am proud to have contributed in a small way towards its success.

Derrick: Wow, that’s a walk down memory lane for me. To tell you the truth, I contacted you for the anthology because of your book, Phantoms of the Skies. Tell us a little bit about how you got involved in that book and the history (or prehistory) of flight.
Chuck: Well, that’s a long story. When I was a little tike, I fell in love with birds & bats. As I grew older, I fell in love with airplanes and just about anything that flew. Then it was UFOs and for a while I was a true believer. I grew out of that, but not before getting fascinated by the Mystery Airship reports of the 1890s. Now, I have always been especially interested in strange and unusual aircraft and design studies. So, it wasn’t long before I got real interested in ancient flight and pre-Wright brothers pioneers. Fast forward to, about 2009 when I came across a book by J. Allan Danelek titled “The Great Airship of 1897”. Jeff presented an excellent case that the Mystery Airships were, in fact, the work of an individual, or individuals, working in secret on the invention of a commercially viable airship. He tweaked my interest and imagination. Next thing you know, we’re having lunch, so he can autograph my copy of the book, and we get talking about flight experiments in the 18th & 19th centuries and one of us, I think it was yours truly, suggested we co-write a book about the subject, but go back all the way to ancient times. That gave birth to “Phantoms of the Skies: The Lost History of Aviation from Antiquity to the Wright Brothers”. I think we should have spent more time on the title and finding the right publisher, because I now feel that the title is deceptive. Many people think we’re writing about ghost airplanes and pilots, not real history.
But, water under the bridge.
You know, a lot of those very early aircraft were like today’s ultralight aircraft and hang gliders. Since I flew hang gliders for many hours (until I ran out of money and unbruised body parts), aircraft like that have a special place in my heart. So, it was only natural that I was fascinated then and continue to be fascinated by “minimal” aircraft.

Derrick: Your article was called, “A fascinating read on the science and possibilities of aeronautics in the early years of the 20th century,” by Nebula Award winning author Jack McDevitt. How right was Doyle in his portrayal of flight in the story?

Chuck: Sir Arthur actually came pretty close on some aspects of predicting flight in the early 1930s (remember the story was written in 1913 and described events taking place twenty years in HIS future). Other aspects, he was so far off the mark that it bordered on pure fantasy. But I forgive him his mistakes. He did a great job.
By 1913, flight was pretty much established as a viable endeavor, but there was still a lot of experimentation going on, so the technology was, pardon the pun, up in the air. The arrangement of wings, the type of power-plant, the method of control and stabilization were still in a state of flux. This was a very exciting time to get involved with aviation. Unfortunately, there was also a lot of cranks out there and people who had no business, no vision, to be involved with the development of a new form of transportation. And, again unfortunately, a load of that nonsense was published by magazines and newspapers who didn’t do their homework. Sir Arthur absorbed some of that information, too.


Derrick: Last question, why do you think Doyle’s writings in this anthology, like his writings on Sherlock Holmes, have stood the test of time?
Chuck: That is a tough question. I think Sir Arthur’s stories have lasted and continue to be popular because he developed some wonderful characters and concepts. I mean, when you think of a “famous” detective, the first name that comes to mind is Sherlock Holmes. Doyle’s stories are compelling because of his style, his depth of plot and the twists and turns of the action. I am just getting into the Sherlock Holmes stories at age 61, but Doyle’s tales of science fiction and horror are just as compelling. Sure, all his work is outdated in some sense. But you need to suspend disbelief when you read fiction and Doyle permits the reader to do that and still be absorbed by the story. His stories today are like time machines, transporting the reader to a more gentile era.
I could read “The Horror of the Heights” hundreds of more times. I am even entertaining the idea, as an aspiring fiction author myself, to write a sequel to that tale – what would happen to aviation, especially commercial aviation and space travel, if such “aerial savannahs” actually existed. Just imagine what would happen (and I’d love to hear ideas from other fans)!
Doyle had a certain style that transcends time and technology. I rank him up there with my personal favorite author, H. G. Wells. Both authors’ stories can be transposed into modern times with little or no changes to the plot or characters. Just looks at the different versions of Sherlock Holmes or “The Time Machine” or “The War of the Worlds”. I would LOVE to see a film version of “THOTH” or “The Parasite” or “The Mystery of Cloomber”.
I hope that I’ve answered that question to everyone’s satisfaction?
Took me 61 years, but I’m a big fan of Doyle now and starting to like Lovecraft!

Never in a million years did I think that my first book signing would be a smashing success. Never did I expect to sell out of the first volume of my A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural, almost sell out of volume 2, and then sell all 20 copies of my children's Sherlock Holmes chapter book The Amazing Airship Adventure (Macdougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes Book 1). In fact, moments before leaving for the event, I was thinking I might be in trouble.

Right before I left, the texts, Facebook posts, and e-mails started rolling in. Sorry, I forgot about your event...or, came down with a bad cold...or something's come up. I'm not saying that to make anyone feel guilty nor to criticize. I've had things come up in my life, and I've missed events I had every intent of going to. It just got me in the mode of, "What if no one shows up?" I'm sure every author has those jitters at their first signing, and for some, I'm sure those fears never go away even if they are rich and famous.

When I arrived at the Bookbar in Denver, I am pleased to say I was greeted warmly, and joined two other authors at a table right in front of the business entryway. I sat in the center with author Dean K. Miller to my left, and author and professor Leslie Rapparlie to my right. We got our books out, were served a complimentary glass of wine, set up shop, and got ready for the rush.

And what a rush it was! I was pleased to see so many friends and coworkers arrive to buy my books and cheer me on. I was shocked at how many people I didn't know bought my book, talked with me, and gave me a thumbs up. One customer asked if I would consider co-authoring a children's book they were working on; another told me how, because of the anthology, my name would forever be linked with that of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; finally, another told me that the MacDougall Twins mysteries were filling a void in the Sherlockian pastiches, that of stories aimed for young chapter book readers.

Copies of all three of my books were flying out the door! In the middle of the book signing, I had to quickly run to my car as I was selling out of books fast. I had left some extra copies of the books in my car as a backup in case I ran out. Honestly, I didn't think I would actually need to restock, but had them there to be safe. It was good that I had that foresight. I restocked on the MacDougall Twins only to have my stock quickly sell out again.

When I went to the clerk, Tommy, at the end of the night, I asked him if this was common. He smiled and told me that the last time he saw an author sell that much in that amount of time was Peter Heller, and he's a New York Times bestselling author!

When I finally left the Bookbar, I was dizzy, a little drunk, and a lot in shock. It is a wonderful feeling for an author to have their book published, to know someone in the world found their work valuable enough to sink money into it, and put it out for the world to see. It is an even better feeling to have family and friends read one's work and give you positive feedback. But the feeling one gets when people you don't know buy your book and tell you how much they enjoy it is indescribably wonderful. That was the feeling, maybe even a touch beyond, I left the Bookbar with that evening.

I cannot thank the Bookbar enough for putting on this event. Unfortunately, many local bookstores have taken it upon themselves to charge local authors to stock their books and even more money to have signings. This strikes me as a lose/ lose proposition. It keeps local talent out of local bookstores and drives more business to that of the online retailers. The Bookbar, I am proud to say, truly supports local authors. They worked well with all three of the authors that night, provided us with spirits, and encouraged us to leave copies of our books for sale in their store. I look forward to future events at this amazing establishment, including reading at a storytime. More information on that at a later date...

I also want to take a moment and give kudos to my fellow authors at the Bookbar event. Dean K. Miller is an air traffic controller who publishes short stories, poems, and essays on life's quiet, profound moments. His latest book, And Then I Smiled is available at the Bookbar, other area bookstores, and on Amazon. Leslie Rapparlie is a Professor of Composition at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Her book Writing and Experiential Education is an excellent resource for all teachers interested in creative and experiential writing. It is also available at the Bookbar and on Amazon.

I wish both these authors well on their long and profitable writing careers. I look forward to building my relationship with the Bookbar and encourage all shoppers in the Denver metro area to make the Bookbar their one stop shop for all their literary needs.

Cheers,

Derrick Belanger
http://www.amazon.com/Derrick-Belange...

http://www.belangerbooks.com/

You're probably wondering if you read that title correctly A Sherlock Holmes teaching award? Really? Yes, really. The Beacon Society, a Scion Society of the Baker Street Irregulars, gives this award once a year to individuals or groups for "exemplary educational experiences and other significant activities exposing young people to the Sherlock Holmes stories." I was honored last week to discover a fellow teacher nominated me for this prestigious award.

For more on the Beacon Award, see the link below: http://www.beaconsociety.com/BeaconAw...

Book Release Party

I'm flying out to the Boston area today for a book release party. The party is actually in Manchester, NH, not to be confused with Manchester, England, which is a real city. This one should be interesting because it is a combined Halloween costume party and Book release party. You can probably already guess my costume.

Look for pictures of people dressed up and getting their books signed to be posted on the Amazon author page and on Facebook early next week.

Upcoming Blog

October 25th - Interview with author Geri Schear on her new book A Biased Judgement.

The year of 1927 saw the last Sherlock Holmes story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, yet the the good detective still lives and breathes through the writing of modern pastiche writers. I am pleased that Geri Schear is one of these writers. Her novel, A Biased Judgement is released today, and it contains one of my favorite "new" Sherlock Holmes characters, Lady Beatrice. Over the course of the month, I interviewed Ms. Schear on her book, her influences, and of course, her favorite Sherlock Holmes story.

1. I guess I'll jump right in with the big question: What made you want to write a Sherlock Holmes novel? What made you decide to ground the book around real historical events of 1897?

The Hound of the Baskervilles was the first ‘proper’ novel I read as a child. I was seven years old and immediately hooked. Since then I’ve read the canon many times as well as a lot of pastiches. I also watch as much TV and film Holmes as I can find. It was probably inevitable that one day I would try writing a Sherlock Holmes novel of my own.

When I started to write A Biased Judgement I had two goals: I wanted to imagine Holmes as a man who really lived, and I wanted to be as faithful as possible to Conan Doyle. I decided the best way to accomplish these two things was to create a narrative that weaves the canon through real historical events.

It didn't take long for me to realise that I could tie the first big event in my novel to The Devil’s Foot, one of my favourite Sherlock Holmes stories. Once I'd decided that everything else fell into place. For instance, Holmes’ experts tell us the events of that story occurred in 1897 so I knew my novel had to be set in that year. The next step was obvious: to see what else was happening in the world around that time. I love history so I had a lot of fun imagining what world events Holmes might get involved with. It was a busy year so I had a lot of material.


2. Most Sherlock Holmes stories are told from the perspective of Dr. Watson. You had Sherlock Holmes tell this tale. What made you decide to have the great detective write the story?

I wanted to get inside Holmes’s head to examine his process and to know what he really thought about Watson and Mycroft and the other people in the canon. Since the Great Detective has proven to be a less than great writer, (see The Blanched Soldier and The Lion’s Mane) I thought a diary would be the best way to go. He’s writing his private thoughts he can be more open than if he were writing for publication. Watson spoke of Holmes’s great heart: I wanted to see that. I also discovered that letting Holmes tell his own tale allows me to inject a fair bit of humour into the narration. If you didn't know our Sherlock could be a funny guy you haven’t been reading the canon closely enough!

3. While your book is a Sherlock Holmes novel, it incorporates elements of other mystery subgenres such as cozy mysteries and spy thrillers. Besides Doyle, what other authors (mystery and other) influenced your writing in this book?

Great question. I’m a voracious reader and I think I've learned from every novelist I've ever read. For instance, from PG Wodehouse and Jane Austen I've learned humour; from Roddy Doyle I've learned dialogue; from Raymond Carver I've learned understatement... There are far too many to count and I’m indebted to them all.

In terms of genre writers, I’d have to start with Agatha Christie. She remains the greatest plotter and there are distinctly Christie-esque elements to A Biased Judgement. That said, I think my novel examines violent death in a more realistic way than you’d usually find in a typical ‘cosy’ mystery. I think – hope – my novel is funnier than most murder mysteries as well.

From DL Sayers and PD James I learned how to make a mystery novel into something a mainstream reader might enjoy. In their own unique ways they explore things like responsibility and ethics and the importance of morality for a detective. This isn't new to Holmes, of course. Stories like The Blue Carbuncle and The Abbey Grange reveal the detective as a man who follows his own conscience first and the laws of the land second.

In terms of suspense, I owe a lot to Ian Fleming, Michael Connelly and Jim Butcher. They are all masters and have created some of my favourite characters in James Bond, Harry Bosch and Harry Dresden.

Finally, since A Biased Judgement is set at the end of the Victorian era, I would be remiss if I did not mention the writers who made that period come alive for me. Dickens and Collins and Wilde, in particular.

4. The question I always ask, if you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one Sherlock Holmes story, which would it be and why?

That’s such a mean question! There are so many I love and for different reasons. For sheer quirkiness I love The Red-Headed League. The Hound of the Baskervilles was the first Holmes story I ever read so it has a special place in my heart. And then there’s The Blue Carbuncle, The Speckled Band, The Empty House… But I’d probably have to go with the one I've mentioned already: The Devil’s Foot. Even though I generally prefer the London-based stories, there’s something in that story's desolate atmosphere that really impacts me. The mystery is so compelling and the characters – from the victims to the murderer to their avenger – are some of the most dynamic in the whole canon. There’s also a Gothic feel to the story that is just as macabre as anything ever written by Poe. Deliciously chilling!

5. Any last thoughts for the reader? Any new projects that you are working on?

I hope readers of A Biased Judgement enjoy it. I’d be thrilled if they were to finish the novel feeling they had a new perspective on Conan Doyle’s stories and that their enjoyment of those tales was enhanced.

Right now I’m working on a sequel to A Biased Judgement. It’s set in 1898 and begins with Holmes called to investigate what appears to be poltergeist activity in Camden Town. His investigations lead him to London’s diamond district. There’s a subplot involving the French novelist Emile Zola and the Dreyfus affair. The tentative title is Sherlock Holmes and the Other Woman.

I've also got another, non-Holmsian novel in the works. This is an urban fantasy and is about a really ticked-off Lady of Shalott and a knight of King Arthur’s court in modern-day London.

Geri
http://www.amazon.com/Biased-Judgemen...

Sherlockian Author Derrick Belanger's publications include the bestselling two volume anthology, A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of fear and the Supernatural, as well as the Sherlock Holmes children's chapter book, The Amazing Airship Adventure. 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. Currently, Derrick is working on several Sherlockian projects: The second book in the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes series entitled Attack of the Violet Vampire, The pastiche novel Sherlock Holmes and the Curse of Cthulhu, the teaching guide How to Teach Like Sherlock Holmes, and the annotated book The Hound of the Baskervilles: The Ultimate Edition, as well as several projects in the Science Fiction genre. He also co-authors the web site Mystery Aircraft.com with author Chuck Davis. Please visit Derrick's Amazon page at http://www.amazon.com/Derrick-Belange...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Belan...

Twitter: https://twitter.com/belangerbooks

There is a mad frenetic energy to a book signing. Add in a costumed book release party and things get a little crazy. Such was the vibe at the triple header book release party for A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural Volume 1 (http://www.amazon.com/Study-Terror-Re...), A Study in Terror Volume 2 (http://www.amazon.com/Study-Terror-Re...), and the Amazing Airship Adventure (http://www.amazon.com/The-Amazing-Air...). The best part of the party, besides getting to sign books decked out in a full Holmes costume, was that I got to sign with my brother the cover artist for the anthology and the illustrator for the children's chapter book. Brian hadn't gotten the thrill of having a line of people waiting to get his autograph on a book he created, so it was a pleasure to see the delight on his face.

Even before the party started, I had lunch with a publisher and agreed to include a short story in a new anthology collection to be released next year. I won't say much about the project just yet, but this one could be big. Be prepared to see my science fiction side next spring. Anyway, things were already auspicious. Then came the party...

Once again, we sold close to 40 books, but this time in a span of more than an hour. This gave both Brian and me time to chat with our customers and discover which Sherlock Holmes stories they liked, which books they were interested in, and what they would like to see from us in the future. An excellent time was had by all, and I look forward to a return flight to Colorado out of the airport Monday morning. It's been fun playing celebrity for a few days, but it is time to get back to my students and the real world.

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. Currently, Derrick is working on several Sherlockian projects: The second book in the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes series entitled Attack of the Violet Vampire, The pastiche novel Sherlock Holmes and the Curse of Cthulhu, the teaching guide How to Teach Like Sherlock Holmes, and the annotated book The Hound of the Baskervilles: The Ultimate Edition, as well as several projects in the Science Fiction genre. He also co-authors the web site Mystery Aircraft.com with author Chuck Davis.
Visit Derrick's Amazon Page at http://www.amazon.com/Derrick-Belange...

One of the many bright spots of being an author is getting to know other authors especially at events like book signings. I had the pleasure of meeting Dean K. Miller at the Local Author Happy Hour at Denver's BookBar in October. It was a chaotic and fun night, and Dean and I hit it off pretty well. I invited him to be a part of my author interview series. I thought you would enjoy hearing from a non-Sherlockian author, and just so you know, I do manage to get in one question on Doyle. :)

1. Your book And Then I Smiled: Reflections on a Life Not Yet Complete combines poetry and prose into a work on life's reflections. What made you want to write this book and produce it in this format?

I was in a mid-first novel slump and began looking at ways to reignite my muse. I began investigating (like Mr. Holmes) clues on the road to publishing. A friend had just started her indie publishing company Hot Chocolate Press (www.hotchocolatepress.com) and was looking for a book to launch under her label. I had all the work written though there was much polishing to do. We set an aggressive timetable and spent a few months organizing, sequencing stories, doing cover art, etc. The book was not an original "I want to write this type of book" plan, but rather came about via circumstances and luck. Also, a mixed genre book is a very tough sell, even to small presses. With that in mind, I decided to go the indie/self publish route.

2. Your illustrated, short story e-book The Odyssey of the Monk continues your theme of being happy and content in the quiet moments in life. What are the times in life where you feel the most content, happy, and at peace?

With our three children now young adults and away from home, having them around is always the best source of contentedness and happiness, though it's rarely peaceful. On a personal level, my heart and soul belongs to the ocean beaches and salty seas. Moving to Colorado in 1999, I found a second home fly fishing the Big Thompson Canyon. It was there that I rediscovered my urge to write. Most of the essays and stories in And Then I Smiled . . . came from time spent fly fishing and spending solitary time with the river and all who inhabit that special place.

3. I have to ask at least one question related to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In his book, The Mystery of Cloomber, Doyle has Buddhist monks seeking revenge (or at the very least, Karmic retribution) for the needless murder of a Llama who was about to reach enlightenment. In your own meditations, have you found times when you've gone away from peace and wanted to seek karmic revenge or at least wished ill of another person?

During much of 2000 through 2011 I did a lot of reading, study of various religious practice. Buddhism had a strong draw and I read several books and began a meditation practice. Since beginning that voyage, I can say with certainty that I have never sought karmic revenge on anyone or anything. Even before then, I don't recall purposely wishing ill will on anyone, though I'm sure there are things I certainly could/should atone for. But the idea for a story is a great plot, even as disturbing as it is.

4. Tell us about your new book coming soon, Echoes: Reflections Through Poetry and Verse.

Though my first book And Then I Smiled . . . contains 10 original poems, Echoes is my first poetry exclusive book. The work holds some of my earliest work (1980) as well as poems completed in mid-2014 and selected for publication in two upcoming issues of Torrid Literature Journal. With poetry I find myself more willing to explore darker emotions and challenging themes with a rawness that comes from fewer words and tighter spaces. Also with this work (and my Ebook short story) I worked with artist/author April J. Moore and enjoyed the mixed media collaboration.

5. Any last thoughts?

Every day of writing can be seen as a challenge, but luckily I'm still day-job fortunate. Retirement is looming and I look forward to a little more time to focus on writing. For now, I'm getting back into my first novel for a 2016 release (if all goes well.) Thanks for having me on your site and best of luck to you.

For more on Dean K Miller, visit his website at www.deankmiller.com.

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. Currently, Derrick is working on several Sherlockian projects: The second book in the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes series entitled Attack of the Violet Vampire, The pastiche novel Sherlock Holmes and the Curse of Cthulhu, the teaching guide How to Teach Like Sherlock Holmes, and the annotated book The Hound of the Baskervilles: The Ultimate Edition, as well as several projects in the Science Fiction genre. He also co-authors the web site Mystery Aircraft.com with author Chuck Davis.
Visit Derrick's Amazon Page at http://www.amazon.com/Derrick-Belange...