Derrick Belanger's Blog: Book Reviews, Author Interviews, and Ramblings of a Sherlockian - Posts Tagged "stephen-seitz"

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.

October is a perfect month for reading horror stories. Some people forget that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had a rich voice in tales of terror, and I have my own collection of them in A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural: Volume 1 and A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural Volume 2. The great detective did have horror elements in some of his adventures, but Doyle, with the exception of "The Creeping Man," always grounded Holmes in reality. Of course, some authors have ignored Holmes rule of "spooks need not apply," and have created Sherlock Holmes - horror crossover stories. These are great reads for the month of October, and if you are looking for a fun, new crossover tale of Holmes terror, I highly recommend the new book from author Stephen Seitz.

Mr. Seitz is probably best known for his wonderful horror novel Sherlock Holmes and the Plague of Dracula. That book is a must read for anyone who loves Victorian literature as Seitz masterfully blends Holmes into Stoker's Dracula. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Seitz latest book Sherlock Holmes and The House of Pain is the author's best work to date. This is a marvelous tale that blends Sherlock Holmes in with H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr. Moreau. Seitz also has fun by including Doyle's Professor Challenger character who this time works as a bit of a foil to Holmes.

The story begins in 1887 when an acquaintance of Dr. Watson's hires Holmes to find his missing missionary sister. Holmes reluctantly agrees to take the case (sounds boring) because of the insistence of Watson. This seemingly routine case leads Holmes and Watson into a Gothic Horror underworld where giant rat men reside in London. These creatures are some of the survivors of the work of a Dr. Moreau, a former professor who Holmes worked with as an assistance when he was in college.

Much of the Holmes portions of the story are told in flashback. The parts where Holmes works with the professor are particularly disturbing. Seitz does a great job of reminding the reader of the horrors of animal experimentation, and even Holmes is revulsed by the true evil of Dr. Moreau. The other portion told in flashback is the full story of "The Matilda Briggs" and "The Giant Rat of Sumatra." This portion ties much closer to Wells' original novel and Seitz adds a level of excitement worthy of Robert Louis Stevenson.

Much of the story told in the present comes from the perspective of Professor Challenger, and in my opinion these are the best parts of the book. Seitz does a brilliant job of capturing both the pompous blowhard side of Challenger as well as the beastly man's tender side. There is a romance subplot which works quite well, particularly since most people forget this aspect of the professor. Challenger sees potential in the work of Dr. Moreau and how the man's work could aide mankind. The medical advances would justify the means Moreau used to achieve them. This belief leads Challenger on a mission with several twists and an ending this reader did not see coming.

This is an excellent book, one that would make both Doyle and Wells proud. As a fan of Professor Challenger in particular, I cannot recommend this book enough. It makes an excellent companion to the astounding book of new Challenger stories released this summer entitled Professor Challenger: New Worlds, Lost Places. For those who don't mind a bit of an alternate universe to their Sherlock Holmes, I highly recommend Sherlock Holmes and The House of Pain. You won't be disappointed.

Derrick Belanger is an author and educator most noted for his books and lectures on Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Both A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural: Volume 1 and 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! - The MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes Book #2 was also a #1 best selling new release in the UK. Mr. Belanger’s academic work has been published in The Colorado Reading Journal and Gifted Child Today.
https://www.amazon.com/author/derrick...

Hello everyone, while the Christmas shopping season is upon us, I wanted to take a moment to recommend some fine presents for the Sherlockian or the sherlockian in your life. If you know someone who says "Ho-ho-Holmes" then below are some great gift ideas. I am focusing this entry specifically on books aimed for the older reader as my last entry focused on YA and Children's Sherlock Holmes books. This entry is on specific traditional Holmes books as well as books that meld horror into the world of the first consulting detective.

There is no better gift this year for a mystery lover or Sherlock Holmes fan than the MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories. Although technically one book, the collection was released in three volumes. This has been called the finest collection of Sherlock Holmes stories ever published. The three volumes are The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Part I: 1881 to 1889, The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Part II: 1890 to 1895, and The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Part III: 1896 to 1929. While a little on the pricey side, these books are well worth the cost (and yours truly has a story in volume 1). Also, even the most staunch Scrooge in your life, can shout out a Merry Christmas knowing that the proceeds for all three volumes go to Stepping Stones, a special needs school which is using the funds to restore Undershaw, the former estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Luke B. Kuhns is an impressive young Holmesian author. His book Sherlock Holmes and the Scarlet Thread of Murder was one of my favorites for 2015. The book has three stories. The first involves three seemingly separate crimes investigated by three different detectives, one real, two fictional). One of the detectives is Holmes. Another is Martin Hewitt, a different Victorian era detective. I found the way Mr. Kuhns weaved the three threads together particularly compelling. His second story in the book involves Holmes assisting Irene Adler in solving the case of the murder of her husband. This is such a refreshing story. Irene Adler acts like Irene Adler. She is a force to be reckoned with and an equal of Holmes, not the sexist versions of Adler currently portrayed on television, but the real, true Irene Adler. I won't say much about the third story, just that it is a very good shorter piece with a mystery involving a seedy man in the shadows stalking a ballerina. Write more books like this one, Luke Benjamen Kuhns!

If there was a Sherlockian Man of the Year award, it would have to go to David Marcum David not only assembled and edited all three volumes of The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories, he also released Sherlock Holmes – Tangled Skeins - Stories from the Notebooks of Dr. John H. Watson, the best traditional Sherlock Holmes story collection released in 2015. The book involves cases of Holmes and Watson which occur during or between other cases from the canon. Every fan of the original canon should read this one. And if you haven't read Marcum's other books, I recommend the handsome hardback edition of The Papers of Sherlock Holmes Volume 1 and 2. You get both volumes of Marcum's book in one collection, so you save money and get a hardcover book. Even the Grinch couldn't complain!

For those who are dreaming of a white Christmas, may I recommend my own book Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance. This story takes place in the winter of 1890 and is a tale of art theft and espionage. But don't take my word for it, here is the latest five star review on Amazon: "This is one of those rare pastiches that is well plotted and truly written in the style of A.C. Doyle. I found the story both exciting and "page turning" and any devoted Holmes fan will enjoy it."

For those who prefer to have a nightmare before Christmas, let me recommend Sherlock Holmes and The House of Pain by Stephen Seitz. This book blends the world of HG Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau with the world of Sherlock Holmes. An excellent Holmesian mash-up. For those who want a Holmes-Ripper tale, I'd recommend The Last Confession of Sherlock Holmes by Kieran Lyne. Though the changes in the canon will not please everyone, the boy is a talented writer, and I found the book to be riveting.

I will keep periodically sending out book recommendations throughout this Christmas season. Next up will be historical Holmes books by Daniel D. Victor, Tim Symonds, and David Ruffle. I will follow up with Romantic Holmes books by Amy Thomas and Geri Schear.

Take care and for those who don't like lists and prefer to do their own shopping unadvised, may I recommend searching the entire MX catalogue at http://www.mxpublishing.com/ and the entire Belanger Books catalogue at http://www.belangerbooks.com/books.html.

Thank you and a Merry Christmas to all, even though it is still November!!

Where was Holmes from 1891-1894 during the time we Sherlockians call The Great Hiatus? That questions is answered in a new two volume collection of short stories featuring some of the top Sherlock Holmes authors of today. You can actually get the two volume anthology now on Kickstarter at 20% off the cover price and with free shipping through Kickstarter at this link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

In the original canon, Holmes claimed that after he survived his final confrontation with Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls, he spent time in Florence before heading to Lhasa to spend time with the Head Lama. He then escaped danger while traversing through Persia and Mecca and Khartoum. He made a final stop in Montpellier (though which Montpelier is up for speculation) with those puzzling coal-tar derivatives, before finally returning home by way of an Empty House in Baker Street.

Was this all there was to the story? Was the whole of his three years of adventures summed up in a brief paragraph, or was there more to the story?

According to the authors of Holmes Away From Home: Adventures of the Great Hiatus (available now through Kickstarter at:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...) there was much more to the story. Now, you can discover what really happened to Sherlock Holmes in an excellent two volume story collection which follows Holmes through twenty adventures starting with his confrontation with Moriarty and ending with his return to London.

The project is edited by the great David Marcum who is the man behind the extraordinary MX Collections of New Sherlock Holmes stories. Volume I contains stories by Sonia Fetherston, David Ruffle, Diane Gilbert Madsen, Craig Janacek, Jayantika Ganguly, S. Subramanian, Deanna Baran, John Linwood Grant, Katie Magnussen, and Stephen Seitz.

Volume II contains stories by David Marcum, Mark Levy BSI, Daniel D. Victor, S.F. Bennett,
Robert Perret, Derrick Belanger, C. Edward Davis, Mark Mower, Richard Paolinelli, Shane Simmons and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The anthology is only available through Kickstarter with guaranteed shipping in time for Christmas! But you have to hurry if you want in on it as the campaign ends in 25 days. You can back the Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

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 Dinosaur and edited the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle horror anthology A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural. Through Belanger Books, he published the Sherlock Holmes anthology Beyond Watson. His latest novella Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure Of The Primal Man is currently available as an ebook from Endeavour Press.

November 11th is Veteran's Day in America. As always, in honor of my dear friend Army Sgt. Zachary Tellier who gave his life serving our country, I am donating a portion of my profits over the course of this weekend to the Fisher House Foundation which is a charity designed to help and support military members and their families by providing housing close to loved ones during a time of hospitalization due to injuries. You can learn more at https://www.fisherhouse.org/.

To give the paperback books a boost this year, we are offering many of our Kindle ebooks for free! You can get:

Scones and Bones on Baker Street, Sherlock's Dog (Maybe!) and the Dirt Dilemma

Description: Digby, a London street dog, hopes he can find a crumb of food and maybe a warm place to sleep around the next corner. Instead, he finds himself face-to-face with the Great Detective himself, Sherlock Holmes! Digby is thrilled. He decides to prove his worth to Holmes by helping him solve his latest case. However, Digby discovers that detectives have to follow certain rules. No scratching in public. No howling in concert halls. No ruining Mr. Holmes’ shoes. Who knew that solving crimes could be so hard? Can Digby help Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson solve the Adventure of the Red-Headed League, and finally find a home --- at 221B Baker Street?

Get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LJYLD92

The Voyage of the Lunar Schooner
Description: Voyage to the Moon!

At the dawn of the 20th century, brilliant inventor E.D.C. Ballantine embarks on a most extraordinary venture – to be the first human being to orbit the moon! Working in secret with “The Society for Lunar Exploration,” Ballantine designs the vessel for his orbital voyage - The Lunar Schooner! But can he keep his mission a secret? And is the moon really the lifeless orb we assume it to be, orbiting the Earth in the night sky? Find out in this exceptional adventure.

Get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Voyage-Lunar-S...

Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur

Description: Terror Strikes! During the Christmas season, a young man named Jonas Bogswell brings a most baffling case to Sherlock Holmes and the MacDougall Twins. A dinosaur, a creature that should have been extinct millions of years ago, with razor sharp jaws and a terrifying scream, has been spotted roaming the hills of Surrey. The creature has been preying on sheep in the countryside, or has it? The local police believe Jonas Bogswell is responsible for the death of the sheep, and he needs the help of Sherlock Holmes, the MacDougall Twins, and Toby, their faithful canine friend to prove his innocence. But how can a prehistoric creature be alive in Victorian England? Could the monster have something to do with the local legend of Bald Hill where the Devil was supposedly imprisoned a hundred years before? And is Jonas Bogswell completely innocent, or does he and his family have more knowledge of the dinosaur than they've revealed? Find out as the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes solve their most extraordinary case and learn the truth behind the curse of the deadly dinosaur!

Get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dinosau...

The Tall Tales of Starman Steve

Description: • So you think you know why the sky is BLUE?
• What is THUNDER and LIGHTNING...really?
• What happens when you wish upon a SHOOTING STAR?
• Where did all those craters on the Moon come from?
• What’s the real truth about Jupiter’s RED SPOT?
• Are Saturn’s rings actually a giant HAT?
• Who spilled the MILKY WAY?
• Can the HORSEHEAD NEBULA be tamed?
• Can you race a COMET...and win?
• Ever traveled on the ASTEROID EXPRESS?
Come fly with STARMAN STEVE, the
bravest, most terrific astronaut Earth
has ever seen, and his loyal rocket ship,
Gracie, as they travel the universe and
learn all its wonderful secrets!

Get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Tall-Tales-Sta...

For all available books check out my author page at Goodreads:

Derrick Belanger

Please considering purchasing one or two books. They make great Christmas presents, and the money is going to a great cause.

Holmes Away From Home Update



The Kickstarter campaign is halfway over, but there is still time to order your books and receive them in time for Christmas! We currently have made it well past our initial goal and we are more than halfway to our stretch goal of 3,000 dollars. If you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes or mysteries in general, please check out the campaign here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

33 Terrific Tales!



At Belanger Books, we don't just publish Sherlock Holmes books (see book list above), we publish a variety of genres including children's, steampunk, and now humor. This delightful book by Gregg Rosenquist about growing up in Illinois in the 1970s is sure to delight fans of A Christmas Story and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

You can check out the book at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/33-Terrific-Ta...

Stay tuned for more updates throughout the weekend. Thank you everyone, and please help us raise money for the Fisher House!

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 Dinosaur and edited the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle horror anthology A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural. Through Belanger Books, he published the Sherlock Holmes anthology Beyond Watson. His latest novella Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure Of The Primal Man is currently available as an ebook from Endeavour Press.