Paula Berinstein's Blog - Posts Tagged "sherlock-holmes"
Why Inspector Lestrade?
I have been asked why I chose to make my protagonist a descendant of Inspector Lestrade. After all, next to Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, Professor Moriarty, and Irene Adler, Lestrade is pretty bland--which is exactly why I wanted to probe further.
I am very interested in minor characters: the clerk who sells the protagonist a shirt, the hotdog vendor on the street when the protagonist walks by, the deceased aunt who raised the protagonist, etc. Sure, they have bit parts in this particular story, but in others they might be the stars. More than that, their lives might affect this protagonist more than we know. But even if they don't, there's probably something fascinating about them. We have only to look.
That's how I feel about Lestrade, a supporting character no one likes. Sure, he's a foil, but if we look a little further, I think we'll find that he's much more than that. That's why I decided to create a legacy for him--so I could explore the influence of someone who is famous only by association.
I am very interested in minor characters: the clerk who sells the protagonist a shirt, the hotdog vendor on the street when the protagonist walks by, the deceased aunt who raised the protagonist, etc. Sure, they have bit parts in this particular story, but in others they might be the stars. More than that, their lives might affect this protagonist more than we know. But even if they don't, there's probably something fascinating about them. We have only to look.
That's how I feel about Lestrade, a supporting character no one likes. Sure, he's a foil, but if we look a little further, I think we'll find that he's much more than that. That's why I decided to create a legacy for him--so I could explore the influence of someone who is famous only by association.
If only Sherlock Holmes's great-great-grandson weren't such a dork . . .
Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis, the second book in the Amanda Lester, Detective series, will be out on September 15, 2015. In it, Amanda meets a descendant of Sherlock Holmes. Can you guess what happens?
There’s a new student at the Legatum Continuatum School for the Descendants of Famous Detectives and Amanda is supposed to work with him. Scapulus Holmes is a descendant of the great Sherlock and he’s crazy about her. Unfortunately she thinks he’s a loser and would rather die than have anything to do with him.
But when the kids discover a dead body encrusted with strange living crystals, Amanda realizes she needs Holmes’s help. If the crystals fall into the wrong hands they could be used for nefarious purposes, and only he knows how to protect them.
Can the detectives keep the bad guys from learning the crystals' secrets? It would help if they could figure out who the dead body is too. Only if Amanda and Holmes can find a way to work together can they prevent a disaster, and it isn’t looking good.
There’s a new student at the Legatum Continuatum School for the Descendants of Famous Detectives and Amanda is supposed to work with him. Scapulus Holmes is a descendant of the great Sherlock and he’s crazy about her. Unfortunately she thinks he’s a loser and would rather die than have anything to do with him.
But when the kids discover a dead body encrusted with strange living crystals, Amanda realizes she needs Holmes’s help. If the crystals fall into the wrong hands they could be used for nefarious purposes, and only he knows how to protect them.
Can the detectives keep the bad guys from learning the crystals' secrets? It would help if they could figure out who the dead body is too. Only if Amanda and Holmes can find a way to work together can they prevent a disaster, and it isn’t looking good.
It's Conan Doyle month!
At Groombridge Place, that is. The house in Royal Tunbridge Wells, which is accessible only via drawbridge, was the inspiration for the setting of the Sherlock Holmes story "The Valley of Fear."
There will be lectures, theatre, a murder mystery, and more throughout the month of September, 2015.
There will be lectures, theatre, a murder mystery, and more throughout the month of September, 2015.
Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis is here!
The second Amanda Lester, Detective book is here!
Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis
is now available in paperback and as a Kindle ebook!!!
If only Sherlock Holmes’s great-great-grandson weren’t such a dork . . .
Scapulus Holmes is a descendant of the great Sherlock. Unfortunately he’s a dork and Amanda doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. But when she finds a dead body encrusted with strange orange crystals under the secret detective school, she must turn to Holmes for help. Only if they work together can they keep the bad guys from learning the crystals’ secrets, and it isn’t looking good.
Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis
is now available in paperback and as a Kindle ebook!!!If only Sherlock Holmes’s great-great-grandson weren’t such a dork . . .
Scapulus Holmes is a descendant of the great Sherlock. Unfortunately he’s a dork and Amanda doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. But when she finds a dead body encrusted with strange orange crystals under the secret detective school, she must turn to Holmes for help. Only if they work together can they keep the bad guys from learning the crystals’ secrets, and it isn’t looking good.
New Mystery Novel Introduces Dorky Sherlock Holmes Descendant
Author Paula Berinstein’s middle-grade series set at secret English detective school shakes it up
No one knows for sure what master sleuth Sherlock Holmes’s great-great-grandson would be like, but author Paula Berinstein has taken a stab at him. She thinks he’d be a real dork. That’s why, in Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis, she torments him so much.
“I do sort of pick on him,” says Berinstein. “I have to, though, don’t I? Otherwise he might be boring, and we couldn’t have that.”
The book is the second title in Berinstein’s Amanda Lester, Detective line. Set in England’s Lake District, the series revolves around a twelve-year-old girl, Amanda Lester (she turns thirteen in the second book), who is forced to attend a super-secret school for the descendants of famous detectives, despite her desire to pursue filmmaking. Adding to her angst is the fact that she is ashamed of her famous ancestor, bumbling Scotland Yard Inspector G. Lestrade.
Synopsis of Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis
Amanda Lester’s first term at the secret English detective school has turned out to be a surprising success. But trouble lies ahead. There’s a new student at Legatum and Amanda is supposed to work with him. She’s the envy of the school. Scapulus Holmes is a descendant of the great Sherlock and he’s crazy about her. Unfortunately she thinks he’s a dork and ducks him every chance she gets.
She can’t avoid him forever though. When the kids discover a dead body encrusted with mysterious living crystals, Amanda realizes she must find out what’s going on, even if it means putting up with Holmes. The only problem is that Blixus Moriarty has just escaped from prison, and he wants those crystals.
Can the detectives save the crystals from certain death before the bad guys learn their secrets? Only if Amanda and Holmes can find a way to work together, and it isn’t looking good.
About the series
The Amanda Lester, Detective series offers fans an updated heroine: an independent, smart, and sassy young protagonist who finds herself embracing her destiny as a detective despite herself. In addition to Holmes, the supporting characters include a blind girl, a geek, and a priggish boy who is a thorn in Amanda’s side, not to mention a descendant of Holmes’s nemesis, Professor Moriarty. Their interactions reflect many struggles and realities young readers will relate to.
Book details
Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis is available in paperback and as a Kindle download.
Berinstein’s third novel in the Amanda Lester, Detective series, Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle, will be available in November, 2015.
About Paula Berinstein
Berinstein is the former producer and host of the popular podcast The Writing Show. She lives in Southern California. Unlike her protagonist, she is crazy about Sherlock Holmes.
No one knows for sure what master sleuth Sherlock Holmes’s great-great-grandson would be like, but author Paula Berinstein has taken a stab at him. She thinks he’d be a real dork. That’s why, in Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis, she torments him so much.
“I do sort of pick on him,” says Berinstein. “I have to, though, don’t I? Otherwise he might be boring, and we couldn’t have that.”
The book is the second title in Berinstein’s Amanda Lester, Detective line. Set in England’s Lake District, the series revolves around a twelve-year-old girl, Amanda Lester (she turns thirteen in the second book), who is forced to attend a super-secret school for the descendants of famous detectives, despite her desire to pursue filmmaking. Adding to her angst is the fact that she is ashamed of her famous ancestor, bumbling Scotland Yard Inspector G. Lestrade.
Synopsis of Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis
Amanda Lester’s first term at the secret English detective school has turned out to be a surprising success. But trouble lies ahead. There’s a new student at Legatum and Amanda is supposed to work with him. She’s the envy of the school. Scapulus Holmes is a descendant of the great Sherlock and he’s crazy about her. Unfortunately she thinks he’s a dork and ducks him every chance she gets.
She can’t avoid him forever though. When the kids discover a dead body encrusted with mysterious living crystals, Amanda realizes she must find out what’s going on, even if it means putting up with Holmes. The only problem is that Blixus Moriarty has just escaped from prison, and he wants those crystals.
Can the detectives save the crystals from certain death before the bad guys learn their secrets? Only if Amanda and Holmes can find a way to work together, and it isn’t looking good.
About the series
The Amanda Lester, Detective series offers fans an updated heroine: an independent, smart, and sassy young protagonist who finds herself embracing her destiny as a detective despite herself. In addition to Holmes, the supporting characters include a blind girl, a geek, and a priggish boy who is a thorn in Amanda’s side, not to mention a descendant of Holmes’s nemesis, Professor Moriarty. Their interactions reflect many struggles and realities young readers will relate to.
Book details
Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis is available in paperback and as a Kindle download.
Berinstein’s third novel in the Amanda Lester, Detective series, Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle, will be available in November, 2015.
About Paula Berinstein
Berinstein is the former producer and host of the popular podcast The Writing Show. She lives in Southern California. Unlike her protagonist, she is crazy about Sherlock Holmes.
Meet Scapulus Holmes
Scapulus Holmes is Sherlock Holmes's great-great-grandson. His father is Olimus Holmes, a private detective, and his mother is Pastiche Holmes, a botanist.
Scapulus specializes in cyberforensics and is the foremost expert on the subject at Legatum Continuatum, where he is a student in Amanda Lester's class. He is a pleasant, easy-going guy except when it comes to Amanda, who can really push his buttons.
Scapulus first appears in the second Amanda Lester, Detective book, Amanda Lester and the Orange Crystal Crisis.
My interview with Don Smith of The Sherlock Conversations
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with interviewer extraordinaire Don Smith of the new podcast and blog, The Sherlock Conversations.
Don really knows how to get to the heart of the matter. Please check out the interview and the rest of his excellent Sherlock Holmes blog!
Don really knows how to get to the heart of the matter. Please check out the interview and the rest of his excellent Sherlock Holmes blog!
Meet Ivy Halpin, Amanda's best friend
Ivy is a tiny redheaded blind girl of Irish descent with a beautiful guide dog, a three-year-old golden retriever named Nigel. She has green eyes and wears sunglasses.
Ivy has very keen hearing and a good sense of smell. She also has a highly developed sense of touch. Using these senses, she can often glean more information than a sighted person.
Ivy is from Dorset. Her parents are Liam Halpin, who teaches archaeology at Bournemouth University, and Zelda Halpin, a judge. Her sister, Fern Halpin, is a fifth-year student at Legatum.
Ivy first appears in Book 1 of the Amanda Lester series, Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy.
Amanda Lester reviewed by Sherlock Holmes expert Peter Blau!
Sherlock Holmes expert Peter Blau has written a Holmes newsletter for more than forty years. Here is what he says:
Paula Berinstein's AMANDA LESTER AND THE PINK SUGAR CONSPIRACY, (Agoura Hills: The Writing Show, 2015; 357 pp., $9.99), features a 12-year-old descendant of Inspector Lestrade who's expected to continue in the family's tradition; despite her not wanting to be an investigator she nevertheless is sent to a mysterious British school for descendants of famous detectives, where she encounters a real mystery and a villainous conspiracy. It's the first of an interesting series, and the author has a web-site (with sample chapters) at www.amandalester.net.
Read Peter Blau's Scuttlebutt newsletters here.
Paula Berinstein's AMANDA LESTER AND THE PINK SUGAR CONSPIRACY, (Agoura Hills: The Writing Show, 2015; 357 pp., $9.99), features a 12-year-old descendant of Inspector Lestrade who's expected to continue in the family's tradition; despite her not wanting to be an investigator she nevertheless is sent to a mysterious British school for descendants of famous detectives, where she encounters a real mystery and a villainous conspiracy. It's the first of an interesting series, and the author has a web-site (with sample chapters) at www.amandalester.net.
Read Peter Blau's Scuttlebutt newsletters here.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar used lessons from Sherlock Holmes to become a better basketball player
"Knowing what other people didn’t know meant you had more control over your life. This revelation immediately influenced my approach to basketball, where I practiced Holmes’ powers of observation on my opponents."
He also used Holmes to help him become a better student:
"Holmes’ influence on my learning was profound. I had always been a dedicated student in school, but soon after discovering Holmes I expanded my intellectual horizons to include history, literature, politics and religion."
Read the entire article here
He also used Holmes to help him become a better student:
"Holmes’ influence on my learning was profound. I had always been a dedicated student in school, but soon after discovering Holmes I expanded my intellectual horizons to include history, literature, politics and religion."
Read the entire article here
