A Peek at the Sherlockian World of Paula Berinstein, plus a Kickstarter Update on a New Sherlock Holmes Book for Kids!

I have a special blog entry today. My friend Paula Berinstein is in the midst of a blog tour for her Amanda Lester series, a series which stars the teenage descendent of Inspector Lestrade who goes to a private school for students related to famous detectives. I had previously interviewed Ms. Berinstein for the blog I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere where she discussed her wonderful young adult series. For today, I am providing an excerpt of her first book Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy, as well as an update on our Sherlock Holmes book for Kids, our latest Kickstarter project. Please give the Amanda Lester series a chance. I have given the first three books in the series five star reviews, and the first book is available on Amazon absolutely free, so what do you have to lose?

Excerpt from Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy

He leaned forward. “I think there’s something weird going on here.”
“At the school?” said Amanda.
“Yes.”
“What kind of weird thing?” said Ivy.
“I’m not sure, but I think something is wrong,” said Simon.
“Something like what?” said Amanda, half dismissing the idea. Who knew if he was credible?
“I don’t like to be melodramatic, but I think I’ve been hearing things,” he said.
“Things?” said Amphora.
“Odd noises behind walls,” said Simon, motioning toward the right-hand hall wall with his head, then circling toward the left-hand one. The motion made him appear slightly spastic.
“You mean like mice?” said Amphora. “I don’t like mice.” She shuddered.
“No, he’s right,” said Ivy. “Not mice. People.”
“Yes, people,” said Simon, doing that heel-toe rocking thing again.
“Is that what it was?” said Amanda.
“What what was?” said Amphora.
“Ivy heard it. In the bathroom.” She jerked her head in the direction of the offending restroom, then caught herself. She hoped she didn’t look as dumb as Simon doing that.
“Like a scraping?” said Simon.
“Yes,” said Ivy. “And some thumping. No, Nigel. Not you.” The dog was wagging his tail excitedly for some reason only he knew.
“I didn’t hear any thumping,” said Amanda.
“Definitely thumping,” said Ivy, rubbing Nigel’s head.
“It’s probably nothing,” said Amphora. “We’re not used to the school. I’m sure there are all kinds of things they have to do that we don’t know anything about. Maintenance and stuff. Maybe those décor guys.”
“I don’t think so,” said Ivy.
“No, I don’t either,” said Simon. “I think it might be something we’re not supposed to know about, and I want to find out what it is.”
“But why do you think that?” said Amphora. “I think you’re overreacting.”
“I don’t think so,” said Simon.
“Why not?” said Amphora.
“Because I saw blood outside the east door.”

Get your free copy of Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy here.

New Sherlock Holmes Book for Kids Available on Kickstarter for a Limited Time!



Our latest Kickstarter project is off to a great start. The book Scones and Bones on Baker Street is a delightful tale of Digby a stray dog hoping to be adopted by Sherlock Holmes. One of the thrills of the book is seeing Digby's involvement in the classic sherlock Holmes tale "The Red Headed League." Here are some advanced statements of praise for the book:

“What a delightful, delectable cream bun of a book, perfect for budding Sherlock Holmes fans and young dog lovers alike. But readers beware: a dog that can steal the heart of Sherlock Holmes can very well steal yours.” - Claudia Mills, author of Cody Harmon, King of Pets

"Kids will love this dog's eye view of Victorian London! Brenda Seabrooke truly has a canine soul." - Paula Berinstein, author of Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy

“‘Undaunted and unfazed’, Digby provides a fresh view of detective work with Sherlock Holmes. The story is a fast, delightful read; sure to please younger fans of mystery and imaginative fiction”. - Tracy Johnson, NerdSociety reviewer

“This is a fun mystery for young readers with an adorable dog who has a real nose for excitement and clues. The numerous illustrations liven up the pages, while sprinkles of historical information make it a real treat. Teamed up with Sherlock Holmes, Digby is a dog criminals and evil doers need to watch out for.” - Tonja Drecker - prized children's book reviewer at Bookworm for Kids

Scones and Bones is written by award winning author Brenda Seabrooke and illustrated by MX Publishing cover artist Brian Belanger. Some of the awards feature original artwork from the book, your own commissioned piece, and your name included in the books Scones and Bones as well as the Macdougall Twins book Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur. For more on the Kickstarter and to back the project, please check out the link here.

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. His latest novella Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure Of The Primal Man is currently available as an ebook from Endeavour Press.