Author Interview with Bracken Macleod on his forthcoming novel Stranded, his Peculiar Family, and his Sherlockian Connection, Plus a Sherlock Holmes Anthology Update

I think I should invent the game Six Degrees of Sherlock Holmes. When I set out to interview Bracken Macleod on his contribution to my current horror anthology My Peculiar Family which is currently available through a Kickstarter campaign, I never thought attention would turn to the great detective, but as you will see, there is a very cool Holmesian connection. Please enjoy the interview with the author as he discusses his peculiar story, his forthcoming novel, and surprisingly - Sherlock Holmes. Also, please consider supporting My Peculiar Family on Kickstarter. We are more than 75% of the way to our goal, and we are making a final big push to get us over the edge!

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

A: My story is titled “KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENT.” That bit of legalese is a term of art that has fallen out of favor, but used to be put at the beginning of legal documents in order to declare that whatever followed was intended to be openly known. My peculiar family member, Davis A. Willingham, is a real estate speculator from the turn of last century, so he’d be familiar with the line (even if seeing it didn’t give him pause). The title is a bit of a double wink and a nod with regard to the contents of the story. The first subversion is that the story itself is something only being discovered a hundred years later by the readers of My Peculiar Family —there are secrets here that are not widely known. In a plain language interpretation of the title, I also want to hint you might be able to know something about all men by the conduct of the one present in the story.

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

A: I was approached by Christopher Golden about it. He told me about the Sci-Fi Saturday Night podcast and the anthology and it sounded like both a good cause and a fun time. I don’t typically write period pieces, so this sounded like a great opportunity to stretch a little as a writer while also helping out.

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

A: My new novel, STRANDED, is coming out in October 2016 from Tor Books. (http://www.amazon.com/Stranded-Bracke...) It’s the story of a ship that gets trapped in the arctic. Icebound and unable to summon help, the crew of the ship find themselves succumbing to a mysterious illness that leaves only a single deckhand, Noah Cabot, unaffected. As their distrust of him grows, Noah must lead the crew in a struggle against the elements, the ghosts of the past, and ultimately themselves. It’s scary and cold and perfect for reading during the Halloween season.

Warner Horizon Television has optioned the adaptation rights to STRANDED, with—and, Derrick, this ought to interest you—Dan Lin, the producer of the 2009 SHERLOCK HOLMES movie, attached to produce along with Brendan Deneen at MacMillan Entertainment.

After that, in early 2017, I have a short story collection titled THIRTEEN VIEWS OF THE SUICIDE WOODS coming from ChiZine Publications.

4. Any last thoughts?

A: When I was still a practicing lawyer, my advice to my clients whenever they were asked a question like, “Do you have anything else to add?” was always, “Your answer is ‘no’.” I would, however, like to say thank you for letting me have a minute to talk about .My Peculiar Family I loved working on this project and I hope the backers of our Kickstarter enjoy reading it as much.

SHERLOCK HOLMES ANTHOLOGY UPDATES

Volume IV of the MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes stories is going strong on Kickstarter. Currently we have over 100 backers and have made our goal. Let's keep the momentum going. You can back the project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/....

I also posted my first I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere article on the Volume IV anthology. If you haven't read this excellent interview with David Marcum and Steve Emecz, please read it here: http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/0...

And please don't forget to check out My Peculiar Family, which still has a few Sherlock Holmes rewards, 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 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.