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Wilkinson wins 6th British Archery Title Using Sports Performance Secrets

05 Jun

Jackie Wilkinson won her 6th British Archery title last week and she revealed that she used her sports performance techniques to beat some very tough competition. Jackie documented her techniques, which can be applied to all sports, in her book ‘Succeed In Sport’.

In an interview a few years ago, Jackie admitted that before she used sports performance monitoring she was “just an average archer”. By applying the techniques, which enable you to track and improve your performance, she went on to win several titles including European medals.

Jackie said of her record 6th win:

I thought the course at Petersfield was difficult but the one they laid on at Castle Wellan was international level severity!  Some people complained that it was too hard but many of us loved the challenge.  I had a lead of 10 points on the first day but the second placed lady started strongly the following day.  I had to draw on all the work I’ve been doing to stay strong and keep making good shots.

Thousands of archers around the world use Jackie’s performance measurement techniques to improve their shooting. The techniques can be applied to most sports and the book has a wide variety of sports in it including golf, cycling, badminton, karate, running and many others.

Suceed In Sport is available from good bookstores worldwide and also in Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books and iBooks (iPad/iPhone) formats.

 
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Posted by on June 5, 2011 in Sport

 

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Interview with Dr Dan Andriacco author of Baker Street Beat a collection of Sherlock Holmes articles, essays and radio plays

04 Jun

Dan Andriacco, D.Min., of Cincinnati, OH, USA, is a former journalist and mystery fiction reviewer. His book Baker Street Beat: An Eclectic Collection of Sherlockian Scribblings is a delightful grab bag of essays, short stories and radio plays, plus a helpful annotated bibliography.  We cornered him in his library (don’t call it a collection) of Sherlock Holmes books to answer a few questions.

What was the main inspiration for the book?

I’m not sure, but it may have been our trip to the Reichenbach Falls in 2008. It was certainly around that time that I began to pull together various things I had written about The Master over the years, as well as a new essay on the Reichenbach pilgrimage and a nostalgic piece about my long acquaintance with Sherlock Holmes and his world.

Which is your favourite aspect of the book?

The variety of genres represented.

What is your favourite piece from the collection?

I loved the two new essays that I mentioned above, but I’m proudest of my radio play “The Wrong Cab.” I think the premise was original, the Holmes dialogue sounds right to my ear, and the mystery plot was rather good. All in all, there’s a lot going on in that half-hour play.

Of all the canonical Holmes stories which is your favourite and why?

I usually say The Red-Headed League or The Hound of the Baskervilles, but that’s not quite true. It would be more accurate to say those are my favorite Holmes mysteries. My favorite Holmes story is His Last Bow. I love the sense of Holmes acting for king and country and Watson coming in at the end as the old trouper. The friendship that is so evident between the two men and the wonderful monologue that ends the story – beginning with, “Good old Watson! You are the one fixed point in a changing age” – is just magic. I’m also very fond of The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton in which Watson is once again a trouper and there’s another wonderful ending.

Which of Conan Doyle’s characters is your favourite?

Sherlock Holmes! But, really, the Holmes stories are replete with memorable characters. I’m sure I’m not the only reader with a soft spot for John H Watson, M.D., who Loren D. Estleman affectionately called Knight of the Battered Tin Dispatch-Box.  And let’s not forget Mycroft, Moriarty, Moran, Milverton – and those are just the ones who names begin with the letter M!

How do you view the new adaptations of Holmes – the BBC’s Sherlock and the Guy Richie directed movies?

Put me in the minority of Sherlockians who didn’t care for the Guy Rtchie film at all. To me the pacing was off so that it managed to be somehow both boring and frenetic – stretches of inaction followed by camera shots that were so fast my brain couldn’t process them. More importantly, it wasn’t true to the characters of Holmes and Watson. Perhaps surprisingly, I did enjoy and admire the BBC production. It seemed to me faithful to the characters as they would be if they had arrived on the scene today instead of in the 19th Century.

Which other modern day Holmes writer do you most enjoy?

Although I wrote a pastiche and won an award for it, I like Sherlock Holmes stories that are not pastiches – that is, they are not written from Watson’s point of view and in imitation of the original author’s style. And I’ve also been fascinated to image Holmes’s post-Baker Street years, about which we know so little. Those being my preferences, my offbeat answer to your question is Michael Chabron in his beautiful little book The Final Solution. It takes place in World War II and Sherlock Holmes is 89 years old. Both times I read it I found myself thinking, “Yes, that’s what he might be like at that age.”

When did you first become interested in Sherlock Holmes?

That’s the subject of the first essay in Baker Street Beat, so I don’t want to say too much except that it happened about a half-century ago. Maybe the most important thing is that my mental image of Sherlock Holmes was formed by the original stories and by the Sidney Paget illustrations before I ever saw an actor in the role. I’m grateful for that.

What are you reading at the moment?

Right now I’m reading Chronicles of Solar Pons, the gift of a dear friend, and a book about T.S. Eliot. I just finished reading a mystery novel I myself wrote nearly 20 years ago and then forgot about. Before that I read The Sherlockian, which my wife and I enjoyed. I also liked Resurrection Day, an alternative-history thriller I read recently about a world in which the Cuban Missile Crisis triggered a nuclear war.

What’s the best aspect of being a Holmes author?

It’s fun! In fiction writing, I especially like creating characters and giving them appropriate names. When writing about another author’s characters there’s an interesting challenge in trying to make them true to the original. I think that’s more craft than art, but it’s still quite satisfying if you think you’ve pulled it off.

What else are you working on at the moment?

I’m updating that old novel of mine that I mentioned earlier. It has a strong Sherlockian connection that I think would be fun for the readers of Baker Street Beat. And reading it with the objectivity of years, I think it’s pretty good. But it was written before cell phones were common and DVD players were invented. Everyday life has changed a lot in two decades and the revised manuscript will reflect that. I also have in mind a historical mystery set in 1921 featuring a retired beekeeper and a historical personage that, so far as I know, has never before appeared in a Sherlock Holmes story. Stay tuned. Of course, before I forget I am busy writing my blog ‘Baker Street Beat’ – feel free to drop by and comment.

Baker Street Beat is available from all good bookstores worldwide including Amazon, on Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, and iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

 
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Posted by on June 4, 2011 in Author Interviews, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Review of A Study In Crimson, the 2nd Female Sherlock Holmes Story from Molly Carr, by An Ill-dressed Vagabond

02 Jun

A Study In CrimsonPhil K. Jones aka An Ill-dressed Vagabond is one of the USA’s leading Holmes reviewers – here is his take on ‘A Study in Crimson‘.

“This is the second book in Molly Carr’s ‘Watson – Fanshaw Detective Agency’ series. It follows events in The Sign of Fear rather directly and continues in much the same vein. Again, Watson natters, Holmes is always out on some sort of business, Lestrade needs help and odd clients turn up in the strangest places (or is that strange clients in oddest places?).

It is difficult to be more specific as the author wanders from situation to situation in a random fashion. Evildoers rush in and take captives, innocents escape miraculously and the police are baffled with a great deal of regularity. Most new clients seem to lead to old crimes and very few people are what (or who!) they seem. For example, ‘the old Russian woman,’ cited in “The Musgrave Ritual,” is not really so old, is definitely a woman, and is STILL not who she seems to be.

The author continues in her casual attitude toward the Canon. It is hard to keep track of which printed tales actually happened, which were invented by Holmes and who was actually responsible for which crimes. At any given time, it is hard to keep track of which adventure is being investigated, one of the Canonical, but unreal tales or one of the Untold, but actual tales. The same uncertainty applies to persons. Black Gorgiano’s grandson wanders in from nowhere accompanied by The Pinkerton Detective, Mr. Leverton, neither of whom is what he seems to be. The Poirots, pere et fils, turn up with disturbing regularity, again, not whom they seem to be.

Old school chums, and some never known in ANY school, appear and disappear at inconvenient moments. Clients turn into criminals and, of course, criminals into clients. It is not always clear when these changes occur, but occur they do, even if only for a little while. Meanwhile, Mary and the Nipper soldier on while Watson huffs, puffs, worries, bets on the ponies and runs the odd errand for Holmes. Emily keeps bringing in new clients, some of whom are legitimate and Neville St. Clair seems to have gone straight. At least, he is no longer begging for a living, but what he is really doing is more a mystery than ever.

There is really no point in detailing the events, because I’m sure they will manage to change again before you see this review. Of course, the character set remains the same, or changes as the spirit(s?) move them. Scorecards are NOT provided so readers must make up their own lists. Please note that the Circus is not REALLY the best place to eliminate criminal pursuers and there IS a cave on Long Island, or there was.”

A Study in Crimson is available from all good bookstores worldwide including Amazon, also on the Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, and iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

 
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Posted by on June 2, 2011 in Book Reviews, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Interior of 221b Baker Street – Can you find the links in the Sherlock Holmes canon?

30 May

Click on the image to enlarge….

The interior of Sherlock Holme’s residence in Baker Street was featured in The Strand magazine. There are dozens of references and links in the canon of novels and short stories. Tony Reynolds, author of ‘The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes’ comments;

“You’ll see that Watson has his own bookcase. Now, in the Hound of the Baskervilles, Watson writes: “from my small medical shelf I took down the Medical Directory” from which I deduced that the good doctor had only a single shelf of books and had Watson use it in one of my stories. Any ideas?”

Let us know any interesting links to the floor plan that you have unearthed – you can post comments on the Forum on SherlockHolmes.com, contact us at MX Publishing – or get involved with The Great Sherlock Holmes Debate.

 
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Posted by on May 30, 2011 in Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Review of ‘In Search of Dr Watson’ from Molly Carr by An Ill-dressed Vagabond

28 May

An Ill-dressed Vagabond is one of the most respected Sherlock Holmes reviewers in the USA. Here is his review of Molly Carr’s fascinating biography of Dr.Watson from May 2011.

“This book is a study of the sources and uses of John H. Watson as presented in the sixty Sherlockian tales written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The author examines the relationship between the characters of Holmes and Watson in a careful fashion to determine why Doyle chose to create Watson as both a foil and a counterpoint for Holmes and how that choice affected the style and development of the stories over the forty years in which they were written. In addition, similar characters in Literature are discussed and analyzed to provide examples of alternative methods and the problems involved in using such figures.

While this seems to be a simple task, it is really anything but simple. The unique nature of Sherlock Holmes as an Archetype of Literature, ‘The Great Detective,’ is actually dependent on the methods Doyle used to present him. These methods all come down to using Watson as narrator, question asker, foil and stalking horse. The two personas of Holmes and Watson together allow the author to select the data to be presented to the readers in a very careful fashion. Holmes can maintain his own counsel without revealing answers before the author is ready. In addition, space and time can be devoted to various items of byplay between the two that constitute ‘filler’ for the stories that would otherwise be rather dry and dull.

In addition to a discussion of the methods Doyle used in writing and the uses he made of Watson, the author needs to discuss the many controversial features of the Sherlockian tales. These include time and dating problems, names of both persons and places, and identification of real events and persons, either included in or excluded from the tales. Most of these discussion items are familiar to Sherlockians, but are presented here in a comprehensive fashion with analyses of several different approaches and aspects. Total agreement is not really possible, but the author works to untangle the mare’s nest and to explain many of the sources of the problems.

Finally, the inspiration for names and places mentioned is examined and several ideas are offered that may help readers to understand what might have been in Doyle’s mind at various times. Several surprising triggers are identified and others proposed as real world inspirations for places, persons and events that showed up in the tales.

This is an interesting and well-written summary of the data available about John H. Watson. It covers a lot of territory and does so in a readable and interesting fashion. Experienced Sherlockians will recognize many points of discussion and readers new to ‘The Grand Game’ will find a strong introduction to Sherlockian ‘higher criticism.’”

In Search of Dr Watson is available from all good bookstores and in all formats worldwide including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books and iBooks (iPad/iPhone).

 
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Posted by on May 28, 2011 in Book Reviews, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Interview with Kate Workman, author of Rendezvous at the Populaire where Sherlock Holmes tackles the Phantom of the Opera

30 Apr

Rendezvous at the PopulaireWe caught up with Kate Workman from New Jersey ahead of the May launch of her debut novel ‘Rendezvous at the Populaire’ in which a badly injured Sherlock Holmes is coaxed out of retirement to tackle the Phantom of the Opera. Kate explains that pitting two literary giants against each other was too tempting to resist.

What was the main inspiration for the book?

My main inspiration for Rendezvous at the Populaire was simply that I love the idea of Holmes and the Phantom not only matching wits, but potentially joining forces.  They are both giants in the literary world and any novel that features them both has the making of one incredible novel.

Which is your favourite aspect of the book?

My favorite aspect of my novel was being able to get into Holmes’s and the Phantom’s heads.  As Watson writes in the last segment, “The only thing I knew for sure was that Holmes and Erik understood one another. They were both remarkably similar men, outcasts of, yet so well-known within, their worlds.” Being able to write either about, or from the perspective of, these characters was an incredible, and incredibly challenging, experience.

Of all the Holmes stories which is your favourite and why?

Of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I’d have to say The Final Problem and Hound of the Baskervilles. Of other authors, I think The Shadow of Reichenbach Falls by John R. King is my favorite.

When did you first become interested in Sherlock Holmes?

I was about ten and my dad showed me the movie Young Sherlock Holmes.  I was hooked, but it was years later before I started reading Holmes stories and bought the Canon.

If you could meet Arthur Conan Doyle on his forthcoming birthday, what would you ask him?

I just finished reading The Sherlockian, by Graham Moore, which focuses on a period in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s life, so I would probably ask Conan Doyle how much in there is true.  If Sherlock Holmes did become an absolutely hated character who overshadowed everything else Conan Doyle wrote and felt was of more merit than Holmes.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m reading the first in a trilogy by Lisa Scottoline called Mistaken Identity.

What’s the best aspect of being a Holmes author?

Let’s be honest.  Everyone who writes a novel using a character already in creation is basically writing fan fiction.  At least, that’s how I look at it.  And within that, the best part of writing this is the challenge of keeping the character ‘in character,’ while putting him in a situation that we think up.

How do you view the new adaptation of Holmes in the BBC’s Sherlock?

The BBC’s Sherlock is absolutely amazing.  I love it, I think they did an incredible job modernizing Holmes, and I can’t wait till more episodes come out, because they left off on the worst (or possibly best) cliffhanger I’ve ever seen.

Which other modern day Holmes writer do you most enjoy?

John R. King, Laurie R. King, Sam Siciliano, and Edward B. Hanna.

Rendezvous at the Populaire is available from all good bookstores including Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Kobo and iBooks (iPad and iPhone).

 
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Posted by on April 30, 2011 in Author Interviews, Book Launches, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Interview with Gerard Kelly, Author of The Outstanding Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes

28 Apr

Outstanding Mysteries of Sherlock HolmesGerry Kelly’s collection of 13 (a Baker’s Street dozen as he calls it) Sherlock Holmes mysteries first came to light in a limited edition hardback volume a few years ago and garnered a lot of praise from Holmes societies around the world. The collection is back in new updated edition being published worldwide and we caught up with Gerry to ask him abou the collection’s second outing.

What was your main inspiration for the book?

When I was a young man I was, (and still am) a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. All too soon, however, I had read the complete collection and wanted more! So I tried reading some of the pastiche Holmes stories that were out there at that time. I’m afraid I was bitterly disappointed. Almost all of them had the authentic style and dialogue of the originals, but were woefully weak on the plots. I thought to myself, ‘I could write better stories myself, than some of these pastiches’, so there was my inspiration. In modern times the choice is much better and the bar has been raised by authors like Tony Reynold (Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes).

What is your favourite aspect of the book?

I like the fact that although each story can be read on its own, there are links between them and the first story is definitely linked to the last.

What is your favourite story from the collection?

I would have to say that possibly The Chamber of Sorrow Mystery because I found it so moving, that I actually wept during the writing of it.

What book are you reading at the moment?

THE 4% UNIVERSE, Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality. By Richard Panek. As you may tell from this choice, my other passion, apart from Sherlock Holmes, is science. My heroes are Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, Carl Sagan, Richard Dawkins, Steven Hawking etc. I love cosmology, palaeontology, geology and those related subjects.

What is the best part of being a Holmes pastiche writer?

The fact that the characters already exist and are all household names. Everyone knows them and therefore my task of characterisation is almost totally eliminated.

The most famous pastiches of the current generation are the BBC’s Sherlock and the movies from Guy Richie – what do you think of them?

I enjoyed the BBC’s Sherlock and thought it a novel twist to set it in the present day. However, I am still a traditionalist and prefer the original settings. I’m afraid I haven’t seen the Guy Richie film yet.

Illustrations were an important part of the original stories in The Strand – is that what encouraged you to add in some throughout your collection?

Yes indeed. The Strand Magazine illustrations, by Sidney Paget, were the inspiration for my own humble attempts to replicate that same format. I hoped that the drawings would add an extra dimension to the narrative. They certainly did in the originals.

Do I have any plans for more stories?

Just a couple, but no where near enough for a full book at this stage. I am still hoping for inspiration.

Which of Conan Doyle’s characters is your favourite?

My favourite character, apart from Sherlock himself and Dr. Watson, would probably be the American, Jonas T Rimmer. As well as being a protege of the Napoleon of Crime, Rimmer is a cunning psychopath, very nearly as clever as Moriarty, and is Holmes’ ultimate nemesis in the book. All the world loves a lover, but many people are drawn to an arch villain too, and that includes me.

What question would I ask Conan Doyle if I were to meet him?

How on earth did he manage to come up with so many plots for his stories? I struggled to find thirteen. I would also like to say to him that I hope he would not be offended by being copied by pastiche-writers like me, and that he would be of the opinion that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery!

What else are you working on at the moment?

I would dearly love to see one of my Sherlock Holmes stories acted out on the stage, and so to this end I re-wrote one of the mysteries, The Mayfair Strangler in the format of a stage play. No easy feat, as other writers out there will testify if they have tried the switch from author to playwright! The result, I thought, was pretty good, so I sent it to Neville Roby, Theatre Manager at the Garrick Playhouse in Altrincham, near to where I live. He was not as enthusiastic as I was, but offered me some hope by saying, …With some more work on the script it may merit a further look in due course and we invite you to submit it again for consideration at a later date. Please let us know if it is presented at some other theatre and we will make every effort to come and see it in order to get a better idea of its suitability for this theatre. Not the worst rejection I’ve ever had…… Suitably encouraged I wrote again to Neville suggesting another story from my book called The Chamber of Sorrow Mystery. This time, however, I didn’t go to the trouble of actually writing the stage play, I just sent him the story, with the promise that, if successful, I would then write the stage script. At this moment in time the story is being considered by the Play Selection and Casting Committee, at the Garrick. Wish me luck!

The Outstanding Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes is available through all leading bookstores worldwide including Amazon, via Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, and iBooks (iPad and iPhone) and various other formats. If you’d like to stage one of the stories as a play you can get in touch with Gerry through us here.

 
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Posted by on April 28, 2011 in Author Interviews, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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The very different styles of Sherlock Holmes Pastiches

24 Apr

There are many different types of Holmes pastiche and its an area that’s growing fast for us as a publisher. The most common is what many refer to as a ‘traditional pastiche’. Telling new stories, in the style of Conan Doyle, with the same characters, in the same time period. When you read a good traditional pastiche, you can imagine that it could have come from the pen of Conan Doyle. Within this genre, there are short story collections, like The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes (Tony Reynolds), and The Outstanding Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes (Gerard Kelly) that follow the The British Museummini-story format. Adding to the authenticity both of these include drawings similar to those that appeared alongside the Holmes stories when published in The Strand.

In the traditional style you also have novels. We’re delighted to have our first example in Rendezvous at The Populaire which is a fascinating encounter pitting Holmes against The Phantom of The Opera. We have great hopes for this series as there are already four more mapped out.

Both Guy Richie’s Sherlock Holmes and the BBC’s Sherlock are not traditional pastiches, but for very different reasons. Richie keeps to Victorian London, but strays away from the original in a number of areas, not least in the interests of heart stopping action. Though the originals had plenty of action, they weren’t littered with explosions and chases. The BBC have stayed much closer to the original characters, but changed the setting to the modern day. The genius of having Holmes issue simultaneous ‘Wrong’ texts to the assembled press at the Lestrade press conference makes me smile every time I think of it.

It has been very interesting to hear the views of the ‘traditionalists’ when it comes to the above two new interpretations. By and large there is wholesale support for the BBC and clamour for more episodes. Richie in my humble opinion was in a no-win situation as far as the traditionalists were concerned. Nobody would ever be able to compare to Jeremy Brett and Basil Rathbone’s images of Holmes, yet a reconstruction that was very traditional would probably have bombed at the box office, so I think he’s got the mix about right.

A whole new generation of fans are enjoying Holmes on the big screen. Take one look at the Sherlock Holmes group on Facebook for the movie with its 1.4 million fans and you can see that the age range spans across all generations.

The next group of pastiches is still set in the original setting of Victorian London, but takes either new characters and weaves them into the original stories, or takes an aspect of the originals and expands on that particular element. Both these areas can be done both seriously and/or with humour.

The latter is very evident in the series of stories from Molly Carr. Molly takes the character of Mrs.Watson and makes her the central heroine. She adds a side kick in her friend Emily Fanshaw. Molly’s novel follow similar storylines, in the Victorian timeframe with Watson and Fanshaw having their own adventures. Their first outing The Sign Of Fear had the traditionalists up in arms that you could have a ‘Female Sherlock Holmes’ but even those that set out to be annoyed were won over by the humor in the writing which was further exhibited in the second book, A Study In Crimson. Molly stretches the boundaries by pulling in characters from other novels as well. Emily finds herself (many times) dressing as a man to ensure they can progress in several situations where the Victorian era dictates ‘only men can tread’.

More traditional and rather more serious are those focussing on the life of Dr.Watson whose character Watsons Afghan Adventure on Amazon Kindleplayed second fiddle to Holmes and where Conan Doyle left many questions unanswered – great gaps for a pastiche writer to exploit. Take Kieran McMullen. An ex-military man himself (following the old adage about writing about what you know) Kieran decides to answer the many questions about Watson’s military career by writing an entire pastiche novel around it. Watson’s Afghan Adventure as the name suggests covers Watson’s time as a military doctor in Afghanistan. There are several sub-adventures involved in true Conan Doyle style, but the book has a lot of military detail and has been well received by Holmes fans – and extremely well by Watsonians. One look at Amazon USA shows the glowing reviews for the military authenticity. Keiran’s blog has several articles supplementing that detail.

Such biographies of the key characters are popular. Molly Carr took a break from her Mrs.Watson series to deliver what some regard as her seminal work – In Search of Dr Watson – a very detailed biography. Molly has a distinction in Watsonian studies and it shines through.

It is very interesting to note that pastiches appear to be very popular on Amazon Kindle. Perhaps because ebooks have been more popular for fiction rather than historical books, and also perhaps because the original stories are available for free on Kindle and other eBook formats.

The final group of pastiches is the one most removed from the original. The ‘fantasy’ or ‘fantastical’ pastiche takes elements of Holmes, in the case of Shadowfall the main characters, and puts them in situations that Shadowfallare quite a long way from Conan Doyle’s style, location and storylines. In Shadowfall within the first few pages we are introduced to rather nasty fairies (not pretty little things at the bottom of your garden these) and we go on an increasingly dark journey where Holmes is battling to save the soul of Watson.

It is the very detached pastiches that many Holmes historians struggle with but ironically seem the most popular with the fans. Shadowfall has topped the MX charts since its launch in March 2011, closely followed by The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes. It will be very interesting to see which has the more enduring following and in which formats.

The full list of MX pastiches (in order of worldwide sales):

  1. Shadowfall
  2. The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes
  3. Watson’s Afghan Adventure
  4. In Search of Dr.Watson
  5. A Study In Crimson
  6. The Sign of Fear
  7. The Outstanding Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes (pre-order)
  8. Rendezvous at The Populaire (pre-order)

We also should mention, linked to pastiches are those novels/thrillers that are linked to Holmes through their storylines. Murder In The Library by Felicia Carparelli is one of those. A the book centres around a character who is a big Holmes fan and (without spoiling the plot) the solving of the case requires all their Sherlockian knowledge.

You can engage with all our authors at the Sherlock Holmes Books Facebook Group and find all our books on our websites. We now have sites for UK-Europe, USA, Canada, India, and Hungary.

 
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Posted by on April 24, 2011 in Book Publishing, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Interview with Kieran McMullen, author of Watson’s Afghan Adventure, a Sherlock Holmes Novel

19 Apr

Watson's Afghan AdventureNew York city born Kieran McMullen is a veteran of both the Korean DMZ and Desert Storm, which gives you a clue as to the level of military detail there is in his debut Holmes novel – Watson’s Afghan Adventure. This attention to detail has drawn admirers from across the Sherlockian fan base around the world.

His blog is one of the most popular on Watson on the web – with his recent series entitled ‘The Many Watsons’ has elicited many positive comments. We found Kieran busy preparing for another military re-enactment for an interview.

What was the main inspiration for the book?

Having been a career soldier, a student of military history and a lifelong Holmes fan, I often wondered what Watson’s experience had been in the service. I and many of my friends had a good handle on many of Queen Victoria’s “little wars” but the 2d Afghan was not one of them. So why not learn about the war and see what would have been an experience that helped form Watson’s later life and character?

Which is your favourite character/aspect of the book?

Of course, my favorite character is Watson, himself. But what really fascinates me are the parallels to what we are caught in today. There seems to be no change in local tribal attitudes from the time of Watson’s war to the issues my son deals with as a soldier in Afghanistan today. It’s dealing with the tribal issues that helps Watson see what is important in life.

Of all the Holmes stories which is your favourite and why?

Can there be any question that it has to be The Hound of the Baskervilles? It exemplifies both the intellect of Holmes and the intelligence and can-do attitude of Watson. It’s unfortunate that to date it has (even after 28 tries) never really been adequately moved to film.

When did you first become interested in Sherlock Holmes?

My father taught English and Russian literature at St. John’s University in New York. When I was about 8 years old he handed me a book of the canon and “suggested” that I read it over the summer. I was hooked from then on. I couldn’t get enough of the great detective or the good doctor. I must say that I identified more with Watson. I knew I wasn’t the smart guy in the crowd, but if I worked hard I could at least be of assistance to others.

If you could meet Arthur Conan Doyle on his forthcoming birthday, what would you ask him?

Actually, I would like to discuss things that have nothing to do with Holmes. I would like to ask him about his relationship with Sir Roger Casement and what exactly changed his mind from being opposed to Home Rule for Ireland to being in favor of it. This is especially curious considering his attitude during the Boer Wars.

What are you reading at the moment?

At the moment I’m reading “The Irish Rebellion of 1916” by Joy. I’ve always been interested in Irish history and especially the era from the Rising of ’98 through the Civil War. The entire period impacted US and Canadian history to an extent that few people appreciate.

What’s the best aspect of being a Holmes author?

I would have to say that the best aspect is that Holmes is a subject that everyone is familiar with. You can talk about Holmes and Watson and people know exactly who the characters are so there is immediate association. I have to admit that I have been dumbfounded by the number of people who have asked me if Holmes and Watson were real.

How do you view the new adaptations of Holmes – the BBC’s Sherlock and the Guy Richie directed movies?

I have to say that I really like the new BBC series. They have really updated the characters without losing the essence. A really wonder job! I also think the new Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey and Jude Law is wonderful. They really nail Watson as the intelligent man of action. Holmes may be a bit too seedy but it’s so well played overall you can overlook that.

Which other modern day Holmes writer do you most enjoy?

Let’s see, there are only about a thousand to choose from, aren’t there? Of course you can’t go wrong with David Stuart Davies, Michael Hardwick or Frank Thomas.

You can follow Kieran on his blog, Dr Watson, Sherlock Holmes and Watson’s Time In Afghanistan.

Watson’s Afghan Adventure is available from bookstores worldwide including Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, iBooks (iPad) and various other formats.

 
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Posted by on April 19, 2011 in Author Interviews, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Interview with Rosie OHara, author of No More Bingo Dresses, Using NLP to cope with Breast Cancer and Other People

18 Apr

No More Bingo DressesFollowing the phenomenal reaction around the world to Keith Hern’s book on throat cancer and NLP (Bangers and Mash), including his appearance on ITV’s This Morning as an advocate for throat cancer awareness, the forthcoming book on NLP and breast cancer from Rosie O’Hara is eagerly awaited. Rosie is an NLP practitioner herself, so the book goes in to a lot of detail on the techniques she used.

We pinned Rosie down briefly after a weekend of training NLP Practitioners (and Belly Dancing in between she tells us) in sunny Aberdeen for a quick interview.

Why was writing No More Bingo Dresses important to you?
As a Licensed NLP Trainer I believe ‘walking my talk’ is important and sharing what I’ve done with NLP is important too. And my young friend Sam (32 and mum of 2 small children) asked me to share my then diary and my sometimes dark humour with other people.

Why is ‘coping with other people’ in the title along with ‘coping with cancer’?
Curiously I found coping with other people was more of a challenge in some ways and using my knowledge of NLP was a great way of understanding it’s not about them (or me) personally, more about their reactions and the generalised reaction to the ‘C’ word.  And NLP helped me refrain from screaming at times;)  As well as helping me to resolve issues and cope better.

Who is the book intended for?
Anyone, please anyone. I found it interesting that it was easier to get guys to review the book and write something, some women got very stuck at parts.  Guys can get breast cancer too (7 year old Leon tells you that in his Youtube Video) is one thing to bear in mind.  And 1 in 3 of us is affected by cancer in some way and those of us who have had cancer would just like someone to speak to.  And I and my young friend Sam would like more of us to talk about breast cancer and I would like people to be aware that  you don’t have to have or have had ‘cancer in the family’ – I’m the first in our family to have had cancer.

You talk a lot about that fact that you ‘had cancer’
Yes the past tense, I had cancer. Also I, in no way regard myself as a ‘survivor’ nor did I ‘battle’ – all very tiring to me.  I have a life to get on with; it was not in my plan for the year 2009.  I needed my energy for other things.

Why are Bingo Dresses in the title?
Well I’d like you to read the book and find out what a Bingo Dress is please;)  The book had 2 other titles previous to this one, the first one a couple of male friends didn’t like, the second had already been used and this title came from a conversation I did for an intro chat to ‘The Strong Breast Revolution’ a play at Edinburgh Festival in 2009 when talking to another friend Sam about boobs and also a late night conversation on we need to change the title with my friend Susan as we searched for a striking image for the cover.
Do you advocate this as alternative therapy?
Reading therapy yes!  What I did and am doing is for me.  I think everyone needs to make their own informed choice of what is right them.   I would however love all caring professionals to learn and embrace NLP listening and questioning skills, to learn about ‘Model of the World’ and ‘Rapport’ as well as skills for maintaining their own good and useful state and being aware of what impact language has on themselves and others.

So what are you doing with life now?
Using NLP to enable myself and others enhance our lives and those of others. Writing some new courses for training health care professionals, and continuing to work using NLP to develop leaders.  And most importantly continuing to enjoy life.

No More Bingo Dresses is available from all good bookstores worldwide including Amazon, via Amazon Kindle, and iBooks (for the iPad and iPhone). The book is an ideal resource for cancer patients, their family and friends and indeed NLP practitioners. The extensive glossary in the book covers all the NLP terms used, and Rosie’s frank and open style makes the book very easy to read.

You can read more about Rosie’s story in the Rosie O’Hara blog and for an introduction, check out her introductory video on YouTube. You can also contact Rosie through her website NLP Highland.

 
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Posted by on April 18, 2011 in Author Interviews, Fighting Cancer, NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming)

 

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