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Interview with Felcia Carparelli, author of Murder In The Library, which features Sherlock Holmes

10 Apr

Murder In The LibraryFelicia Carparelli is a widely acclaimed Chicago based writer with pieces published in Nit and Wit, Rockford Review, Mediphors, Cybergrrl, Feminsta!, Red Booth Review, Chicago Sun Times, Library Journal, American Libraries and others.

We caught up with Felicia ahead of the publication of ‘Murder In The Library’ this month to find out more about her and the book.

What prompted you to base your thriller in a library?

My first real job was as a library page when I was 14 years old at the Evergreen Park Public Library.  I worked as a library assistant when I attended the University of Illinois.  I received my degree in library science when I was 22 and have been working in a variety of libraries my whole life, including the Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Public Schools.  Libraries have a lot of light and shadows, nooks and crannies and can be very silent, foreboding and mysterious.  Library staff and patrons can also be very colorful.

Why the connection with Sherlock Holmes?

When I was a child, my mother, Christine, introduced me to great classics on film and in books, like Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, Miss Marple, and anything by Poe with Vincent Price.  I love Holmes, I love his brilliance and his fits of boredom, the way he lives life on his own terms.   I wish I could have been him in another life.

Who are your favorite Sherlocks on film?

I think my absolute favorite is Jeremy Brett, but I love Basil Rathbone and am absolutely smitten with the new Benedict Cumberbatch/Martin Freeman Holmes and Watson. Sherlock in the 21st century- it works!

Your love of Chicago comes out in the book, how long have you lived there?

I was born and raised on the south side and ended up living on the north side now for many years.  Chicago is a great city and there is a wealth of unique places to write about.

Who or what was your inspiration for your characters Violetta and Mick?

I love sparring couples-  I suppose I was aiming for a combo of Scarlett and Rhett, Nick and Nora, Lord Peter and Harriet and Abbott and Costello.

Who will enjoy the book the most, the gals or the guys?

Of course, I have to say Murder in the Library has something for everybody!  Romance, dead bodies, dudes and dandies, the opera and nods to Zorba the Greek, Sherlock and Watson and southern belles.

How long have you been writing fiction?

I have been writing for almost 30 years. I have written young adult books, two plays, short fiction and a couple of romance novels.  Murder in the Library is my first mystery.

Any plans for future books?

This year I am going to start work on my second mystery, Murder at the Opera.
More Sherlockian plots and temperamental tenors.


Murder In The Library is available from all good bookstores (including Amazon), and in all electronic formats including Kindle, Kobo, iBooks and others.

 
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Posted by on April 10, 2011 in Author Interviews, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Social Drinking Increases The Threat of Throat Cancer

09 Apr

Dominating the news across the UK yesterday was the new report highlighting the link between social drinking and throat cancer. Lead interview for many of the news networks (SKY, ITV etc) was Keith Hern, whose book Bangers and Mash charts his battle against throat cancer.

Keith is now an ambassador for several cancer charities and advocate for moderation. Fellow MX author Alex Buckley agrees. His recent book Lose Weight in 20 minutes has caused quite a stir by stating the obvious – moderation is the key to a healthy lifestyle. The difference with Alex is he shares the ways to achieve moderation. Yesterday his blog article ‘Alcohol Is Cancerous, But Don’t Panic!’ outlined the tactics he used to moderate his drinking – a key part of the plan that helped him lose over 3 stone (20 kilos, 40 pounds) in weight.

We need both advocates like Keith to highlight the dangers of excess in our lives, and sound practical advice like Alex’s to implement moderation.

 
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Posted by on April 9, 2011 in Fighting Cancer

 

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“Exciting, and full of authentic military detail” – Sherlock Holmes Society of London reviews Watson’s Afghan Adventure

27 Mar
Watson's Afghan Adventure

Watson's Afghan Adventure

Kieran McMullen was a real find for us as a Sherlock Holmes publisher. A great writing style combined with excellent levels of detail on military history and military techniques. His first pastiche outing ‘Watson’s Afghan Adventure‘ published in January goes from strength to strength. Rave reviews from around the world now include the Sherlock Holmes Society of London.

“Fewer people have considered the early life of John H Watson in any depth. Kieran McMullen, author of Watson’s Afghan Adventure is a former professional soldier and a specialist in American military history – an appropriate person to tell of Watson’s experiences as an army surgeon. A confrontation with the CO leads to his being, as he said later, removed from the Fighting Fifth and sent to join the Berkshires, who have an appointment at Maiwand. But Watson and a couple of fellow-officers have set themselves additional task: to search for the lost treasure of the Armenian Catholic Church. Catholicism is essential to the Watson of Mr McMullen’s story, though Conan Doyle’s Watson gives no indication of any particular religious faith. The novel could do with better proof-reading, but it’s exciting, and full of authentic military detail.”

One of the world’s leading Holmes writers and historians Alistair Duncan recently commented on his Sherlokian Blog;

“The author is a former US Army officer and his military background and knowledge of the Afghan campaign shine through in the rich detail that he offers us in the story”.

Kieran’s own blog is becoming very popular – especially his recent series of articles on the different actors that have played Dr.Watson.

Watson’s Afghan Adventure is available from all good bookstores and on Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, iBooks (iPad and iPhone) and other formats.

 
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Posted by on March 27, 2011 in Book Reviews, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Global sales have arrived for the independent publisher

26 Mar
Global Expansion

Global Expansion

Two years ago we sold into half a dozen countries. In 2011 we are selling and marketing in to more than 20. The market is truly global now for the small independent publisher. Why?

It’s true that we have seen an expansion of the print on demand (POD) capabilities of our partners so we are selling more physical books into Europe and that’s a part of the growth. It is however ebooks combined with social media that have opened many new markets up.

Of course Kindle is the heavyweight, and we can’t wait for them to expand further. This year through Kobo alone we’ve sold books in UK, USA, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Hong Kong, and India. iBooks through Apple is also proving good in Canada – enough so for us to recently launch a Canadian website.

There are improvements in physical books too. The databases have improve significantly within, and between, the online retailers. For example loading a book up with Amazon now gets the book visible wherever Amazon are – UK, USA, Canada, France, Germany, Japan.

Marketing the books within those countries is need and that’s where social media comes in. Facebook conveniently breaks down, via fan pages, neatly into country groups. Of course many of the big fan pages have global fan bases and that’s useful too.

The near future? We can’t wait for Lightning Source’s new facility to open in Australia as that will open up that region for physical books – I feel an MX Australia will be needed soon. On ebooks it is all about getting the back catalogue live asap and tackling some more distributors.

Exciting times.

 
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Posted by on March 26, 2011 in Book Publishing

 

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Tras las huellas de Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes: Un viaje ilustrado por Devon

20 Mar

Tras-huellas-Arthur-Conan-DoyleEl perro de Baskerville es, sin duda, el relato de Sherlock Holmes más conocido de Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Ha sido llevado al cine, al teatro y a la televisión y ha mostrado el talento de algunos de nuestros mejores actores. Un tratamiento similar ha recibido otro relato de Doyle, titulado The Lost World (El mundo perdido), que protagoniza un personaje llamado Professor George Challenger. Sin embargo, la cuestión de la posible influencia de dos de sus amigos (a saber, y respectivamente, Bertram Fletcher Robinson y Dr. George Turnavine Budd) en estos dos relatos ha sido, en comparación, mucho menos explorada. Este es el momento oportuno para hacer esta indagación.

Brian Pugh y Paul Spiring han llevado a cabo con gran tenacidad una investigación paralela y, además de presentar unos retratos fascinantes de Robinson y Budd, han desvelado nueva información sobre el propio Conan Doyle, incluyendo el detallado itinerario del viaje de ambos por las zonas del condado de Devon relacionadas con los tres temas de este estudio, que comienza en Plymouth y culmina en Torquay. Una bibliografía esencial, extremadamente valiosa tanto para el lector académico como para el mero aficionado, completa el volumen.

Tras las huellas de Arthur Conan Doyle es una importante contribución al corpus bibliográfico del creador del más famoso detective de la literatura inglesa, y será del agrado no sólo de los numerosos seguidores de Sherlock Holmes sino también de cuantos estén interesados en la ficción narrativa, la historia literaria o los estudios sobre el sudoeste de Inglaterra.

 
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Posted by on March 20, 2011 in Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Chicago Thriller Features Sherlock Holmes Fan

19 Mar

Murder In The LibraryIt was no surprise to friends and family of Felicia Carparelli that the main character in her new thriller ‘Murder In The Library’ is a Sherlock Holmes fan. Felicia has been a big Holmes fan for as far back as she can remember.

The book is released on 28th April and was a natural choice for MX Publishing as the UK’s main publishers of modern Holmes pastiches. Managing Editor Steve comments:

“We rarely publish straight crime fiction (as we mostly do pastiches and historical books), but we couldn’t resist Felicia’s fun thriller because of it’s winding story around Sherlock Holmes. As well as fans of Holmes, the book will certainly appeal to librarians around the world.”

‘Murder In The Library’ is available for pre-order from all good bookstores (including Amazon UK) and soon through Amazon Kindle, Kobo, iBooks and others.

 
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Posted by on March 19, 2011 in Book Launches, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Sunderland Rugby Club RFC History Book Makes Great Progress

16 Mar

One Among ManyKeith Gregson’s book on Sunderland Rugby Club is making good progress. It’s due for launchon the 10th October in time for the Rugby World Cup and is called ‘One Among Many – The story of Sunderland Rugby Football Club (1873) in its historical context‘

Keith told us this week;

‘This comes on the back of a book I’ve been doing on British sport in general. I am conscious of trying to produce a work that is both interesting and useful to those with an eye to wider sport history. So far so good as the club archives are throwing up fascinating material on the split over professionalism in the late nineteenth century, relations between the club and the RFU and the early development of schools and youth rugby. I hope this may act as a stimulus to other clubs to look at their past and to see if their experiences are similar or different from the Sunderland one.There are also useful lessons to be learned from the past in relation to running a rugby club as should become clear from the finished work’.

Keith’s published works over the years show that he is equally happy working as a popular historian as an academic one and he is trying to find a happy balance in this publication.An interesting challenge. You can contact him through his blog ‘History of Sunderland RFC‘ if you have interesting information for the book.

Following the popularity of the Clifton RFC History – ‘For College Club and Country‘ we are certainly looking forward to our second major club history. Sunderland won the publishing contract through a tough fought competition with Rugby World magazine.

The competition was formed after MX’s first rugby history book ‘Rugby Football in the 19th Century‘ was nominated for Rugby Book Of The Year 2010.

 
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Posted by on March 16, 2011 in Rugby History

 

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The Deerstalkers of Welshpool review ‘A Study In Crimson’ – the further adventures of Mrs.Watson (Sherlock Holmes)

05 Mar
A Study In Crimson

A Study In Crimson

A Study in Crimson is the second adventure of Mrs. Watson and Emily Fanshaw. Already dubbed ‘The Female Sherlock Holmes’ Molly Carr’s character is proving very popular with Holmes fans. Here is the review from the leading Sherlockian Group in Wales – The Deerstalkers of Welshpool.

“Molly Carr has produced another book about her two female detectives, mutated from minor characters in the Holmes stories. I think it helps if you have read the first book [The Sign of Fear], as that explains the strange hypothesis that Watson was a fake.

The book is more a series of short adventures than a novel. These show imagination, and a wicked sense of humour. Most of the results of the investigations are accidental, rather than being due to the skill of the offbeat female detectives.

The locations range from New York to Baden Baden and Geneva, in addition to London and Scotland, and are nicely drawn. As before, Molly uses characters from the Sherlock Holmes – and other – detective stories to people the adventures.”

A Study In Crimson is available from all good bookstores worldwide including Amazon USA, Amazon UK, and in a variety of formats including Kindle, Kobo and iBooks for the iPad.

 
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Posted by on March 5, 2011 in Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle

 

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Business In Red Shoes – Women In Business review of book for female entrepreneurs

05 Mar
Business in Red Shoes

Business in Red Shoes

The best organisation to review Rebecca’s new book ‘Business In Red Shoes’ which is out to help all existing and prospective female entrepreneurs is ‘Women in Business‘ . This is what one of the biggest female business networks had to say about the book.

“I wish this book had been available when I first set up in business. Unlike similar books Rebecca’s book engaged me. It is practical and a ‘doing’ book rather than talking at me.

I loved the way it guides the reader to think  about what kind of business would best suit their experiences and lifestyle. There are lots of gems in this book based on both Rebecca and her clients’ experiences. Rebecca takes you on a journey so start at the beginning.

I would recommend this book not only to women thinking about going solo but also those who have already set up a business”.

Business in Red Shoes is available from good bookstores across the world including Amazon USA, Amazon UK and in Kindle, iBook, Kobo and other formats.

 

 
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Posted by on March 5, 2011 in Book Reviews

 

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Dentists saving thousands of lives. If you’re a smoker, visit your dentist for early detection of mouth cancer.

01 Mar

A wonderful article from Dentistry highlights today that a very surprising ‘front line’ of defence against mouth cancer is in fact your dentist. Especially if you are a smoker, your dentist is the perfect person to detect mouth cancer early enough for you to be able to survive it. The whole article is here – Smokers Urged To Visit The Dentist.

 
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Posted by on March 1, 2011 in Fighting Cancer

 

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