CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS for several upcoming Sherlock Holmes Anthologies; Author Interview with Tom Turley on his new book Sherlock Holmes and the Crowned Heads of Europe; PLUS the Kickstarter campaign for Sherlock Holmes: After the East Wind Blows

 

Hi everyone, we have a packed blog today with Kickstarter project updates, an interview with the renowned Sherlockian Tom Turley, and a call for submissions to several Belanger Books Sherlock Holmes projects.  Let's start with Kickstarter:

Sherlock Holmes: After the East Wind Blows

Contained in this collection are 36 Canonical adventures in three companion volumes by many of today’s best Sherlockian pasticheurs, relating some of Holmes and Watson’s wartime adventures, and then telling us what happened afterwards during those years immediately following the Armistice, and on through the 1920’s.

Join Holmes and Watson as the thunderous Guns of War begin to fire, through the nightmarish years that followed, and then through the other side when the storm has cleared...

The game is afoot!

A Kickstarter Project We Love!

The three volume anthology, Sherlock Holmes: After the East Wind Blows was named a "Project We Love" by the Kickstarter team. 

From Kickstarter: Congratulations! We’ve selected Sherlock Holmes: After The East Wind Blows as a “Project We Love,” which is our way of highlighting brilliant examples of creativity.

Thank you to Kickstarter for recognizing this excellent three volume Sherlock Holmes anthology!

Author Interview with Tom Turley 

Tom Turley is an author known for his Sherlock Holmes stories in the series The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories and The Art of Sherlock Holmes. A retired archivist, Tom has extensive knowledge of Watson's life when he briefly resided in San Francisco. His latest book, Sherlock Holmes and the Crowned Heads of Europe is available through a Kickstarter campaign. 

How are the four stories in Sherlock Holmes and the Crowned Heads of Europe connected?

 

Tom Turley: To quote Dr. Watson, these stories explore “the quarter-century of rivalry and tension” that led Britain and Germany into the First World War. All four involve Holmes and Watson in cases of diplomacy and espionage between 1888 and 1913. Among the “Crowned Heads” appearing are: Frederick III of Germany (father of the infamous “Kaiser Bill”); Empress Elisabeth of Austria (the legendary “Sisi”); Alexander of Serbia and his notorious Queen Draga; and Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, the Sarajevo victims. As Holmes remarks at Crowned Heads’ end, these cases had “an unfortunate cumulative effect” in bringing on the war.

 

What made you decide to tie Holmes stories such as "A Scandal in Bohemia" to actual historical events?

 

Tom Turley: Like my friend and editor David Marcum, I “play the Game” of treating Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as real historical figures. My graduate work was in late-Victorian/Edwardian British and European history, so it’s a lot more fun for me than treating them as fictional! Even people who regard the canon as mere literature may recognize that Conan Doyle based several of his characters on real-life monarchs or politicians of his day. For example, Lord Bellinger and Trelawney Hope in “The Second Stain” were pretty obviously Lord Salisbury and his nephew Arthur Balfour, both of whom served as Prime Minister. As for “A Scandal in Bohemia,” Bohemia in the 1880s was no longer an independent country. It was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, whose emperor was “King of Bohemia” in addition to his many other titles. Therefore, the “real” King of Bohemia had to be somebody else. My candidate in Crowned Heads is King Milan Obrenović, who ruled Serbia from 1868 until he abdicated in 1889. Milan, a notorious womanizer and spendthrift, is the right age and personality for Irene Adler’s king. In Crowned Heads, Watson explains that he disguised King Milan’s identity in order to protect Irene following her move to Montenegro (next door to Serbia), where she had a love affair with Sherlock Holmes during the Hiatus and later married a Montenegrin nobleman. I borrowed this plotline from two sources: Baring-Gould’s biography of Sherlock Holmes (which revealed the Holmes-Adler affair) and one of David Marcum’s stories (which identified Irene’s last husband as Count Vukčić, the father of Marko Vukčić, a character in Rex Stout’s mysteries). David and I both accept Baring-Gould’s contention (which Stout did not deny) that one outcome of Holmes and Adler’s love affair was the birth of Nero Wolfe! So Crowned Heads draws on other literary sources as well as historical events.

 

This book is illustrated by another noted Holmes author, Marcia Wilson. How did you two collaborate on the project?

 

Tom Turley: Marcy wrote a very nice review of my first published Holmes pastiche, an e-book entitled “Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Tainted Canister.” (David Marcum hates that story, for reasons I won’t go into here.) Later, Marcy interviewed me about “TC” for her blog and mentioned that she was an illustrator. She is—and a very talented one. In fact, Marcy is a real Renaissance woman. She knows a lot more Victorian social history than I do, and she’s currently working as a wildlife photographer/blogger at a college wetlands near her home. As for Marcy’s writing, You Buy Bones and her Test of the Professionals novels have turned Lestrade, Gregson, and the other Scotland Yarders into living people with fascinating backstories, not merely cardboard foils for Sherlock Holmes. I admire her work immensely. Sadly, we have never met, so our collaboration on Crowned Heads was conducted by Messenger and email. It began with me sending Marcy photographs of the various historical figures and suggesting some ideas, but she interpreted the stories’ characters as she perceived them and didn’t neglect Holmes and Watson. I’m very pleased with all the illustra­tions; but my favorites are Marcy’s depictions of Irene Adler, Dragutin Dimitrijević (the Sarajevo plotter), and Sir Morell Mackenzie (the British doctor who treated Frederick III). The last one, which shows Holmes and Watson standing in a tunnel with a shovel, has amazing detail and perspective. I had no idea when we started that Crowned Heads would take five years to finish, so I appreciate Marcy sticking with me.

 A sample of Marcia Wilson's art work in Crowned Heads

 

 

Any last thoughts?

 

Tom Turley: Besides giving Our Heroes four cases outside their usual “petty puzzles of the police-court,” my goal in this book was to show “the Crowned Heads of Europe” as real people, not just multiple-choice answers on a Western Civ exam. Few people realize that “the Kaiser” even had a father; yet, had Frederick III lived another fifteen years, the course of German history might have been quite different. Likewise, Franz Ferdinand and Sophie are remembered just for getting shot, but their love story was equally romantic—and a lot less sordid—than the famous one of Mayerling. Some readers may find it frustrating that Holmes and Watson are unable to change history, but I hope the book will encourage them to look more closely at the events behind Crowned Heads.

 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS 

I have posted these calls for submissions in other forums, but not on this blog. Here are the current Belanger Books projects accepting submissions:

Sherlock Holmes: Further Adventures in the Realms of H.G. Wells

Edited by Derrick Belanger and C. Edward Davis

Belanger Books is pleased to announce another collection in our series Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of H.G. Wells!

Imagine Holmes trying to solve the case of an invisible man, matching wits with a traveler from out of time, or using his deductive skills to help fight Martian invaders. These are just some of the stories which could be included in the new anthology Sherlock Holmes: Further Adventures in the Realms of H.G. Wells. The anthology will feature traditional Sherlock Holmes stories blended with one or more tales from H.G. Wells.

Belanger Books is calling for submissions from writers, new or established, which are between 5,000 - 10,000 words (it is okay to be over or under some).

Requirements:

The stories must feel like traditional Holmes and Wells stories. The stories should have the traditional Holmes and Watson working with the traditional characters and realms of H.G. Wells. For example, a story that is a sequel to the Time Machine should have Holmes and Watson working with The Time Traveler. It should not feel like Sherlock meets Dr. Who.

The stories must use public domain material (some of H.G. Wells’ later work is also under copyright in America).

Payment: Authors shall receive a payment of $100 OR $50 plus a percentage of the Kickstarter project profits (whichever amount is GREATER) and a paperback copy of the anthology.

Rights: Authors shall retain rights to their work. We only retain the rights to the story within the publication.

Submission deadline for the anthology is June 30, 2021. Authors are welcome to submit more than one story for the anthology.

Send submissions in a word document to derrick@belangerbooks.com with the heading ATTN: SUBMISSION FOR SHERLOCK HOLMES FURTHER ADVENTURES IN THE REALMS OF H.G. WELLS

Sherlock Holmes: A Year of Mystery 1882

Edited by Rich Ryan

“When I glance over my notes and records of the Sherlock Holmes cases between the years '82 and '90, I am faced by so many which present strange and interesting features that it is no easy matter to know which to choose and which to leave.” - Dr. Watson

Synopsis: Watson mentions that 1882 is one of the years with strange and interesting cases, yet the canon contains not a single adventure from this year. What happened during Holmes and Watson’s second year in Baker Street? What thrilling mysteries did they solve? Find out in Sherlock Holmes: A Year of Mysteries – 1882.

This collection contains a dozen cases, one for each month of the year, from January to December.

Submission Guidelines: Stories must be canonical in nature. Holmes and Watson should be young and still getting to know each other.

Authors interested in participating should first send a synopsis of their adventure and the month of the year they wish it to take place. If your story does not need a specific month (i.e. it takes place in autumn and could be in September, October, or November) please let us know that as well. Once your synopsis has been accepted, you should begin drafting the story.

Submission length: 5,000 – 10,0000 words (it is okay to go over some).

Payment: Authors shall receive a payment of $100 OR $50 plus a percentage of the Kickstarter project profits (whichever amount is GREATER) and a paperback copy of the anthology.

Rights: Authors shall retain rights to their work. We only retain the rights to the story within the publication.

Submission deadline for proposals is June 30th, 2021. Submission deadline for stories is August 15th, 2021.

Send proposals and submissions in a word document that is double spaced, in Times New Roman, and in 14 point font to rich.ryan52@gmail.com with the heading ATTN: SHERLOCK HOLMES A YEAR OF MYSTERY 1882.

Sherlock Holmes: Adventures through the Multiverse

Edited by Thaddeus Tuffentsamer and Derrick Belanger 

We’ve read about the many cases that Holmes and Watson have handled from 221B Baker Street over their long career together, but what cases were handled from the other 221B Baker Street, or the other, other one?

Adventures through the Multiverse will answer those questions.

They will be traditional Sherlock Holmes stories, but with a twist, in that every story will feature an adventure from a different universe.

Possibly Watson may be the detective and Holmes is his chronicler.

Perhaps Lestrade is the detective and Holmes works at Scotland yard.

Maybe young Holmes is one of the Baker Street Irregulars.

Maybe Mycroft is the detective and Sherlock works for the government.

Perhaps Holmes and Watson reside in the American Old West, or in Ancient Rome, or in Feudal Japan, or even in a futuristic moon base. The choice is up to you!!!

Guidelines: These should be traditional Sherlock Holmes adventures that fit into the timeline of the original canon. It will be ok to use a slight sci-fi twist in that, in your multiverse, in the year 1881 smartphones existed as their industrial age happened centuries earlier than ours. If you decide to go this or a similar route, they should not be the focus of the story or detract from a traditional feel. Please start your story with a designation of which multiverse this story takes place in (You can give your multiverse a name i.e. "Animal Multiverse" where every humanoid is an animal like in Zootopia, or a number designation like "Multiverse - 1862" because your Holmes is a general during the American Civil War).

Submissions: Sherlock Holmes: Adventures through the Multiverse - Submissions should be 5,000 – 10,000 words in length (it is okay to go over or under some). Some slight sci-fi element is ok to use, but Holmes and Watson must be their traditional selves. (an android Holmes that is still traditional would be considered if it is explained as to why he exists in your universe)

Payment for the anthology: Authors shall receive a payment of $100 OR $50 plus a percentage of the Kickstarter project profits (whichever amount is GREATER) and a paperback copy of the anthology.

Rights: Authors shall retain rights to their work. We only retain the rights to the story within the publication.

Submission deadline is September 30th, 2021.

Send submissions in a word document to derrick@belangerbooks.com with the heading ATTN: SUBMISSION FOR ADVENTURES THROUGH THE MULTIVERSE.

Belanger Books is a small press owned by artist Brian Belanger and author Derrick Belanger specializing in new Sherlock Holmes books, Solar Pons, Children's books, Classic Sci-fi, Steampunk, and genre specific anthologies.  Some of our books have been #1 bestsellers in their categories on Amazon.