Beyond Watson, Our First Sherlock Holmes Collection, Gets the Audio Treatment and Interview with Mark Levy on Trophy Envy (as Heard on the Public Radio Show Weekend Radio)

Beyond Watson - The Audio Book

Back in 2016, Belanger Books published our first collection of Sherlock Holmes stories entitled Beyond Watson. The book consisted of a series of Sherlock Holmes stories NOT told by Dr. Watson., and it started Belanger Books along the path of being noted as a publisher of new Sherlock Holmes fiction.  The book is probably best known for containing the only Sherlock Holmes story by Nebula Award winning author Jack McDevitt.  For an I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere interview article with Mr. McDevitt click here.  

Beyond Watson Description:

Imagine a Holmes Without his Boswell...

Or, as is the case with the volume you now hold in your hands, imagine a Holmes without the voice of Watson. Is there a difference? After all, we have learned about the great detective not through his own voice and eyes, but through that of his loyal companion, his dear friend, his Boswell. What might we be missing? Who else could tell of the great detective’s feats?

Find out as today's best Sherlock Holmes authors including Derrick Belanger, Luke Kuhns, Kieran Lyne, David Marcum, Jack McDevitt, Richard Paolinelli, David Ruffle, Geri Schear, Don Smith, Elizabeth Varadan, Daniel Victor, and Marcia Wilson tell stories from the perspectives of:

Sherlock Holmes

Mrs Hudson 

Colonel Sebastian Moran

Raymond Chandler

Inspector Lestrade

Winston Churchill

Violet Hunter

Henry Mencken 

and many others...

Experience Holmes like never before as you go Beyond Watson! Includes a special introductory toast from Mark Levy, BSI

The Audio version of Beyond Watson as read by the talented Steve White will be available on Amazon soon.  The Kindle and paperback editions are available now.  

Look for more Sherlock Holmes books in the Belanger Books catalog to be available in hardcover and audio editions soon!

A Sherlockian Goes Funny: my Interview with Mark Levy, BSI on his New Humor Book Trophy Envy (As Heard on the Public Radio Show "Weekend Radio") 

Today marks the release of an exciting new collection of humorous essays from author Mark Levy. While Mr. Levy, BSI is known for his Sherlock Holmes writings such as his excellent pastiche in Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of H.G. Wells and Holmes Away From Home, Adventures From the Great Hiatus Volume II: 1893-1894, he is probably best known for his hilarious essays on life which are part of the Public Radio program Weekend Radio. The book Trophy Envy is a collection of essays from Mr. Levy's Weekend Radio segments. We interviewed Mark Levy on his new book and on humor in the Holmesian Canon.

Belanger Books (BB:  Trophy Envy is a collection of humorous essays about observations on life. How do you come up with your ideas for the essays?  What inspires you?

Mark Levy (ML): As a patent attorney for the last few decades, I get to rub shoulders with inventors all the time. I guess I've learned from them to think about possibilities and new ways to approach problems. An inventor may ask, "why are we still doing this the same way we did 100 years ago?" That's how the inventor starts the process and he or she goes on from there, inventing a new solution. I'm not smart enough to come up with new solutions, but I've learned to notice when something looks silly. I think of it as the Andy Rooney and, before him, the Mark Twain method of calling attention to everyday situations that most of us don't focus on. For example, I came across a beautiful archery trophy at a flea market and it occurred to me that it would look GREAT on the mantelpiece of my fireplace at home. That was the seed of the first essay in my book.

BB:  You've had a segment on the Weekend Radio program for XX years where you read your essays.  How did you end up on the program? 

ML: About a dozen years ago I started to jot down observations to talk about with my daughters at dinner time. They weren't particularly interested in my observations -- I remember them rolling their eyes a lot, as a matter of fact -- but I kept the slips of paper, thinking that maybe someday someone would like them. In upstate New York, where I used to live, the Weekend Radio show is broadcast on WSKG, the public radio station, every Saturday. I decided to send one of my tape recordings to the host of that show, Robert Conrad, in Cleveland and he encouraged me to keep them coming. Simple as that.

BB: What are some of your favorite essays in Trophy Envy?

ML: I enjoy doing online research when a topic intrigues me. One thing often leads to another. Isn't it interesting how many people have the same name as famous celebrities, sports figures, and politicians? Well, there's a web site that caters to people like me who are interested in those names. There's another one that lists people's birthdays and one that lists the cause of death of just about everyone. In fact, there's a web site that has the last words of some of them, many of which are so ironic, I had to share them. Guess I'm a bit obsessed with death as a topic. I generally don't like to travel, but I'm curious about people who do, so some of my essays involve exotic locations and how to get there.

BB: You are a noted Sherlock Holmes scholar and a member of the BSI (Baker Street Irregulars). Do you see humor in any of the stories about the great detective?

ML:  I don't think of the characters in the Sherlock Holmes stories as particularly humorous, but I'm fascinated with how logic an be used to solve a crime, so that's my interest in the Sherlockian world. As for humor, some writers after Arthur Conan Doyle did a wonderful job in poking fun at his characters. If you're interested, look up the Schlock Homes of Bagel Street stories by Robert L. Fish.

BB:  Any last thoughts?

ML: I'm always looking forward to the future. It holds so many possibilities for new ideas and for humor in the least likely places. So stay tuned. As long as people keep reading my observations, I'll keep writing them.

BB: What are your upcoming projects?

ML: Funny you should ask. I continue to work on my time machine. I still can't seem to get it to move faster than about one minute per minute in the forward direction, but I expect a breakthrough any day now. My goal is to travel back 60 years and invest heavily in the hula hoop.

You can get your copy of Trophy Envy as an ebook or in a paperback edition.  Get your copy today!!

Follow Mark Levy at http://www.trophyenvy.net/ and on Facebook.

That's all for this update!  Stay tuned for more exciting news from Belanger Books coming soon!

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