FIVE FREE Sherlock Holmes eBooks, CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS for new SHERLOCK HOLMES and SOLAR PONS publications, and SH 5-Minute Mysteries on Kickstarter, and our UPDATED WEBSITE

Hi everyone,

We wanted to let you know about our latest Sherlock Holmes Kickstarter campaign, share our latest call for submissions, let you know about our updated website and, of course, to offer you FREE eBooks. Let's get to it!

Belanger Books Updated Website

Belanger books completely remodeled our website. Now you can order books directly from us or use links to order books from Amazon or other booksellers. Please visit us at Belanger Books.

SHERLOCK HOLMES 5-MINUTE MYSTERIES

Each self-contained tale gives readers an opportunity to consider the evidence and deduce the solution before Sherlock Holmes reveals the truth, and then Doctor Watson concludes with a moral lesson reflecting on the story.

Drawing heavily from Kel Richards’ extensive knowledge of the Canon, these stories reveal the truth behind a multitude of baffling mysteries, enabling you to see and observe while Sherlock Holmes:

• Solves the mystery of “The Disappearance of James Phillimore” (THOR)
• Exposes a scandal at “The Nonpareil Club” (HOUN)
• Unravels “The Porlock Puzzle” (VALL)
• Investigates a “Murder in the Diogenes Club” (GREE)
• Takes on a second case for the Duke of Holdernesse (PRIO) at “The Deadly Garden Party”
• Prevents one of Moriarty’s most sensational crimes in “The Adventure of the Crown Jewels”
• Encounters the brother of Charles Augustus Milverton (CHAS) in “The Bungling Blackmailer”
• Explores the aftermath of the Ricoletti case (MUSG) in “A Sailor’s Yarn”
• Responds to another request by Morrison, Morrison, and Dodd (SUSS) in “The Headless Ghost”
• Assists Stamford (STUD) with the case of “The Patient in St. Bart’s”
• Matches wits with Colonel Sebastian Moran (EMPT) in “The Big Game Hunter”
• Finds time for another case near the Reichenbach Falls (FINA) that proves “As Cold as Death”

Come along with Holmes and Watson as they investigate these and 38 other mysteries that demonstrate the Christian faith underpinning all their work.

In his introduction to the book, author Kel Richards tells us that Doctor Watson’s “battered dispatch box has now been found and opened, so you can decide for yourself whether you have the deductive powers to pick up the clues and solve the puzzles along with Sherlock Holmes.” Will you meet the challenge?

Get this delightful collection of puzzling Sherlock Holmes mysteries today by CLICKING HERE!

MX Publishing Kickstarter Campaigns

Our friends at MX Publishing have a couple of Sherlock Holmes campaigns. By the time this blog goes live there should just be a few hours left in the campaign for The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories - Volumes 49-52.  Here is an author interview I did for my story in the anthology. Even if the campaign is over by the time you read this blog post, you can still read my interview (and make plan to get the book when it is officially released. 

Sherlock Holmes and The Scotland Yarders - All nine Marcia Wilson Sherlock Holmes novels in one collection: Marcia Wilson is one of the most historically accurate Holmes writers out there. You won't be disappointed in these nine Holmes novels.

FREE SHERLOCK HOLMES eBOOKS!

These Kindle editions are available for free from April 5th - April 9th. Get your free copies while you can!

Sherlock Holmes: The Addleton Tragedy

An appeal for help from an unexpected quarter takes Holmes and Watson on an adventure deep into the heart of the English countryside. Strange omens around a prehistoric burial site have foretold a grisly death in the decaying village of Addleton. When the rains come and waters rise, will Holmes and Watson be able to put their differences aside before tragedy claims another victim? Past and present collide in this exciting tale of murder, intrigue and deceit, where nothing is ever what it seems.

Get this incredible Sherlock Holmes novel from the great S.F. Bennett by CLICKING HERE!

The Novellas of Solar Pons

In the 1920's, college student August Derleth wrote to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, asking if any more Sherlock Holmes adventures were going to be published. Upon receiving a negative reply, Derleth decided to provide some of his own. However, rather than relating more tales of Holmes and Dr. Watson, he ended up introducing the world to Solar Pons and Dr. Lyndon Parker, living in London during the 1920’s and 1930’s. Pons solved crimes using deduction and ratiocination, often referring to Holmes as “The Master” or “My illustrious predecessor”. Since his first appearance, Pons has been a favorite with Sherlockians.

Now, for the first time ever, the estate of August Derleth has authorized an anthology of Solar Pons novellas! These new adventures range in length from about 15,000 words (longer than a short story) to 40,000 words (almost a novel). Each of them fully and traditionally falls within the Pontine Canon.

Join us again at 7B Praed Street where The Game is Afoot! Get this collection of ALL NEW Solar Pons novellas by CLICKING HERE!

Sherlock HO!: A miscellany of Holmesian parodies and other minor crimes in prose and verse

Author S. Subramanian (Before Baker Street, Holmes Away From Home, Sherlock Holmes: Adventures in the Realms of Steampunk) presents this eclectic collection of stories, essays and outright parodies guaranteed to amuse even the most serious Sherlockian reader. There are short stories and affable articles; there are clerihews, confessions and even continuations of the classic Canon.

SHERLOCK HO! even features guest appearances from some of the Great Detective’s renowned rivals such as Father Brown and Bulldog Drummond! George Smiley, Oscar Wilde and Wodehouse’s woebegotten Jeeves round out the cast of real-life and literary celebrity guest-stars.

Sherlock Holmes fans will treasure this offbeat collection for years to come!!

Get this fun collection of Holmesian parody by CLICKING HERE!

Sherlock Holmes: Adventures Beyond the Canon : Volume III

Sherlock Holmes himself would have us believe that, once a case was finished, it – or the people involved – never crossed his mind again. “A client is to me a mere unit,” he once told Watson, “a factor in a problem.” And yet, in a career spanning multiple decades and thousands of cases, he must have occasionally re-crossed paths with previous clients – and the occasional villain as well!

This anthology, with twenty-nine brand new stories, spread over three volumes, reveals some of those sequel investigations. There are stories ranging from Holmes’s early days in Montague Street, through the legendary Baker Street years, and well into his retirement. We meet former clients with new problems, and former adversaries too. Sometimes we find that the published Canonical version of a story was only the beginning, while other tales in this collection reveal what was really going on during the original narratives.

Join us as we return to Baker Street and discover more authentic adventures of Sherlock Holmes, described by the estimable Dr. Watson as “ . . . the best and wisest . . . whom I have ever known.”

The game is afoot!

Get the third volume in this wonderful anthology of all new Holmes adventures by CLICKING HERE!

Gaslight Ghouls: Uneasy Tales of Sherlock Holmes, Monsters and Madmen

SHERLOCK HOLMES UNCOVERS HELLISH CRUELTY AND HIDDEN WICKEDNESS IN TWELVE NEW TALES OF MYSTERY, IMAGINATION AND FOLK HORROR

“It is my belief, Watson, founded upon my experience, that the lowest and vilest alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside…”

Far from the warming glow of London gaslight, in the remotest villages, on high hilltops, in forgotten valleys, and ancient caverns, a scream can echo for miles without reaching a sympathetic ear. Age old beliefs hang in the air like the morning mist, in places where the old ways and the older gods may be forsaken but are never forgotten. Bound in secrecy, sealed by blood, the traditions of ages past bubble up from the slumbering dark earth, crying out for a return to the old ways, and there is always someone listening. Someone, or some thing…

Into this landscape comes Sherlock Holmes, casting the light of reason and modern logic wherever he goes. Can the Great Detective prevail against centuries of ingrained superstition and ritual? Can the modern science of deduction overcome belief in the oldest of evils? Can Sherlock Holmes, in twelve new tales by modern masters of horror, triumph over superstitions, new and old, and the ghoulish monsters and madmen who exploit them?

Get this collection of chilling Holmes adventures by CLICKING HERE!

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR UPCOMING BELANGER BOOKS ANTHOLOGIES!

Here is our latest Calls for Submission. They were in the last blog entry, but i wanted to make sure I posted them again so no one misses out.

Sherlock Holmes: A Year of Mystery 1889 & 1890

Edited by Richard T. 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: The year 1889 was a particularly busy one for Holmes with a number of cases including The Hound (Sept. 25-Oct. 20); “The Beryl Coronet” (Feb. 19-20); “The Man with the Twisted Lip” (June 18-19);  “The Naval Treaty” (Aug. 1); “Cardboard Box” (Aug. 31- Sept. 2); “The Engineer’s Thumb.” (Sept. 7-8);  “Crooked Man” (Sept. 11-12);  and “Blue Carbuncle) (Dec. 27). Although things slowed a bit in 1890, prominent cases included “Copper Beeches” (April 5-20); “Silver Blaze” (Sept. 25-30) and “The Red-Headed League” (Oct. 9-11). But what other cases did our heroes encounter in these years? Find out in  Sherlock Holmes: A Year of Mysteries – 1889 &  Sherlock Holmes: A Year of Mysteries – 1890.

Submission Guidelines: The stories must be Canonical in nature and fit with the timeline. Holmes and Watson should act like they do in the original stories. As you can see above, a number of the original cases from this period are specifically dated, so please bear that in mind when you are writing your story.

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 125 dollars and a complimentary copy of the paperback edition of the book.

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

Submission deadline for proposals is April 30th, 2025. Submission deadline for stories is June 30th, 2025.

Publication: Late Summer/early Fall, 2025

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 1889 or ATTN: SHERLOCK HOLMES A YEAR OF MYSTERY 1890.

Cover to the 1887 volume of  Year of Mystery series

The Necronomicon of Sherlock Holmes

Edited by Derrick Belanger & Brian Belanger Description: Imagine Holmes investigating the disappearance of a college student in the mysterious town of Innsmouth, matching wits with a man who can reanimate the dead, or using his deductive skills to help fight creatures from beyond the realm of time and space. These are just some of the stories which could be included in the new anthology The Necronomicon of Sherlock Holmes. The anthology will feature traditional Sherlock Holmes stories blended with one or more of Lovecraft’s tales. 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 some). Guidelines: The stories must feel like traditional Holmes and Lovecraft stories. The stories should have the traditional Holmes and Watson working with the traditional characters, creatures, and/or gods of H.P. Lovecraft. Remember, there was a logic to the writing of Lovecraft, a rationale behind the otherworldly beings even if humans couldn’t conceive it, that should blend well with the deductive skills of Sherlock Holmes. Payment: Authors shall receive a payment of $125 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. Authors are welcome to submit more than one story for the anthology. Send submissions in a word document that is double spaced, in Times New Roman, and in 14 point font to derrick@belangerbooks.com with the subject line ATTN: SUBMISSION FOR THE NECRONOMICON OF SHERLOCK HOLMES

Submission Deadline: June 15, 2025.

Publication Date: Winter 2025/2026

The new anthology will be a nice companion to our previous Holmes/ Lovecraft book 

Solar Pons: A Year of Mystery 1919

Edited by David Marcum

Introducing a new series of Solar Pons books, each one encapsulating a year in the life of Solar Pons with twelve new mysteries, one for each month of the year!

“I soon learned that I had taken up my abode with a private detective of no mean ability, a man who, openly espousing the old-fashioned methods of ratiocination and deduction, had already established for himself a reputation for skill and intelligent sleuthing for which he was held in high regard by many persons connected with Scotland Yard and His Majesty’s Government.” --Dr. Parker

1919 was a very important year in the life of Solar Pons, the Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street. The detective was building up his practice, solving crimes in the months after the end of The Great War. Then, in July, he met the man who would be his Watson, the noted Dr. Parker. Find out what mysteries Pons solved in the beginning of his career both solo and with his Boswell in this collection of twelve all new Solar Pons adventures.

Submission Guidelines: Stories must be canonical in nature and follow the Solar Pons timeline. Word count should be between 5,000 - 10,000 words (it is okay to go a little over or under).

Authors interested in participating should first send a synopsis of their adventure and the month of the year they wish it to take place. Remember, stories that take place from January through May would not involve Dr. Parker as he hadn’t met Pons yet. The stories from June through December would (or could) involve the doctor. 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.

Payment: Authors shall receive a payment of 100 dollars and a complimentary copy of the paperback edition of the book.

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

Submission deadline for proposals is May 1st, 2025. Submission deadline for stories is July 15th, 2025.

Publication: Fall 2025

Send proposals and submissions in a word document that is double spaced, in Times New Roman, and in 14 point font to thepapersofsherlockholmes@gmail.com  with the heading ATTN: SOLAR PONS A YEAR OF MYSTERY 1919 

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.