As followers of my publication record will know, since 2019 I've been dabbling in the wold of Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Prince of Detectives" has been in the public domain for quite some time, and new writings in the Holmesian canon are very popular.
I have placed quite a few stories in the last four years, two with Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine (though they have not yet been scheduled), one with Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, two with Strand Magazine (for which I am 'dead chuffed' as the saying goes, as The Strand has always been the spiritual home of Sherlock Holmes, certainly since 1892!) I also placed one with Weird Tales, though that piece is in limbo with the on-again, off-again nature of the magazine, plus the unfortunate passing of the editor who actually picked up the story. Then there are the anthologies from Belanger Books—I'm in seven released to date, with three more on the way. Add four active submissions at this time (including an invited sub to the prestigious charity MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories ongoing anthology series) and that's quite an accomplishment already.
However, last year I mooted the thought to Belanger Books that I would very much like to write a Sherlock Holmes novel, and their reaction was most positive. “A Tradition of Evil” was the result, taking a little under three months to write, and about the same to edit and polish (for which copious thanks to my sister Jen Downes, an English expert whose meticulous editing resulted in a manuscript so clean there were essentially zero edits coming back from the publisher!}
The novel is presently scheduled for release around November, 2023, and will be available through both Amazon online (print and eBook editions) and a number of physical bookshops in the US. A limited edition hardback, some with a dustjacket, is also planned.
The Kickstarter campaign launched a couple of days ago (the project is already fully funded) and is gathering backers by the day. Of spectacular note, don't miss the promotional video: the Belanger brothers created a trailer as dramatic as if the project were a forthcoming movie!
View the Kickstarter page and trailer here.
Here is the production credits screen for the trailer!
From here, I would hope to continue to place short stories with the major markets, and am of course thinking about a second novel. I have no shortage of ideas for both long- and short-form work, and if the gods should smile with regards to sales success, it would be my great pleasure to write Sherlock Holmes for a long time to come!
Cheers,
Mike Adamson
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