I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere: Undershaw

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Episode 195: MX Publishing

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“enterprise and originality” [COPP] </h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXuRVZnVqYQIp0TF6LEGHr_nFIr7Y6PQbF-uPbgrUbxR_CGBTUOKUiKKYBDMEmApSY-6I0NaQwaRlaIJ9DdhBmXA4-Px_TclFuBt5qDUx-SeMKTluZZbBRc20ZCjUNcy9U9RoamDQGQnxC/s1024/MX+Publishing+header.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXuRVZnVqYQIp0TF6LEGHr_nFIr7Y6PQbF-uPbgrUbxR_CGBTUOKUiKKYBDMEmApSY-6I0NaQwaRlaIJ9DdhBmXA4-Px_TclFuBt5qDUx-SeMKTluZZbBRc20ZCjUNcy9U9RoamDQGQnxC/w640-h320/MX+Publishing+header.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>When Steve and Sharon Emecz founded MX Publishing, it had a very different purpose than it does today. And while most Sherlockians know the outfit for its many pastiches (particularly through the <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/07/behind-worlds-largest-new-sherlock.html">MX Collection</a> edited by David Marcum), there's much more going on here than one might realize.<div><br /></div><div>Steve Emecz joined us to talk about what drives him and how MX has grown to become a wide-ranging publisher with over 400 books and 150 authors under its imprint. Not to mention how they support a number of charitable causes such as Stepping Stones School at Undershaw, Happy Life Children's Home in Nairobi, the American Cancer Society, and the World Food Programme, and how it's possible that a publisher can be carbon-positive.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's definitely more than meets the eye with MX Publishing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once again, our popular <b>Canonical Couplet</b> quiz is back, and we reveal the secret behind the origin of these short stanzas. The prize for this edition is a book from MX Publishing. Answers are due by 11:59 pm EDT on July 14, 2020. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Information on sponsors, links, and notes available below.<br /><center><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></center><div><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://ihose.co/ihosepatron" target="_blank"><img height="40" src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/widget-images/become-patron-widget-medium%402x.png" style="cursor: move;" width="204" /></a></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Please do consider becoming a <a href="https://ihose.co/ihosepatron" target="_blank">Patron of the Arts</a>. Your support helps us to ensure we can keep doing what we do, covering file hosting costs, production, and this year, transcription services.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><h2><b>Sponsors</b></h2><div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a> is our lead sponsor. They've been with us for nearly the entire run. Please visit their site and let them know you found them via I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.<br /><br /></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Would you care to advertise with us? You can find <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" target="_blank">more information here</a>. Let's chat!<br /><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock195.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 29.8 MB, 1:05:06</h3><div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/849568636&color=%238e464b&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: interstate, "lucida grande", "lucida sans unicode", "lucida sans", garuda, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: 100; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ihearofsherlock" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="ihearofsherlock">ihearofsherlock</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ihearofsherlock/mx-publishing" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="MX Publishing">MX Publishing</a></div><pre><br /></pre></div></div><h2><b>Links</b></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li>This episode: <a href="https://ihose.co/ihose195">ihose.co/ihose195</a></li><li><a href="https://mxpublishing.com/" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a></li><li><a href="https://mxpublishing.com/pages/about-us" target="_blank">About MX and its various causes</a></li><li><i><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mxpublishing/playing-a-part-jeremy-brett" target="_blank">Playing a Part - Jeremy Brett</a></i> (Kickstarter)</li><li><a href="https://mxpublishing.com/collections/the-art-of-sherlock-holmes" target="_blank">The Art of Sherlock Holmes</a></li></ul><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard magazine at <a href="https://ihose.co/flipsherlock" target="_blank">ihose.co/flipsherlock</a> as well as through our accounts on <a href="https://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://youtube.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://instagram.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>Please subscribe on the podcast provider of your choosing:</b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pod.link/258126625" target="_blank">Listen to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a></div><br />And would you consider leaving us a rating and review? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at (774) 221-READ (7323).</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div><h3><br />Transcript</h3><div style="margin: 0px;">Transcript costs have recently risen by 25 percent, so our goal is to reach the <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">$125 per episode</a> level on Patreon. Please consider signing up by clicking the link.<br /><br />Transcript will be here soon (if you can contribute to making that happen).</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />--</div></div></div><div><br /></div></div>

Episode 195: MX Publishing

“enterprise and originality” [COPP] When Steve and Sharon Emecz founded MX Publishing, it had a very different purpose than it does today. ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Welcome to Undershaw — An Interview with Luke Kuhns

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"the high, thin window of old stained glass, the oak panelling" [HOUN]</h4>
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<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Undershaw" target="_blank">Since 2010</a>, loyal Doyleans and passionate historians have been working feverishly to save and restore Undershaw. In 2014, the former estate was purchased by the DFN Foundation which has been working to both restore Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's study to its original splendor and also to use the property to house Stepping Stones, a school for special needs students. In September 2016, Stepping Stones school officially opened, and the public got their first view of Doyle's restored study.<br />
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One person who attended the grand opening was Luke B. Kuhns, author and scholar, whose book about Doyle's history at Undershaw, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Undershaw-History-Created-Sherlock/dp/1787050211/" target="_blank"><i>Welcome to Undershaw - A Brief History of Arthur Conan Doyle: The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes</i></a>, was released on October 10th. We interviewed Mr. Kuhns via email about his Undershaw book, the grand opening, and his other Sherlockian work.<br />
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<b>I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere:</b> The Stepping Stones school just recently opened at Undershaw, and you were at the ceremony. Tell us what it was like to see the restored Undershaw for the first time as well as what it was like to see the school portion of the estate.</h4>
<b>Luke Kuhns (LK):</b> It was incredible to see Undershaw alive. To see lights on, people walking in and out, it just felt alive. Finally. What DFN has done is remarkable. I know it cost them a lot more than originally planned, but they spared no expense, to quote John Hammond! The house is beautifully restored. I am very pleased with the extension as well. Rightfully it is architecturally different from Undershaw to show people what the house was in the past and what is new. The addition is beautiful and open and classy. One can turn and look back at Undersaw with reverence.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Undershaw during the opening night gala</td></tr>
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<b>IHOSE: </b> Your new book <i>Welcome to Undershaw</i> is a biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in relation to his time spent at Undershaw. Tell us about the book. How did you conduct your research? What makes this biography unique?</h4>
<b>LK:</b> I really felt to tell Undershaw's story we needed to know Conan Doyle's story. So the book begins with a look at his grandfather, father, and mother; then him. I explore his life from childhood through to his departure at Undershaw. Research was a mixture of reading many many books, visiting libraries in Portsmouth and London as well as rare book collectors, and spending time in Hindhead. It was very detailed and thorough, and I enjoyed every moment of it.<br />
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What makes it unique? Good question! I loved John Dickson Carr's biography...it read like a story. Plenty of Doyle biographies just say "on this date he did this...on this date he did that" and I found it painfully boring. There's a lot he did that is incredibly interesting, and there's a lot he did that is incredibly not interesting...I don't necessarily care who he had dinner with on a particular date! HA! So what I wanted to show people is that Sir Arthur was more than just the writer of Sherlock Holmes stories and <i>The White Company</i>. I explored his life through his writings starting all the way back in his childhood, and art the flows in his family's blood. Yes, all the biographies tell you about his writing, but looking at his life as an accomplished writer first rather than Doctor or anything else, you begin to see how his writing is impacting his daily life and vice versa.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First editions of some of Doyle's most famous work located on the shelf in the headmaster's office<br />
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<b>IHOSE: </b>You recently had a story published in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GG6M40K" target="_blank"><i>Beyond Watson</i></a>, a Sherlock Holmes story collection where each story had to be narrated by someone besides Dr. Watson.  You chose Violet Hunter as your narrator. What drew you to this Holmes character?</h4>
<b>LK: </b>Well, I feel next to Irene Adler she is the next best match for Holmes. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson don't do very much to solve the case. Violet is left to do it herself with Holmes 'on call' should she need him! And Watson recognised this and felt the two would be a good pair...I agree. I didn't want to explore a 'love story' angle with them...no. But I felt she is one of the strongest female characters in his short stories.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author Luke Kuhns</td></tr>
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<b>IHOSE:</b>  Last year your story collection, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Scarlet-Thread-Murder-ebook/dp/B0167BICBY/" target="_blank"><i>The Scarlet Thread of Murder</i></a>, was released. The first tale in the collection is a bit of a mashup pastiche in that you had Holmes work with another Victorian detective character, Martin Hewitt. Why did you incorporate Hewitt into your Holmes tale?</h4>
<b>LK:</b> Widely speaking, no one knows about Hewitt. It's a sad truth. His stories are fun and he held the fort while Holmes took a dip in the Reichenbach Falls. These two (if we pretend they are real) would have been in business at the same time, and Sherlock Holmes, being who he is, would know and recognise talent. The two just work together, not because of their similarities, but because they are both very different but very brilliant! And I wanted to draw attention to other great characters in classic literature that aren't well known.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:</b>  You have now written Sherlock Holmes graphic novels, short stories, and a nonfiction book on his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. What are some similarities you have found in writing these three different genres?</h4>
<b>LK:</b> Making interesting crimes is never easy. I take the same approach to writing the stories with regards to plotting. So that is the same too. But the real painstaking work is creating an interesting crime/puzzle that isn't too cliche or overdone and making it work in a quick and believable way.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Stained glass at the main hall of Undershaw.</span></td></tr>
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<b>IHOSE:</b> If you were stranded on a desert island with just one Sherlock Holmes story, which would it be and why?</h4>
<b>LK:</b> <i>The Sign of Four</i>. It's my favourite novel...has a great mystery, a treasure hunt, and chase on the Thames. It's great!<br />
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<b>IHOSE:</b>  What are your current projects?</h4>
<b>LK:</b> I have a script for a new Sherlock Holmes comic book...I'm looking at making that into a reality. I'm currently working on my first non-Sherlock novel, but that's in very early stages with no release date in the near future. I've been changing the format of my website and how I conduct reviews, taking a more audio/video approach rather than text only. That's been fun and very time consuming too. I'm also knees deep in my Master program too...so there's a lot going on and changing of directions. Very exciting.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:</b>  Any last thoughts?</h4>
<b>LK: </b>Thanks for taking the time for this virtual chat! It's been great fun. I look forward to speaking again.<br />
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<b>Luke Kuhns</b> is an international crime writer and reviewer. His two best selling novellas <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Studies-Legacy-Kuhns-ebook/dp/B00CMFP0X8" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes Studies in Legacy</i></a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Scarlet-Thread-Murder-ebook/dp/B0167BICBY" target="_blank"><i>The Scarlet Thread of Murder</i></a> have been praised by critics and fans of Sherlock Holmes. Luke has also authored two graphic novels including <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Case-Crystal-Bottle-ebook/dp/B00FG2QF8I" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Crystal Blue Bottle</i> </a>and the critically acclaimed bone chilling horror <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Horror-Frankenstein-Kuhns-ebook/dp/B00L9GLNM8" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes and The Horror of Frankenstein</i></a>, the world’s first Sherlock Holmes and Frankenstein graphic novel.<br />
He has contributed to several crime fiction and academic collections inducing <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Watson-Sherlock-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B01GG6M40K" target="_blank"><i>Beyond Watson</i></a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Book-Sherlock-Holmes-Stories-Part-ebook/dp/B017J1CS1G" target="_blank"><i>The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Vol 1</i></a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fan-Phenomena-Sherlock-Tom-Ue-ebook/dp/B01A27TGLY" target="_blank"><i>Fan Phenomena Sherlock Holmes</i></a>.<br />
His latest title, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Undershaw-History-Created-Sherlock/dp/1787050211" target="_blank"><i>Welcome to Undershaw: A Brief History of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes</i></a>, is a move into biographies. Luke has written a wonderful and unique history about Conan Doyle, his writings and his time living at his Surrey home, Undershaw.<br />
Luke has spoken at the University College London’s Past and Present Conference, debated in the Great Sherlock Holmes Debate 3 and 4, and has been featured on Japanese TV Network NHK. Luke’s official <a href="https://lukebenjamenkuhns.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">website</a> is a multimedia platform where he releases exclusive short stories and reviews popular tv series, films, books and more.<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "times new roman";">Derrick Belanger is the author of the #1 bestselling book in its category <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1519511957" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-asin="1519511957" data-amzn-link-id="9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Peculiar-Provenance/dp/1519511957/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3292728" rel="nofollow" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance</a><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-width: initial;"><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3292728" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&_cb=1451973203084" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" /></span>, which was in the top 200 bestselling books on Amazon. He also is the author of the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes books, the latest of which is <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B017862MVS" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-asin="B017862MVS" data-amzn-link-id="5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur" href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dinosaur-MacDougall-Sherlock-Holmes-ebook/dp/B017862MVS/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_7842789" rel="nofollow" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur</a><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-width: initial;"><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_7842789" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&_cb=1451973247482" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" /></span>, and he edited the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle horror anthology <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00P4E8AVI" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-asin="B00P4E8AVI" data-amzn-link-id="a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural" href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Terror-Revolutionary-Stories-Supernatural-ebook/dp/B00P4E8AVI/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5010397" rel="nofollow" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural</a><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-width: initial;"><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5010397" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&_cb=1451973259426" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" /></span>. Mr. Belanger has recently started the publishing company <a href="http://www.belangerbooks.com/" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Belanger Books</a> which released the Sherlock Holmes anthology <a data-amzn-asin="1533202273" href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Watson-Sherlock-Anthology-Stories/dp/1533202273/" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Beyond Watson</a>. Derrick Belanger also is a frequent contributor to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. He resides in Colorado and continues compiling unpublished works by Dr. John H. Watson.</i><br />
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Welcome to Undershaw — An Interview with Luke Kuhns

"the high, thin window of old stained glass, the oak panelling" [HOUN] Since 2010 , loyal Doyleans and passionate h...

+ Read more »

by Belanger Books

Kickstarter — The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Part V: Christmas Adventures

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"With five volumes you could just fill that gap on that second shelf" [EMPT]</h4>
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Autumn is upon us, and even though Halloween is still weeks away, many are setting their sights on completing their Christmas shopping. This year, there is a perfect gift for Sherlockians. <i>The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Part V: Christmas Adventures</i> is currently available on <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1229605719/mx-book-of-new-sherlock-holmes-stories-volume-5-ch" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>. As with all the other MX Books of New Sherlock Holmes Stories all the proceeds go to the benefit of the restoration of Undershaw, Doyle's former estate. We spoke with David Marcum, the editor of the series on his latest collection, future collections, and his latest pilgrimage to England to see Doyle's restored study at Undershaw.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:</b> <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/07/behind-worlds-largest-new-sherlock.html#.V_ETxeArK70" target="_blank"><i>The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories</i></a> has gone from one planned book to multiple volumes, and now to several books annually. How did this change take place? Did you always know that there would be multiple volumes or were you pleasantly surprised?</h4>
<b>David Marcum (DM):</b> It was a very pleasant surprise. When the first three books were finishing up in the fall of 2015, it was intended to be a one-time event. I was very fortunate to get to go to London for the launch of the books in October 2015, and while I was there, a couple of people asked if there would be more, and a few others expressed regret that they hadn’t participated, after seeing how nice the books turned out.<br />
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It was only a week or so later, after I returned home, that I realized the process for making the books was still in place. From the time that I first thought of the idea in January 2015, up through publication, <a href="http://www.mxpublishing.com/index.html" target="_blank">Steve Emecz</a> and I had hammered out all the details, such as size and style, so the difficult questions were answered and the machinery was still in place. The author interest was still there, <a href="http://www.steppingstones.org.uk/Stepping-Stones-is-growing/" target="_blank">Stepping Stones School</a> (which receives the author’s royalties for the project and is located at one of Doyle’s old homes, Undershaw,) could still use the funds, and of course there are never enough new traditional Holmes stories.<br />
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Even though it was mid-October 2015 at that point, I sent out a message, inviting people to contribute even more stories. There was a much more urgent end-of-the-year deadline this time, but they all came through, and we ended up producing the fourth volume, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EG2C42E" target="_blank"><i>Part IV – 2016 Annual</i></a>, which came out last spring.<br />
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However, even at that point there was so much interest that we ended up deciding to have two volumes in 2016, which led to the next book in the series, <i>Part V – Christmas Adventures</i>, coming out later this year.<br />
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<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1229605719/mx-book-of-new-sherlock-holmes-stories-volume-5-ch/comments" target="_blank">The Kickstarter for the next volume can be found here</a>.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:</b> The latest MX volume is a collection of Christmas stories. Why did you decide to create a Christmas collection? Are these stories still traditional Holmes stories, or are you starting to allow some AU tales into the mix?</h4>
<b>DM:</b> The reason that it’s a Christmas book is because I didn’t want to have something awkward like <i>Part V – 2016 Annual (Part II)</i>. Also, it occurred to me that it would be appearing at the end of the year, and even though there have been a number of Holmes Christmas adventures, it had been twenty years since those last great Holmes-at-Christmas anthologies, <i>Holmes For the Holidays</i>, and <i>More Holmes For the Holidays</i>.<br />
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These stories are also traditional Holmes narratives. I’m a missionary for The Church of the Traditional Holmes Pastiche, so Alternate Universe (AU) tales aren’t accepted in anything that I’m editing.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:</b> As always, the proceeds from the sale of the book will go to support the Stepping Stones School and the restoration of Undershaw. How have the proceeds helped with the restoration work? What still needs to be done?</h4>
<b>DM: </b>I was very fortunate to get to go back to London in early September 2016 – Holmes Pilgrimage No. 3!! – for the dedication of Stepping Stones at Undershaw. I had never been down to Undershaw before, although I’d heard and seen for years about how decimated the building was. It’s really amazing how beautiful it is now, and how much has been lovingly restored to honor both Doyle and Holmes.<br />
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Because it’s a historic building, it had to be restored according to very strict guidelines. The stained glass windows have been amazingly rebuilt. The plaster, which had sloughed off the walls and ceilings due to massive leaks, was replaced using late 1890’s techniques. Floor joists had either rotted through, or in one case, had been cut completely across by a hotel that occupied the place years after Doyle left in order to install a water pipe – it was a wonder the building hadn’t cracked in half! All of this had to be repaired. The DFN Foundation, which bought the building for the school and did all the work, spent a lot more than they initially intended in order to restore the building to its former glory, as well as making it functional for the school.<br />
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The royalties from the MX anthologies have been donated by the authors, and so far, the books have raised an amount over five figures toward continued restoration and future maintenance of the school. In addition to the amazing work they do with their special needs students, the school really wants to make itself available in the future to Sherlockians and Doyleans. Doyle’s study will be available for the public to visit during breaks and holidays when the students aren’t there, and also they would like to make the place available for Sherlockian groups to have meetings or gatherings as a way to raise additional money for the school.<br />
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It was great for me and my ever-present deerstalker to be able to visit Undershaw and represent all the pasticheurs! While there, I was able to spend some time with Richard Doyle, great-nephew of the Literary Agent. And visiting in Doyle’s study, where he prepared <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> and <i>The Return of Sherlock Holmes</i> for publication, really gives one a sense of awe. I was able to sit in the same spot as Doyle to start working on my next pastiche, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:</b> The Christmas MX anthology is your first anthology with a theme. Will we see more Christmas collections in the future? How about other themes?</h4>
<b>DM:</b> I believe that the Christmas-themed book will be a one-time thing. If someone wants to write another Holmes-Christmas adventure for a future anthology volume, that’s fine, but I don’t think there will be enough to make up another whole book for a while.<br />
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Even after two volumes in 2016, the enthusiasm to participate is very high. That’s why two more volumes have already been scheduled for next year, and I’m already receiving stories for them. Next spring will be the <i>Part VI – 2017 Annual</i>, and in the fall will be <i>Part VII – Eliminate the Impossible</i>. This will also be a themed book, in which each of the cases will initially seem to have some sort of supernatural mystery. However, they will absolutely have a rational explanation. “No ghosts need apply.” There won’t be any vampires or zombies, no mind-controlling fungi or time-travel. However, there may just be a bit of ambiguity at the end. Even though there will be a realistic solution, there might be the possibility of something additional beyond Holmes and Watson’s understanding – “There are more things in heaven and earth, [Watson], Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” That’s probably as close to AU as I’ll ever get, so if that’s the kind of story you write, please feel free to get in touch with me about submitting something.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:</b> Any last thoughts?</h3>
<b>DM: </b>I’d just like to thank both the participating authors who have made all of this possible, as well as the many people who have bought the books, and have made the series popular enough to continue. It’s really accomplishing great things for the school, and it’s allowing all of us pasticheurs to combine our efforts effectively as well.<br />
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And personally, I want to mention all the great people that this experience has allowed me to meet, both in person and by email. I’ve said it before, but it’s never been more true: Sherlockians are really the best!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtb5ttlHQ3PPakE3e4RWLmSE7aovKvVpRAMnpUd9DTCUN_eb1fcd5CctQZ7vgWg0WGrjxtHsqV9j_zM2pDi50WvGQ1mAv83lmHaxdVXy7pOCuYSiGD_o4tsYZZYFQuPvVltSxEtu8QMbA/s1600/Marcum+and+Doyle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtb5ttlHQ3PPakE3e4RWLmSE7aovKvVpRAMnpUd9DTCUN_eb1fcd5CctQZ7vgWg0WGrjxtHsqV9j_zM2pDi50WvGQ1mAv83lmHaxdVXy7pOCuYSiGD_o4tsYZZYFQuPvVltSxEtu8QMbA/s640/Marcum+and+Doyle.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Richard Doyle (center), his son, and David Marcum at the opening gala for Stepping Stones at Undershaw</span></td></tr>
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<i>The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Volume 5 - Christmas</i> is available at <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1229605719/mx-book-of-new-sherlock-holmes-stories-volume-5-ch" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>. Books purchased at Kickstarter will arrive in time for Christmas. For more information on the Undershaw restoration and Stepping Stones, please <a href="http://www.steppingstones.org.uk/Stepping-Stones-is-growing/" target="_blank">visit the Stepping Stones website</a>.<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "times new roman";">Derrick Belanger is the author of the #1 bestselling book in its category <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1519511957" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-asin="1519511957" data-amzn-link-id="9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Peculiar-Provenance/dp/1519511957/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3292728" rel="nofollow" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance</a><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-width: initial;"><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3292728" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&_cb=1451973203084" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" /></span>, which was in the top 200 bestselling books on Amazon. He also is the author of the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes books, the latest of which is <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B017862MVS" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-asin="B017862MVS" data-amzn-link-id="5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur" href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dinosaur-MacDougall-Sherlock-Holmes-ebook/dp/B017862MVS/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_7842789" rel="nofollow" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur</a><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-width: initial;"><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_7842789" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&_cb=1451973247482" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" /></span>, and he edited the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle horror anthology <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00P4E8AVI" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-asin="B00P4E8AVI" data-amzn-link-id="a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural" href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Terror-Revolutionary-Stories-Supernatural-ebook/dp/B00P4E8AVI/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5010397" rel="nofollow" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural</a><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-width: initial;"><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5010397" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&_cb=1451973259426" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" /></span>. Mr. Belanger has recently started the publishing company <a href="http://www.belangerbooks.com/" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Belanger Books</a> which released the Sherlock Holmes anthology <a data-amzn-asin="1533202273" href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Watson-Sherlock-Anthology-Stories/dp/1533202273/" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Beyond Watson</a>. Derrick Belanger also is a frequent contributor to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. He resides in Colorado and continues compiling unpublished works by Dr. John H. Watson.</i><br />
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Kickstarter — The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Part V: Christmas Adventures

"With five volumes you could just fill that gap on that second shelf" [EMPT] Autumn is upon us, and even though Halloween i...

+ Read more »

by Belanger Books

Behind the Latest Volume of the World's Largest Sherlock Holmes Collection

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"when, for the fourth time" [BRUC] </h4>
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Philip K. Jones said it was "... the best Sherlockian fiction anthology ever published." With over 60 original Sherlock Holmes pastiches in three volumes, <a href="http://www.mxpublishing.com/product/MXBOOKHB3/The+MX+Book+of+New+Sherlock+Holmes+Stories+-+Full+Collection+-+Hardcover"><i>The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories</i></a> was a groundbreaking, record setting collection. The books, released on October 1, 2015, quickly sold thousands of copies, and all of the royalties went to restore <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Undershaw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Undershaw</a>, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's former estate which had fallen into woeful disrepair. <br />
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Now to raise more funds for Undershaw and to keep feeding the appetites of all lovers of Holmes pastiches, a fourth volume of stories has been compiled and is currently being offered through a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1229605719/the-mx-book-of-new-sherlock-holmes-stories-part-iv">Kickstarter campaign</a>.  We asked Steve Emecz, the book's publisher, and David Marcum, the editor, about Volume IV, the Kickstarter campaign, and if we can expect to see more volumes in the future.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhjzpwzeRHXCE2wLNiv7FOUtkCZdLRCGHtzTjG7aRO__AJBMXaMtlhy0HekPQ7EmUNVXI2KbdzKvbquNUJB1c31M1GyncRcrzK6b12ikdqVTyfqF5TO9jIAZCzG9CRq912VBtLFUsewmt/s1600/Main+Window+View.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhjzpwzeRHXCE2wLNiv7FOUtkCZdLRCGHtzTjG7aRO__AJBMXaMtlhy0HekPQ7EmUNVXI2KbdzKvbquNUJB1c31M1GyncRcrzK6b12ikdqVTyfqF5TO9jIAZCzG9CRq912VBtLFUsewmt/s1600/Main+Window+View.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">View from the main window at Undershaw. </td></tr>
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<h3>
<b>I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere: <i>The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories</i> was a huge success. The book was considered one giant collection broken up into three volumes. What made you decide to add a </b><b>Volume IV?</b></h3>
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<b>Steve Emecz (SE): </b>As a publisher the collection has been one of our most successful projects on all fronts so when David raised the chance to do a fourth volume we jumped at it.<br />
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<b>David Marcum (DM): </b>When I was very fortunate enough to go to London last fall for the launch party of the first three books, several people came up and asked about future volumes. Additionally, some others mentioned that they wished that they had participated the first time around, and that they would like to do so if there was going to be anything like it in the future. At the time, I had thought that the original anthology was a one-shot, never to be repeated.<br />
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But in mid-October, just a few weeks after I got back from London, it suddenly hit me that there was no reason not to continue. Steve and I had done all the heavy lifting with the first set, deciding on formats, styles, covers, and so on. The template was there waiting for future stories. I contacted Steve, and he was very enthusiastic. So I put out a call in mid-October for stories, with a late December deadline. That isn’t much time at all, but everyone responded fantastically and immediately, with many setting aside other projects to participate.<br />
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<h3>
<b>IHOSE: The proceeds of this collection, like the previous three, will go in helping with the preservation of Undershaw. Can you give the readers an update on how the restoration is proceeding and how the funds from the anthologies are being used to assist with the preservation?</b></h3>
<b>SE: </b>The restoration is well underway and the launch of the new school will happen in July. The funds from the anthologies, which will start to flow in around April, will go towards the Conan Doyle specific projects at the house. These include the stained glass windows, ACD’s study and many projects that will be related to enabling Holmes fans to enjoy visiting the house outside term time.<br />
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<b>DM:</b> Like everyone else, I’ve greatly enjoyed seeing how Undershaw has been rescued, and for such a great reason. I hope someday to get back over the England and make my way down to see the renovated building. I’m so thankful to and proud of all of the participants in this anthology project for donating their royalties to such a good cause.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbGAtELkYQ6KbODsEaEUoRCmrKRsbbPyKkP7UNTfehFJLRl6CGo-KTkBUwnKjmUAboasubN7lC65pK5xvJj9ulFvPqiL7lWN9xBSLXhS647HP0SvrIvQOXAuRpHKhfDgEf-imOr2Cz4q_/s1600/New+Bay+Windows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbGAtELkYQ6KbODsEaEUoRCmrKRsbbPyKkP7UNTfehFJLRl6CGo-KTkBUwnKjmUAboasubN7lC65pK5xvJj9ulFvPqiL7lWN9xBSLXhS647HP0SvrIvQOXAuRpHKhfDgEf-imOr2Cz4q_/s1600/New+Bay+Windows.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New bay windows as part of the restoration project at Undershaw</td></tr>
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<h3>
<b>IHOSE: What makes this anthology different from the previous three?</b></h3>
<b>SE: </b>The fourth volume shares the same DNA of the first three in that they are traditional Holmes and Watson stories. They are however spread across the entire canon timeline. When we had the initial volumes with 1300+ pages, David split them by the date in which they occur.<br />
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<b>DM:</b> The only real difference between this volume and the previous three is that this year’s offering has 22 new Holmes stories, where last year’s massive collection was 63, spread over three books. There is more that’s the same than different. The books will be the same size, with a similar cover that has been adapted from a John Atkinson Grimshaw painting – if you have the first three books, then this one can sit on the shelf beside them and perfectly match. This one is about 475 pages, actually a little bigger than the previous volumes. Once again, the stories will all feature the true and traditional Holmes, set within the correct time period. Like before, these are all wonderful narratives that are arranged chronologically, which to me – being the intense Holmes Chronologist that I am – is a great way to approach them. The book begins with several stories from Holmes’s early career, moving through the years to the final tale in the book, set just before Holmes’s retirement in 1903, when an ancient mystery holds a threat for England’s future. This is really a first-class Holmes collection, and upholds the standards of the previous books perfectly.<br />
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<h3>
<b>IHOSE: There are 22 new stories in this collection plus a poem. What are some highlights?</b></h3>
<b>SE: </b>For me the highlights include the story from Bonnie MacBird who is in the middle of writing the sequel to <i><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose83" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Art In The Blood</a></i>. Bonnie made it to the big launch of the collection in October and we weren’t sure if her writing schedule would enable her to contribute – but somehow she managed it. There’s also stories from new authors to the collection and existing ones.<br />
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<b>DM: </b>As always, the first highlight for me as an editor is getting to work with and know such great authors. Then of course, there is the thrill of getting to read these stories when they are fresh out of Watson’s Tin Dispatch Box. As with the first collection in 2015, I’m the only one for a little while who gets to read all of these stories in one place, and it’s like an incredible secret that I can’t wait to share with the world.<br />
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Included in this volume are some returning participants, as well as several people who are joining the party for the first time. All have a wonderful understanding of what makes Holmes so popular, and also what makes a good Holmes story. Readers are going to be pleased with this collection.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpML_QNGAqirGBV3qPAr3B0sEGFgpOBQyxL2J0F-Wh-h6CEfRrCMcErVcyd2cj2Peva5Y6aXFfSwkKW66TykEJuH4LwU4nnbCd_YkEl1rn-pBP9Nm1_Ve-xgUKCb9VjyFYtTfXD-hzUsmv/s1600/Front+Door+Refurbished.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpML_QNGAqirGBV3qPAr3B0sEGFgpOBQyxL2J0F-Wh-h6CEfRrCMcErVcyd2cj2Peva5Y6aXFfSwkKW66TykEJuH4LwU4nnbCd_YkEl1rn-pBP9Nm1_Ve-xgUKCb9VjyFYtTfXD-hzUsmv/s1600/Front+Door+Refurbished.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Front door of Undershaw refurbished</span></td></tr>
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<h3>
<b>IHOSE: Any plans for future collections?</b></h3>
<b>SE:</b> While the fans want more collections we will keep going. At the moment it looks like we have the momentum for two more beyond this one. One of the Kickstarter backers commented today that we could put him down for as many as we ever produce which is wonderful. We’re hoping there is ongoing interest enough to have one every year which is why we’ve gone for the title 2016 Annual for this one.<br />
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<b>DM:</b> When I put out the call for new stories in mid-October 2015, the response was incredible. In fact, there was so much interest in participation that I had more than I could initially use. I’d already had the idea of making this a yearly collection – <i>2016 Annual</i>, <i>2017 Annual</i>. But I had more writers than I could use in 2016, and it didn’t make sense to have a 2016 Annual Part I and Part II. Therefore, there will be a book in the fall of 2016 called <i>Part V – Christmas Adventures</i>.<br />
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This one will be along the lines of those great Holmes collections from the 1990’s, Holmes for the Holidays and More Holmes for the Holidays. I already have about 30% of the stories edited for that one, and the submission deadline isn’t until the middle of this year. And on top of that, I already have commitments and one story in hand for the 2017 Annual.<br />
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I believe that the enthusiasm for this project can keep it going for a long time – as I’ve written to the contributors, for as long as there is gas in the tank. There are a lot of great Holmes writers out there who want to help with the Stepping Stones School at Undershaw, and the school can always use our support. Additionally, the original MX Anthology from 2015, while making a big splash at the time, might tend to fade from notice somewhat, but by continually renewing interest with the ongoing anthology series, it will remain viable and keep raising funds for the school. And finally, additions to the anthology series assures still more new traditional adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and there are never enough of those!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAGo969fQnJpcVDv3Njd2krNTqKcbc4RO15Eg9ubi5Q0i0NgsTn5yQERNRY1mGWkJ7X_Nd_KoE5-yMx_phr_tsBn806WnGUqp8tCGUsnWmBoPEB9oufBCUF1pWA7jOJbUonHIV5sOzyul/s1600/Fireplace+Restoration.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAGo969fQnJpcVDv3Njd2krNTqKcbc4RO15Eg9ubi5Q0i0NgsTn5yQERNRY1mGWkJ7X_Nd_KoE5-yMx_phr_tsBn806WnGUqp8tCGUsnWmBoPEB9oufBCUF1pWA7jOJbUonHIV5sOzyul/s1600/Fireplace+Restoration.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Restoration in progress on this room at Undershaw</span></td></tr>
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<i>The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories Volume IV</i> can be <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1229605719/the-mx-book-of-new-sherlock-holmes-stories-part-iv" target="_blank">backed at Kickstarter here</a>.  For more information on the Undershaw restoration and Stepping Stones, please <a href="http://www.steppingstones.org.uk/Stepping-Stones-is-growing/" target="_blank">visit the Stepping Stones website</a>.<br />
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<br />
<i>Derrick Belanger is the author of the #1 bestselling book in its category <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1519511957" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Peculiar-Provenance/dp/1519511957/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3292728" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3292728" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&_cb=1451973203084" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />, which was in the top 200 bestselling books on Amazon. He also is the author of the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes books, the latest of which is <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B017862MVS" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur" href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dinosaur-MacDougall-Sherlock-Holmes-ebook/dp/B017862MVS/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_7842789" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_7842789" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&_cb=1451973247482" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />, and he edited the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle horror anthology <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00P4E8AVI" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural" href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Terror-Revolutionary-Stories-Supernatural-ebook/dp/B00P4E8AVI/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5010397" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5010397" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&_cb=1451973259426" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />. Mr. Belanger also is a frequent contributor to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. He resides in Colorado and continues compiling unpublished works by Dr. John H. Watson.</i><br />
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Behind the Latest Volume of the World's Largest Sherlock Holmes Collection

"when, for the fourth time" [BRUC] Philip K. Jones said it was "... the best Sherlockian fiction anthology ever pub...

+ Read more »

by Belanger Books

Why One Sherlockian Does Not Support the New Short Story Collection

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"Some deep sorrow gnaws ever at her heart." [HOUN]</h4>
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[<i><b>Editor's note:</b> the following does not represent the opinion of this site; this is one Sherlockian's opinion about a very complex matter. We'll leave it to you to decide for yourself.</i>]<br />
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No doubt you have recently seen testimony on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere by the numerous authors involved with MX Publishing’s Kickstarter campaign and ambitious undertaking to present the largest collection of Sherlockian writings <i><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1229605719/the-worlds-largest-new-sherlock-holmes-story-colle" target="_blank">(The World's Largest New Sherlock Holmes Story Collection</a></i>). Many of the authors are very dear friends of mine for whom I have much respect; in addition they are all extremely talented, so I have no doubt the collection will be a stellar one. But I will not be supporting the Kickstarter, nor will I be purchasing the books. <br />
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The project is being promoted as one to benefit Undershaw, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s former home, which he designed himself, and where he brought Sherlock Holmes back to life in order to get the funds to cover the building costs of Undershaw. While this three-volume set by MX appears on the surface to be a worthy cause—and I believe that MX Publishing has every good intention—to some of us who have been intimately involved with the <a href="http://www.saveundershaw.com/" target="_blank">Undershaw Preservation Trust</a> (UPT) and know the struggles to save this magnificent icon of historic and literary value, the long-term benefit of the fundraising is questionable. <br />
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I have been an active and outspoken member of UPT since 2009; I have been the U.S. representative for nearly that long, and have worked closely with the founder and co-founders of UPT. (<b>Note</b>: In this piece I am speaking only for <u>myself</u>; I do not speak for UPT nor any of its officials, though I write this with their permission.) In 2011 I visited Undershaw and saw for myself the deterioration it suffered at the hands of its former owners, whom UPT continued to challenge through legal means to force them to comply with the local requirements of maintaining an unoccupied property. <br />
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<h4>
"the whole history of the settlement" [STUD]</h4>
In addition, the former owners had plans to convert the home to several townhomes, and to build other townhomes on the property. Those of us who supported UPT and Undershaw worked long and hard to raise awareness around the world that this home, and all it represented for Sherlockians, would be destroyed forever should this be allowed to happen. It was not only the home itself that we wished to preserve, but the land upon which the home was built. As Conan Doyle had sought out a suitable location to build a home to aid his wife in her struggles with tuberculosis, he wrote to his mother in 1895 about the parcel of land in Hindhead, Surrey, “It is because its height, its dryness, its sandy soil, its fir trees, and its shelter from all bitter winds present the conditions which all agree to be best in the treatment of phthisis [tuberculosis]. If we could have ordered Nature to construct a spot for us we could not have hit upon anything more perfect.” <br />
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Fast forward--past successful rulings on behalf of Undershaw, victories for its preservation, attempts to find a buyer or buyers to purchase the home and perhaps to create an historic center of all things Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes--to the present, and the purchase of Undershaw by DFN Foundation / Stepping Stones School. [<i>An additional but truncated timeline can be found on <a href="http://artintheblood.net/understanding-the-undershaw-debatedebacle/" target="_blank">Art in the Blood</a>. - Ed.</i>]<br />
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<a href="http://www.steppingstones.org.uk/News/Undershaw-Saved/" target="_blank">Stepping Stones Schoo</a>l is an educational opportunity for children with various challenges. In itself, it is a most worthy cause; that Undershaw was bought to house a branch of the school could have been the best combination of historic preservation paired with a cause that no doubt Conan Doyle would be proud of. But at that point the worthiness of the cause gets in its own way, and as a result, Undershaw—for which many of us have worked so long to save—will be sacrificed to a skewed understanding of what “preservation” and “restoration” really mean. <br />
<br />
Undershaw has always been more than just a piece of property and a derelict brick home. Undershaw represents Conan Doyle—and Sherlock Holmes—at a pivotal time of their individual existences. The home was designed by Conan Doyle, and named, as he wrote, “Undershaw—a new word, I think, and yet one which described it exactly in good Anglo-Saxon, since it stood under a hanging grove of trees” (“shaw,” meaning a small copse or wood). As the area did not yet have electricity, an electric generating house with a steam driven plant made Undershaw the first house in Hindhead to have electricity. The home is where Conan Doyle lived when he wrote <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i>. “The Empty House,” and <i>The Return Of Sherlock Holmes</i> resurrected Holmes from the Reichenbach Falls in Conan Doyle’s study at Undershaw. Inside those walls <i>The Great Boer War</i> was written. The house was where Bram Stoker, J.M. Barrie, and Virginia Woolf stayed as guests; William Gillette traveled to Undershaw to discuss Conan Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes” play. While living at Undershaw, Conan Doyle received the knighthood, defended George Edalji, and met the woman who would become his second wife, Jean Leckie. [For more information on the history of Undershaw, see <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/03/effort-to-preserve-it-iden_7.html#.Vc1PVfRRK-y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“An Effort to Preserve It”</a>] <br />
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<h3>
"marked down for destruction" [VALL]</h3>
The DFN Foundation, or Stepping Stones School, were at first perceived as the savior of Undershaw when the purchase was made. Supporters celebrated listened to promises as UPT founder John Gibson and the Foundation entered discussions, reached agreements and ultimately signed a deal seemingly in support of his mission to keep Undershaw exactly as Doyle knew it.<br />
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What happened next is a “he-said-she-said” situation, as the lines of communication were confused, and the destruction of portions of the Undershaw estate began. (It should be noted that UPT continues to fight for Undershaw through the British legal system, with the encouragement of English Heritage and The Victorian Society.) In recent months the electric-generating house has been demolished, the stable (which had been left for 100 years with its iron stalls just as Conan Doyle had made them) has developed to become a small residential facility; the well which served the property has been filled with concrete (again, that had previously been left as it was when the Conan Doyle family was in residence); a tree planted by Conan Doyle himself has been bulldozed, as has most of the “endless sea of greenery” as described by Bram Stoker upon a visit there. The very nature and spirit of Undershaw, along with its name, is being destroyed. <br />
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In addition, a structure nearly three times the size of Undershaw will be built adjacent to it, in a modern style which will eclipse the modest Victorian home. Conan Doyle’s home will become a mere shadow of its former self, with nothing remaining of its proud literary heritage, nor of its significance to Sherlockians around the world. <br />
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On the Kickstarter page for <i>The World’s Largest New Sherlock Holmes Story Collection </i>the description of the fundraiser says, “The [contributing] authors are donating the royalties to the restoration of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's former home, Undershaw.” Knowing of the destruction—not restoration—of Undershaw which has occurred to date, I have little confidence in just how much restoration we can really count on. The only part of Undershaw which has been slated for restoration as far as I know has been the stained glass windows which Doyle had designed and installed. <br />
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There is no blame to be placed on the writers who believed they were contributing to the restoration of Undershaw through their work, nor on the hundreds of backers of the Kickstarter campaign. Nor should Steve Emecz and MX Publishing be perceived as having any ill intentions. This is, perhaps, a disagreement in what one considers restoration and preservation. To me, that entails much, much more than a set of stained glass windows. It involves preserving the integrity of an historic home. <br />
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I am in full support of the fine work that Stepping Stones School does on behalf of disabled children, and the educational opportunities offered those children in a safe and comfortable environment. However, any piece of property could have provided the school with its new home; sacrificing Undershaw did not have to be a part of it. <br />
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Once the building plans have been completed, there will only remain a shell of what Undershaw once was, and what it could have been. And so, on behalf of the home which I and others have worked for over a decade to save, the home where I touched the actual wall of the study where Conan Doyle wrote about the characters which have meant so much to me, I cannot support the Kickstarter campaign, nor the books which will result from it.<br />
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Those of you who are interested in the Undershaw Preservation Trust are invited to view the Undershaw Preservation Trust website at <a href="http://www.saveundershaw.com/" target="_blank">www.saveundershaw.com</a> for <a href="http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/sir-arthur-conan-doyles-undershaw-9841022" target="_blank">updates on the legal battles</a> to save Undershaw. We will continue to fight for true preservation and restoration of Conan Doyle's home until all legal means are exhausted. <br />
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<i>"We never understand how little we need in this world until we know the loss of it."</i> - J.M. Barrie, friend to Conan Doyle<br />
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Why One Sherlockian Does Not Support the New Short Story Collection

"Some deep sorrow gnaws ever at her heart." [HOUN] [ Editor's note: the following does not represent the opinion of this...

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by Jacquelynn Morris, ASH, BSI

Behind the World's Largest New Sherlock Holmes Story Collection

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"a large collection of valuable curiosities"[SIGN]</h4>
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A Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the three-volume series <i><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1229605719/the-worlds-largest-new-sherlock-holmes-story-colle" target="_blank">The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories</a></i>, an anthology of over 60 traditional pastiches from leading Sherlock Holmes authors, is off to a tremendous start. The anthology has garnered  media attention, as it sets the world record for <a href="http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-07-15/largest-ever-collection-of-new-sherlock-holmes-stories-will-raise-money-to-restore-conan-doyles-house" target="_blank">the largest collection of new Sherlock Holmes stories ever compiled</a>.<br />
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The three volumes are not just a new series of stories but also an altruistic collection. The anthology is a fundraiser for <a href="http://www.steppingstones.org.uk/Stepping-Stones-is-growing/" target="_blank">Stepping Stones</a> which is helping to restore <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Undershaw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Undershaw</a>, the home in which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i>, and which has fallen into significant disrepair. The aim of Stepping Stones's involvement is to turn Undershaw into a school for students with special needs. Within 48 hours, the Kickstarter campaign raised its initial goal of £2,000; however, a more ambitious goal is to raise £10,000 by the time the Kickstarter campaign concludes on August 16th.<br />
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I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere briefly interviewed Steve Emecz, of <a href="http://www.mxpublishing.com/index.html" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a>, the publisher of the anthology, and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/David-Marcum/e/B00K1IKA92" target="_blank">David Marcum</a>, the editor and compiler of the anthology, about this ambitious project, its goals, and why the funds are going to support the preservation of Undershaw.<br />
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<b>IHOSE: For this project, what made you both decide to create such a massive anthology of new traditional Sherlock Holmes tales?</b></h4>
<b>Steve Emecz:</b> I have to give the credit to David (Marcum) for the idea. We had discussed many times over the years producing an MX collection, but it was David’s thought to create a big one for Undershaw and open it up to all Holmes writers, not just MX’s own. The beauty of having so many people participate is it is creating so much awareness for the Undershaw project.<br />
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<b>David Marcum:</b> The original intention was much more modest. In late January 2015, I was awakened early one Saturday morning by a vivid dream of a new Holmes anthology. Rather than rolling over, falling back asleep, and forgetting about it. I got up and started thinking about authors that I knew (or with whom I’d communicated) that might be willing to participate. I specifically wanted people who would write traditional Holmes stories, set in the correct time period. I emailed MX publisher Steve Emecz, and he was very positive about the idea, so I started sending invitations. I had initially envisioned something along the lines of a dozen or so stories. However, my wish list kept growing, and so did the number of people who wanted to join the party. I had always thought of this as a one-volume idea, probably paperback, but when the book was going to be so big that it would have a tiny font-size and so many pages that the spine would crack, Steve and I discussed the idea of going to two volumes. Later, when it was clear that it would be substantial enough for three hardcover volumes, the decision to go bigger was much easier. At that point, we realized just how important this collection was going to be.<br />
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<b>IHOSE: Tell us about the Undershaw Trust and the Stepping Stone Schools.  Why are they worthy organizations to support through this endeavor?</b></h4>
<b>SE:</b> The <a href="http://saveundershaw.com/" target="_blank">Undershaw Preservation Trust</a> (UPT) did an amazing job fighting the destruction of the house for several years until a suitable owner came forward. Without John, Lynn and Sue and the thousands of supporters there would be no Undershaw today as it would have been chopped up by a developer. They blocked it all the way to the high court. In 2014 Stepping Stones bought the house and this year began restoration. Stepping Stones is a specialist education facility that looks after children with learning disabilities. I’ve been lucky enough to meet the Stepping Stones team and some of the kids. They do an incredible job and it’s a fitting legacy for Undershaw and one that Conan Doyle would be proud of.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:  How was the anthology compiled?  How were the authors chosen?</b></h4>
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<b>DM:</b> At first, I had a very short list of people that I already knew, often just through email correspondence. I asked them to participate, and the response was immediate and positive. As I became more ambitious and confident – as well as greedy to read new stories straight from Watson’s tin dispatch box – I combed my book shelves, seeing which authors I wanted to ask next. Of course, some that I asked weren’t able to participate due to various reasons, but everyone was gracious and helpful. Along the way we picked up several additional participants that were recommended by authors who had already joined the project. In other cases, I had to do some detective work – and it helped that my first career in my twenties was as a U.S. Federal Investigator – as I tracked down physical addresses for people that couldn’t be contacted by email. Several authors in England, for instance, are only reachable by mail, which certainly makes one recall the old days before emails and instant communication.<br />
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My main condition when assembling the stories was that the authors’ submissions had to be about the true Holmes and Watson from the Original Canon. There could be no parodies, and no new characteristics about them that were not in the original stories. I indicated that the authors could use the characters, but they had to put them back unchanged for the next author when they were done. All of the stories in the book do that, with great success. I’m currently re-reading all of the submissions for the final edit, and some of these stories still give me chills, even after multiple readings. This is going to be good!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMqYFDueoixrzXVMalCpgJliZ_DieUrNNXe7BUrwfIOeG_IyJr35pCuClYp0YhsrQ00cw-aMt_wu-FuqPUXYoaEXz7OQt1P-J0mCuasylWxwUPUSs5KeRobjodUpRUX_X2sRf_I3GaPI-/s1600/MX+Book+-+The+Stories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqMqYFDueoixrzXVMalCpgJliZ_DieUrNNXe7BUrwfIOeG_IyJr35pCuClYp0YhsrQ00cw-aMt_wu-FuqPUXYoaEXz7OQt1P-J0mCuasylWxwUPUSs5KeRobjodUpRUX_X2sRf_I3GaPI-/s640/MX+Book+-+The+Stories.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the manuscripts from Volume 1 - printed out and edited</td></tr>
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<b>IHOSE: I am sure all the stories in the anthology are exceptional. Tell us about a few stories that stand out.</b></h4>
<b>DM:</b> It seems as if there is a unique story for every author that I contacted. Many were strangers back then who were instantly gracious about being approached with no warning, and so many have now turned into friends. For instance, just after we “met” by email, bestseller Andrew Lane sent me another Holmes story that he’d just written for my opinion, probably just because he knew that I’d enjoy it. Then, when he was writing the story for this collection, he sent me a sentence at a time for part of an afternoon, just to drive me crazy.<br />
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I contacted best-selling author Lyndsay Faye, who has written a number of Holmes short stories, early on, and she agreed immediately. Of course, she was in the middle of all the things associated with the release of her latest book, including a nationwide tour. I don’t spend much time on Facebook, but this project has made me visit there more often, and I saw some of her journey chronicled there. In the middle of Lyndsay’s busiest time, and before I was expecting it since I could follow how busy she was, her story arrived in my inbox one day. That was really cool.<br />
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Lyndsay is a member of both the Baker Street Irregulars and also the Baker Street Babes. This collection also has several stories written by other members of both groups. And then there is <a href="http://amzn.to/1Swtu0X" target="_blank">Larry Millett</a>, who has written seven excellent Holmes novels. He wrote a story, and then allowed it to appear in the latest Strand magazine in order to give the project some extra exposure.<br />
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There are so many other stories as well. I was able to locate my favorite pastiche writer of them all, the legendary <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="SEARCH" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="a3f483b3b6d45e7ed29b16f794c5ab5f" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Denis O. Smith" href="http://amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Denis%20O.%20Smith&tag=socialmediama-20&linkId=a3f483b3b6d45e7ed29b16f794c5ab5f&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_6805030" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Denis O. Smith</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_6805030" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=socialmediama-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a3f483b3b6d45e7ed29b16f794c5ab5f&_cb=1437369585316" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />, and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to have a new story from him, and to have been the first one to read it. I also found the amazing John Hall, who contributed his first new pastiche in several years. We have a story by best-seller Will Thomas, who has thus far only written about Holmes’s contemporary investigator, Cyrus Barker, and has now written his first Holmes adventure. Then there is best-seller James Lovegrove, who I first contacted last year to discuss the location of Holmes’s retirement cottage in Sussex, near where James lives. After that, I felt comfortable in asking him to contribute to this project. <br />
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We have a contribution from <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/09/episode-68-sherlock-holmes-on-radio.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bert Coules</a>, who supervised the amazing BBC broadcast of the entire Canon. And we have a number of stories from writers who have contributed to the U.S. radio show, <a href="http://jimfrenchproductions.com/zc137m/" target="_blank">Imagination Theatre</a>, including founder Jim French, and writers Matthew Elliott, Matthew Booth, John Hall, Daniel McGachey, Iain McLaughlin and Claire Bartlett, Jeremy Holstein, J.R. Campbell, and me (<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/05/the-tangled-skeins-of-sherlock-holmes.html#.VayFJPlViko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">David Marcum</a>).<br />
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There are a lot who have famously already written about Holmes, and others who have written in other genres, but not about Holmes before. Several of our authors originally wrote some fan-fiction that’s as good as anything I’ve ever read anywhere about Holmes. I found their real identities and asked them to join us, and they did, with amazing results! Finally, I asked a few people who have done a great deal of work in keeping the world of Holmes alive, but hadn’t tried writing a story until now. Someone once said that every Sherlockian should write at least one pastiche, and this gave these folks the chance to do it. They truly knocked it out of the park. I’m now trying to convince them to write even more stories for their own future books, just so I’ll have even more to read about Our Heroes.</div>
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[<b><i>Editor's note</i></b>: a listing of the full set of authors is available <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1229605719/the-worlds-largest-new-sherlock-holmes-story-colle" target="_blank">on the Kickstarter campaign page</a>.]<br />
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<b>IHOSE: What is the goal of the Kickstarter campaign?</b></h3>
<b>SE:</b> The goals of the Kickstarter campaign are firstly awareness, and secondly to cover all the setup costs of the project so that we can begin to raise funds for the restoration straight away. We need to get to around £10,000 to achieve that. We set the public goal quite low at £2,000 to ensure it goes ahead but we’re hopeful to reach the main goal. As anyone that has done a crowdsourcing project, quite a lot of what people pledge is taking up in fulfillment costs – the anthology is nearly 3 kg in weight so expensive to ship.</div>
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For those wishing to purchase the anthology and help preserve Undershaw, the collection will only be <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1229605719/the-worlds-largest-new-sherlock-holmes-story-colle" target="_blank">available for preorder through the Kickstarter campaign</a>. It will then be available from <a href="http://amzn.to/1HK9v9S" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">major online</a> and brick and mortar bookstores.<br />
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Look for spotlight articles - <b><i>and a contest in which you'll have a chance to win a set of the entire set</i></b> - in the next 30 days here at I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, where we will have anthology contributors tell us a little bit about their stories and why they felt it was important to contribute to the anthology and help save Undershaw.<br />
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Behind the World's Largest New Sherlock Holmes Story Collection

"a large collection of valuable curiosities"[SIGN] A Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the three-volume series The ...

+ Read more »

by Belanger Books

New BSI Press Limited Edition Set to Benefit Undershaw

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"for the benefit of my friend" [DANC]</h4>
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The Baker Street Irregulars Press have released <i><b>The Undershaw Set</b></i> for sale, with the proceeds going toward the <a href="http://www.saveundershaw.com/" target="_blank">Undershaw Preservation Trust</a>.<br />
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The BSI Press has published nine volumes in <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsimanuscriptseries.html" target="_blank">the BSI Manuscript Series</a>, 10 in <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsihistoryseries.html" target="_blank">the BSI History Series</a>, another four in <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsiinternationalseries.html" target="_blank">the BSI International Series</a>, as well as a number of other books covering BSI expeditions and special events, scholarship and cross-country collaborations.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Undershaw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">We've covered the saga</a> surrounding the fight to save Conan Doyle's former home over the course of the better part of a decade. While the building has been spared from the demolitioner's bulldozer, plans are to make it a school and there is still significant work that needs to be done in order to preserve some of the original character and architecture.<br />
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And you may recall that we interviewed one of the contributors to <i>The Undershaw Set</i>; Michael Dirda, BSI ("Langdale Pike") was our guest on <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/01/episode-38-on-conan-doyle.html#.U6ZqefldWSo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IHOSE #38: On Conan Doyle</a>, which we recorded live at the 2012 BSI Weekend.<br />
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Release:<br />
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Now Available from</div>
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The Baker Street Irregulars Press</div>
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A Limited Edition</div>
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<b>THE UNDERSHAW SET</b></h3>
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This slip-cased set contains signed, numbered, limited edition, specially bound copies of <i><b>On Conan Doyle</b></i> by Pulitzer Prize winning critic Michael Dirda and <i><b>The Remarkable Characters of Arthur Conan Doyle</b></i>, edited by Joel B. Silver. <br />
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The trade edition of <i><b>On Conan Doyle</b></i>, published by Princeton University Press, was praised as a perfect introduction to Doyle’s life and works. This limited edition contains a number of enhancements, including a new afterward by the author, plus illustrations and photographs.<br />
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<i><b>The Remarkable Characters of Arthur Conan Doyle</b></i> presents papers from the conference and exhibition of the same name, which showcased the characters found in Doyle’s wide variety of  popular fiction. This limited edition volume includes signatures of the editor and contributors.<br />
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All profits from the sale of this set will go to the Undershaw Preservation Trust, an organization dedicated to preserving and restoring the unique home designed and built by Arthur Conan Doyle.<br />
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Only 80 sets of these beautiful books were produced. Each volume is bound in rich royal purple cloth with gold stamping and a matching custom slip-case. <i><b>The Undershaw Set</b></i> is available for $165.00, plus shipping.<br />
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Order your set now at: <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/">www.bakerstreetjournal.com</a>.<br />
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New BSI Press Limited Edition Set to Benefit Undershaw

"for the benefit of my friend" [DANC] The Baker Street Irregulars Press have released The Undershaw Set for sale, with the ...

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by Scott Monty

The Undershaw Preservation Trust

<h4 style="text-align: center;">"an effort to preserve it" [IDEN]</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBsOzdNlrszMlJ16Ad_Z942Ha6kaItzY9_QKdOS-UxnVNRD_9nn1fv7AXRClSHS6rXK8WTnpW3cM0DXyRTio1UbqoYcZCEM0lAhtvT_Wt8aMd1iP7G91HxNNhTQZ_f5wipSmdm11xV-Rk/s1600/Undershaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBsOzdNlrszMlJ16Ad_Z942Ha6kaItzY9_QKdOS-UxnVNRD_9nn1fv7AXRClSHS6rXK8WTnpW3cM0DXyRTio1UbqoYcZCEM0lAhtvT_Wt8aMd1iP7G91HxNNhTQZ_f5wipSmdm11xV-Rk/s640/Undershaw.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>[<i>Editor's note: Jacquelynn Morris, ASH is an Undershaw Preservation Trust Representative—Maryland, USA. She is also the sparking plug behind <a href="http://www.watsonstinbox.org/a-scintillation-of-scions.html">A Scintillation of Scions</a>.</i>]<br />
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<blockquote>It was an old, tumbledown building in a crazy state of disrepair… the grass-grown drive in front of the blotched and weather-stained door…the whole place was depressing.</blockquote><br />
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle once wrote these words about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Wisteria-Lodge-Dodo-Press/dp/1406556076?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Wisteria Lodge</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1406556076" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />, but they have come to be sadly prophetic about a house nearer and dearer to his heart. Not Wisteria Lodge, but <b><a href="http://www.saveundershaw.com/">Undershaw</a></b>, the home designed by and lived in by Conan Doyle and his family for over ten years, during which time he wrote some of his most memorable work.<br />
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Undershaw came into being after a conversation Conan Doyle had with his friend, novelist Grant Allen, in 1895. Allen suffered from tuberculosis, the illness which left Conan Doyle’s wife, Louise, an invalid for the last 15 years of her life. In this conversation Conan Doyle had with Allen, Allen claimed the healthy air of <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Hindhead+surrey+england&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Hindhead,+Surrey,+UK&gl=us&ei=E3dwTfftGM-ftwfU2bWNDw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQ8gEwAA">Hindhead</a>, in Surrey, England, cured him of tuberculosis.<br />
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At a time when wealthy tuberculosis sufferers were encouraged to go to the Swiss Alps for a better chance of survival, Conan Doyle himself had taken to moving the family about for Louise’s health from Switzerland to Egypt. Hindhead certainly offered an alternative closer to London.<br />
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Immediately after this conversation with Grant Allen, Conan Doyle visited Hindhead, about 40 miles south of London, and decided it was his “English Switzerland.” He purchased a plot of land where he planned to have a house built and drafted the first designs of the house himself before passing them on to architect and friend Joseph Henry Ball to complete.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2peXAVNQdwDsmkDUnfD5t3KlOGIIOCExBPN-cvImfFYM_lFCyAgsGiqIbHPbfW5sFzHOekRqhQtJ6kAsgvEk7xac_Ya7jun1p-8APPRoXNej9PYf3poBpRyjDSB-c9YbCSbAJ6dYksavr/s1600/b_undershaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2peXAVNQdwDsmkDUnfD5t3KlOGIIOCExBPN-cvImfFYM_lFCyAgsGiqIbHPbfW5sFzHOekRqhQtJ6kAsgvEk7xac_Ya7jun1p-8APPRoXNej9PYf3poBpRyjDSB-c9YbCSbAJ6dYksavr/s1600/b_undershaw.jpg" /></a></div>In his autobiography, <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sir-Arthur-Conan-Doyle-Adventures/dp/184022570X?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Memories and Adventures</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=184022570X" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></i></b>, Conan Doyle describes the house as “a considerable mansion…planned upon a large scale.” The house was built on a four-acre site, facing south toward woods and the heath. Conan Doyle wanted a comfortable modern house to entertain family and friends as well as to allow Louise a quiet place to rest. When completed, the substantial gabled red-brick house was approached from a winding drive. There was an impressive two-story entrance hall where there was displayed a collection of swords as well as a series of stained glass windows with what Conan Doyle considered his family coat of arms. The house included eleven bedrooms and dressing rooms, a dining room that could seat 30, Conan Doyle’s study, a wood-paneled drawing room, a billiard room, substantial servants’ quarters, and a power plant to provide electricity to the house. Also on the grounds were a four-room lodge, a stable which held six horses, a coach house, a garage, a magnificent railway on the grounds to delight his children, and a tennis court. With Louise’s ill health in mind, doors that hinged both ways were installed per Conan Doyle’s instructions, and the house’s main staircase was built with shallow steps to allow her to ascend and descend with relative ease.<br />
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Sir Arthur named the house “Undershaw,” from the word “shaw,” meaning a small copse or wood. Conan Doyle writes: “…we moved into the new house, which I called Undershaw—a new word, I think, and yet one which described it exactly in good Anglo-Saxon, since it stood under a hanging grove of trees.”<br />
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Once the Conan Doyle family took up residence in Undershaw they began receiving visitors. At first it was mostly family, but one of their first non-family visitors was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Paget">Sidney Paget</a>, illustrator of the majority of Holmes stories and who had been commissioned by Conan Doyle to paint his portrait. J.M. Barrie, who wrote <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Peter-Pan-100th-Anniversary-Barrie/dp/0805072454?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Peter Pan</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0805072454" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></b></i>, was also a guest at Undershaw, as were both Virginia Woolf and Bram Stoker, creator of Dracula, who said about Undershaw:<br />
<blockquote>It is so sheltered from cold winds that the architect felt justified in having lots of windows, so that the whole place is full of light. Nevertheless, it is cosy and snug to a remarkable degree and has everywhere that sense of “home” which is so delightful to occupant and stranger alike… </blockquote><br />
Stoker describes the view at Undershaw:<br />
<blockquote>…an endless sea of greenery, ranges of hills piling up one behind the other, in undulations of varying blue. An expanse which, whether seen from near or far, in unity or detail, simply ravishes the eye with its myriad beauties.</blockquote><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Boer-Arthur-Conan-Doyle/dp/1147178933?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Great Boer War" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1147178933&tag=thebakerstree-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1147178933" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />Conan Doyle wrote <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Boer-Arthur-Conan-Doyle/dp/1147178933?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Great Boer War</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1147178933" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></i></b> there in 1900, after his time as a volunteer physician in South Africa during the war. <i>The Great Boer War</i> became influential in military reforms, when Conan Doyle suggested use of camouflage and advised against continued use of cavalry swords. He felt that all Englishmen should be marksmen, forming the Undershaw Rifle Club where he held bi-weekly training sessions and provided, at his own expense, firearms and ammunition. The rifle club had over 300 members and became an example followed by other communities across England; this served the country well when Englishmen trained in marksmanship joined the British Army at the start of the First World War.<br />
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Undershaw was where Conan Doyle lived when he received the knighthood in 1902. It was where he learned to drive a motorcar as one of Hindhead’s first motorists, and it was in the driveway of Undershaw where Conan Doyle had his first car crash in 1905.<br />
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Undershaw was where Conan Doyle’s children, Mary and Kingsley, grew up and where his wife, Louise, spent the last years of her life.<br />
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It was from Undershaw that Conan Doyle championed the cause of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Conan-Doyle-Parsons-Son-George/dp/1843862417?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">George Edalji</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1843862417" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />, falsely imprisoned for animal mutilation.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hound-Baskervilles-First-American/dp/1131210344?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Hound of the Baskervilles ( First American Edition )" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1131210344&tag=thebakerstree-20" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hound-Baskervilles-Sherlock-Holmes-Mystery/dp/193659403X?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><br />
</a></i></b><b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hound-Baskervilles-Sherlock-Holmes-Mystery/dp/193659403X?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1131210344" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />The Hound of the Baskervilles</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=193659403X" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></i></b> was written at Undershaw. Holmes was resurrected in "The Adventure of the Empty House" at Undershaw in 1903, and Conan Doyle went on to write the 13 stories of <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Return-Sherlock-Holmes-Collection/dp/B00009WVO2?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Return of Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00009WVO2" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /></i></b> while in residence.<br />
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It was also at Undershaw where Conan Doyle first considered writing a play about Sherlock Holmes. Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, one of the great figures of the English theatre, was interested in the play but wanted the character of Holmes adapted to his own acting style. Conan Doyle refused. About this he said,<br />
<blockquote>Rather than re-write it on lines which would make a different Holmes from my Holmes, I would without the slightest pang put it back in the drawer.</blockquote>Although Conan Doyle would not change Holmes himself (even though he professed disdain for the character), he later allowed actor William Gillette to change Holmes and allow him to be engaged to be married at the end of the play (famously replying to Gillette’s telegram “MAY I MARRY HOLMES?”, Conan Doyle said, “YOU MAY MARRY HIM OR MURDER HIM OR DO ANYTHING YOU LIKE WITH HIM”). Gillette’s portrayal of Holmes became legendary and even iconic, introducing the calabash pipe to our perception of Holmes as Gillette preferred not to block his face with any other style of pipe.<br />
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After Louise finally succumbed to illness in 1907, Conan Doyle sold Undershaw and his life went in a different direction with his new wife, Jean Leckie. Undershaw was sold again in 1924, and until 2004 the house was used as a small country hotel and restaurant, when it was once again purchased by a developer. It has languished in neglect in the years since then.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggE8Bf8EdQu0jme65PO0BH9PYeUHnl8CGTpiPrjCorC_akLAVdzDOOLfy_U_KBdzzBFH2gOnio0TEHXGtj0oEBB2TBNn1qL11xg_Hvg9_j7JiIVjhLlphHMCg-yHgmsno18X5MAOYE_mve/s1600/Undershaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggE8Bf8EdQu0jme65PO0BH9PYeUHnl8CGTpiPrjCorC_akLAVdzDOOLfy_U_KBdzzBFH2gOnio0TEHXGtj0oEBB2TBNn1qL11xg_Hvg9_j7JiIVjhLlphHMCg-yHgmsno18X5MAOYE_mve/s1600/Undershaw.jpg" /></a></div>Today, Undershaw stands sorrowfully empty, neglected and vandalized. The three-story red-brick structure forlornly awaits its fate, with boarded-up windows and an overgrown yard, sadly bringing to mind Wisteria Lodge. Lead has been stolen from the roof, graffiti has marred the walls, windows have been broken and water has leaked in nearly every room. Promises by the owner/developer for upkeep of Undershaw have been poorly implemented, forcing the Waverley Borough Council to take some measures to at least secure the building from further damage.<br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1257565/Its-mystery-stump-Sherlock-Holmes-Why-earth-letting-Conan-Doyles-home-fall-ruin.html"><b><i>Robert Hardman</i></b> of the <i>The Daily Mail</i> wrote</a>:<br />
<blockquote>The imposing late Victorian house…is boarded up, dilapidated…How on earth could a nation which has produced the most famous character in modern fiction—inspiring a record 223 films and 400 fan clubs worldwide—simply stand by while his creator’s legacy is erased?</blockquote><br />
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<center><iframe frameborder="0" height="285" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/11360128" width="500"></iframe></center><center><a href="http://vimeo.com/11360128">Save Undershaw</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user762441">WetherbyPond</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a></center>.<br />
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Some of us cannot “simply stand by.” In August 2009 <b><a href="http://www.saveundershaw.com/">Undershaw Preservation Trust</a></b>, or UPT, was formed by <b><i>John Gibson</i></b>, author of 5 books on Conan Doyle, some with his friend, the late Richard Lancelyn Green. John Gibson is now Director of the Undershaw Preservation Trust and has campaigned for the restoration and preservation of Undershaw, testifying at hearings in defense of Conan Doyle’s legacy. After a visit to the property, Gibson reported:<br />
<blockquote>It was in a terrible state. I came here once and the front door was wide open with rain pouring through. I reported it to the Council and came back two weeks later and it was still open to the world.</blockquote><br />
The developer/owner has proposed several different plans for the grounds and Undershaw itself, most rejected by the Waverley Borough Council in Hindhead, but all involving destroying the historic value of Conan Doyle’s home in pursuit of financial gain. The developer's plans have included permanently dividing the building into townhomes, building other structures on the property, and converting Conan Doyle’s horse stables with their cast iron stalls into a garage.<br />
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A very telling comment by Michael Wilson, the developer's architect, about the proposed changes for Undershaw: "The main house is being put back in the original form but vertically divided. To leave it as a single house doesn't work financially."<br />
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In June 2010 Waverley Borough Council, after having rejected numerous redevelopment plans over the years, at last gave in and granted the owners planning permission to carve up the literary, historic house into three flats, with five more homes built on the site.<br />
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About this, John Gibson said:<br />
<blockquote>It will destroy the whole spirit of the place. You’ll have Conan Conan Doyle’s drawing room in one house, his dining room in another, and his study in another.</blockquote><br />
One member of the Waverley Borough Council, Jim Edwards, cast the only vote against the planning officers’ recommendations and took the preservationists' side. Mr. Edwards is quoted as saying "This house has got tremendous historical importance. This is a massive development, and quite unacceptable in my view." Conan Doyle's great-nephew Richard Conan Doyle, said "The family had been trying to come up with ways of buying it, but the price was so high we could not afford it. We just wish there was something we could do."<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/christianpayne/3523758590/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Stephen Fry visits Bletchley Park by Documentally, on Flickr"><img alt="Stephen Fry visits Bletchley Park" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3311/3523758590_be3fb546d1_m.jpg" /></a>Actor <a href="http://twitter.com/stephenfry"><b>Stephen Fry</b></a> is a supporter of UPT and had this to say to the Council:<br />
<blockquote>As Patron of the Conan Conan Doyle library, as a former youngest member of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, as an admirer of Conan Doyle and his achievements I urge Waverley Borough Council to reconsider what future ages will adjudge a foolish short-sighted and wanton act of vandalism. There is real value in Undershaw. If it is thought about, it can attract new generations of tourists to the area, it can be an enormous source of local pride.</blockquote><br />
In spite of last year’s setback, all is not yet lost. Word is spreading about Undershaw through a concerted effort on the part of the Undershaw Preservation Trust via <a href="http://www.saveundershaw.com/"><b>their website</b></a>, <a href="http://undershawhelp.blogspot.com/"><b>a blog</b></a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Undershaw-Preservation-Trust/143840102309365"><b>Facebook page</b></a>, and UPT volunteer representatives. Writers <i><b>Julian Barnes</b></i> and <i><b>Ian Rankin</b></i> are backing the campaign, and author <b><i>Alistair Duncan</i></b> is currently writing a book, <i>An Entirely New Country - Arthur Conan Conan Doyle, Undershaw and the Resurrection of Sherlock Holmes</i>. Even more significantly, actor and writer <b><i>Mark Gatiss</i></b>, writer/creator and portrayer of Mycroft in the new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Season-One-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B004132HZS?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b><i>Sherlock</i></b></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004132HZS" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /> TV series, is now patron and sponsor of the Undershaw Preservation Trust and has been a champion of the cause in recent interviews:<br />
<blockquote>I would like to express my whole-hearted enthusiasm for the campaign to save Undershaw. It seems to me a very sad reflection on our times that the home of one of our greatest and most popular writers should be so neglected and in danger of unsympathetic redevelopment…Sir Arthur Conan Conan Doyle occupied several residences in his prolific and thrilling career, only Undershaw bears the stamp of his massive personality…It’s no exaggeration to say that Undershaw was the centre of Conan Doyle’s life during perhaps the most fruitful and fascinating phase of his career. It must be saved and take its place among the sensitively preserved residences of this country’s other literary giants. This is certainly a three-pipe problem but not, I am convinced, an insoluble one.</blockquote><br />
John Gibson has been consulting with attorneys to determine whether the planning permission from Waverley was possibly unlawful; they are in the process of preparing Judicial Review papers for submission to the Royal Courts of Justice to have the decision overturned. It is hoped that sometime this spring there will be good news on this front.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YMrQduRHZU9Rv9zzQ30kHY8aaASvs9hopV1i7DL-0uWdesLiirXdhG6gL6_AV3RGTBOykRMntf7H1DK2KbllBz1HOcPAJR5rNjoYdpXl2KrNOkl0m59CBdAu-_-lRrJRumFJz9rDktBl/s1600/conandoyle-pic03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YMrQduRHZU9Rv9zzQ30kHY8aaASvs9hopV1i7DL-0uWdesLiirXdhG6gL6_AV3RGTBOykRMntf7H1DK2KbllBz1HOcPAJR5rNjoYdpXl2KrNOkl0m59CBdAu-_-lRrJRumFJz9rDktBl/s200/conandoyle-pic03.jpg" width="143" /></a></div>The vision of the Undershaw Preservation Trust is to someday see the Undershaw house, stable, and grounds restored to their former glory, eventually becoming a self-supporting Sherlock Holmes/Conan Doyle Museum. Exhibits could be on view in conjunction with the <a href="http://www.conandoylecollection.co.uk/">Portsmouth Museum’s 50,000-item Conan Doyle collection</a> of John Gibson’s late friend, Richard Lancelyn Green. Ideally, the proposed museum at Undershaw might then become part of a Conan Doyle tour, including visits to London, Portsmouth Museum, and Conan Doyle’s grave in the New Forest’s Minstead Churchyard. This would certainly require a significant amount of money which would need to be raised, but major fundraising is still in the future. The first priority has to be stopping the proposed development. If that is allowed to occur there will be no saving Undershaw for future generations of Sherlockians.<br />
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The Undershaw Preservation Trust now has more than 25 representatives in at least 10 different countries. The representative's task is to spread the word about Undershaw and rally the Sherlockian troops for support in upcoming projects and fundraising. Preliminary fundraising plans at this point include a UPT pin which will be for sale in coming months, as well as some items which will be sold on eBay. An Undershaw awareness-raising project for the UK is being considered for the opening of a long-awaited tunnel in Hindhead this May; tentative plans include Undershaw supporters attending in Victorian attire to hand out flyers about saving Conan Doyle’s house.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">How can you help? </span></b><br />
<ol><li>If you’re on Facebook, find the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Undershaw-Preservation-Trust/143840102309365"><b>Undershaw Preservation Trust’s Facebook page</b></a> and join as a fan. </li>
<li>Visit the website, <a href="http://www.saveundershaw.com/"><b>www.saveundershaw.com</b></a>, for updates and to leave comments. </li>
<li>Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/spiritangel04">@spiritangel04</a> on Twitter; retweet UPT tweets so that your followers will see them. </li>
<li>Tweet a #FollowFriday recommendation for UPT. </li>
<li>On your blog or website mention UPT and link to <a href="http://www.saveundershaw.com/"><b>Save Undershaw's website</b></a>. </li>
<li>Mention Undershaw to any Sherlockians of your acquaintance and refer them to the website.</li>
<li>Spread this blog post by email, Twitter, Facebook or any other sharing method; we've provided the tools directly at the top and bottom of this entry to help you with that.</li>
</ol><br />
We cannot do this alone, but we just may be able to do it together. As Holmes says in "The Copper Beeches,"<br />
<blockquote>The pressure of public opinion can do in the town what the law cannot accomplish.</blockquote><br />
If we believe that Holmes and Conan Doyle belong to all of us--even generations long beyond our own time--then we are charged with making it known through the Undershaw Preservation Trust that Undershaw must be preserved and restored. We must bring that “pressure of public opinion” to this campaign. The loss of Undershaw is more than a loss for Hindhead; it is a loss for us all.<br />
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