Popping Into Baker Street, Part 3

Special Features, Popping Into Baker Street, Part Three
Let’s keep it short and sweet today. Can you answer these questions about Sherlock Holmes? (Answers below.)

1. What is the name of Holmes’ nemesis?
2. Where does Holmes live?
3. What is the name of Sherlock’s brother?
4. Sherlock Holmes became a smash after the stories appeared in The Strand. Name another author that debuted in the same magazine.

Answers:
1. Professor James Moriarty
2. 221B. Baker Street, London
3. Mycroft Holmes
4. Charles Dickens and Mark Twain


Last week's question:
Trivia Question #2: Who was the hero of The Lost World?
Professor Challenger

Special Feature- Popping into Baker Street

Special Features
Popping into Baker Street

So, you think you’re a true mystery fan, do you? Well put on your deerstalker cap and let’s wander on down to 221A Baker Street for a little peek into Arthur Conan Doyle’s life to see if we can separate the man from his iconic mystery solver.

How much of Arthur Conan Doyle can be found in Sherlock Holmes? Well Doyle was a doctor for one, and he was mentored by Dr. Joseph Bell, a man brilliant in observation and logic. No doubt Dr. Watson sprung from here. But where did Sherlock come from? Doyle lived with an alcoholic father and was shipped off to boarding school for seven years. His mother was a brilliant storyteller. He served on a whaling ship and was often short of funds. By all accounts, he had high moral standards and a keen imagination. Sound like Sherlock? Yes, and no.

Sherlock is certainly the intellectual giant, but troubled by drug addiction and a penchant for the melancholy. He excelled at boxing, was a master of disguise and a very poor hand at the violin.
Doyle, on the other hand, was an even tempered man, and by many accounts, admired for his sense of humor. It is reputed that when he obtained his medical degree he drew a funny sketch of himself receiving his diploma and captioned it ‘Licensed to Kill.’

So can we find Sherlock in these bits of his life? I think the answer is yes. And no. Sherlock, like any good character, is cobbled together from experiences and observations. He is a crucible where things come together that the author both loves and despises. Sherlock Holmes was not the sum of what Doyle knew, but what he no doubt wanted to know, a world where order could be restored by intellect, where eccentricities proved to be strengths and justice was restored.
Next week, we’ll take a look at Doyle’s love hate relationship with Sherlock, a character whom he both birthed and tried desperately to kill. Below is a trivia question to sharpen up your detective skills. Send in your answer and we’ll see if you’ve earned that deerstalker cap!

Trivia Question: In all of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Sherlock Holmes never smokes the famous drop step pipe that has become the characters hallmark. Where did the idea for the drop-step pipe come from?

A Mysterious Trip

How did it happen? My darling protagonist Ruth Budge and I have reached a strange and mysterious place. One day we’re easing into adult life and then bam! Out of nowhere…middle age. I ignored the signs for a while, the wrinkles, the gray hairs, the odd bulge here or there. Since my monolithic 40th birthday, and completion of Ruth’s adventures in Finny, I can no longer disregard the plain truth. I’ve made it my mid-life mission to compile a handy list of the top three signs of middle age, a sort of roadmap for those accompanying me down that crooked highway.

Sign Number One: Parts of my body are not where I left them two decades ago. Gravity is not my friend, I’ve decided. It seems to be doing its able best to pull all manner of areas in the southernly direction. Other parts require much more time and assistance than they did in my twenties. Getting up off the floor for instance, necessitates several people and a winch. And what is that sound that comes out of my mouth when I bend over? Ruth has the same trouble, but she puts me to shame. She manages to chase her flock of disabled seagulls, keep up with her new husband’s catering business and even solve a murder in her latest book, Fog Under Finny’s Nose. If she can forge ahead, I guess I can too.

Sign number Two: I’ve become technology road kill on the great cyber highway. When I turned forty, the world exploded with microchips and gigawatt thingamagiggys. I got a new phone that came equipped with all kinds of functions from text messaging to navigating the Mars explorer. For some reason, my middle aged brain has reached capacity and I am unable to figure out anything technology related. Ruth, like me, still appreciates the power of a good handwritten document. As a matter of fact, just such gem, handwritten by a stalwart restaurateur in 1920, proves to be a clue that unlocks a decades old mystery. How’s that for the power of the pen?

Sign Number Three: Time moves faster now. The days on my calendar fly by so
quickly, I sometimes can’t remember what I packed into all of them. Gone are my girls’ jack o’lantern grins with missing teeth and the box of tiny ballet slippers marks an age that seems so long ago and yet remains so recent in my memory. Gone too are the times of reading books on Mommy’s lap and playing in the mud on a warm spring morning. I can’t remember when my kisses stopped being magic for boo boos, or when the girls got too big for flying high on the swing set, looking as if they could touch the sun.

Could it be only a few short weeks until Finny #2, Fog Under Finny’s Nose releases? And how is it possible that book three, Treasure Under Finny’s Nose is complete? I will certainly miss Ruth and her crazy town filled with colorful characters and plenty of villainy. Maybe we will meet again sometime. I suppose the miles we’ve traveled together helped me to appreciate this amazing God given journey, to taste the sweetness of the days, like hidden fruit left on the tree to soak up the sun for a while longer. I will count myself blessed to savor my life in the middle, and the wonderful company I’ve enjoyed along the way.

Norwich Terrier

Hello, all you dog lovers out there. Let me introduce myself. I’m Macris Labelle Beaumont III. I know you’re saying that’s a mighty fancy name for a little dog that’s less than ten inches high and weighs about twelve pounds. You have to realize that I’m a show dog, and I have a fancy name on my registration papers. Of course I have a call name that friends use, and mine’s Astro, short for Asteroid. The reason my owner gave me that name is because she said there was about as much chance of an asteroid hitting the earth as a dog being born as close to its standard as I was.

I always blushed when I heard her say that because I think she exaggerated a little. Scientists tell us at the current rate of asteroids hitting the earth, we can expect one large impact about ever 100 million years. I doubt if I’m that rare, but at the risk of sounding conceited I am expected to set the dog show world on its ear. That’s me in the picture. How about that stack? Real cool, don’t you think? For those not familiar with dog show lingo, that’s how my handler poses me for the judges to get a good look at me.

I’ve been worried lately that I may not get the chance to strut my stuff in the show ring, because some bad things have been happening at Jordan’s Kennels where I live. Leigh Dennison is the new owner, and that girl knows nothing about dogs. To make matters worse, she has ADD. I heard her tell Blake Cameron that means Attention Deficit Disorder. I have no idea what that means, but I think it has something to do with all the disasters we’ve been having. I hope somebody can get things straightened out before the whole kennel goes to the dogs. (Sorry about that.)

Maybe Sandra Robbins, the author of my story Pedigreed Bloodlines which releases in May from Heartsong Presents Mysteries, will come to the rescue before it’s too late. She seems like a nice lady—loves dogs. So she can’t be all bad. Sandra, who has four grown children, lives in Tennessee with her husband and dotes on her Yorkshire terrier Belle. . I have a sneaking suspicion that Belle’s living the good life in Tennessee. In fact Sandra used her pet’s name for my mother’s name in the book. That makes me want to roll over and howl with happiness

I know there has to be a lot of you dog lovers out there. I’d really like to hear from you and see if you cater to your pet’s every whim like you should. After all, we are your best friend. Who else gives you unconditional love and never holds a grudge? All we want is plenty to eat and drink, a warm place to sleep, and an occasional pat on the head. Ah, a dog’s life. How sweet it is!

Astro

It's the Network...

Hello? Hello?

This ridiculous contraption always makes me sound like I’m talking through a can. Maybe if I whack it…there. Can you hear me now? If so, I need you to pass a message along to my niece, Casey Alexander. It’s of utmost importance. She’s in quite a lot of danger, you see, though she doesn’t even realize it.

I never dreamed, back when strange messages started appearing on my porch, that my disappearance would transfer all of my troubles onto Casey. She’s always been such a good girl—all right, maybe she is a trifle strange, what with her addiction to dime store detective novels. But she’s sharp as a butcher’s cleaver when you run it through a. . .oops. Hehe. I digress.

Anyway, if you would please let Casey know that her Aunt Liddy loves her and that I’m watching over her, I sure would appreciate it. Tell her I’m always close by even though she can’t see me, and that I wish with all my heart I could wrap her up in a great big hug and take her to our secret “spot.”

I know this is a lot to ask, you being a stranger and all. I would tell her myself, but that’s the trouble with being dead, you see. It makes communicating with your loved ones so much more difficult. So, if you could? Help an old girl out?

Thank—oh—well, my line is cutting out again. They sure—make these things like—used to. Anyway, tell Casey that her aunt, Lydia Alexander, said to watch out for—

CALL LOST...

Elizabeth Ludwig graduated Summa Cum Laude from Hart High School in 1985. She received a scholarship to Michigan State University in 1986 and went on to study English and Journalism. She spent several years learning both music and theater arts, and has performed in numerous community projects. She teaches a College and Career Sunday school class and sings on the praise team at her local church. She is an accomplished speaker and dramatist, having performed before audiences of 1500 and more, at local community groups, and before judges for Forensics Meets across the state of Michigan.

Mrs. Ludwig has written a number of historical books, and two romantic suspense novels including A Walk of Faith, a finalist in ACFW’s 2004 Noble Theme Contest. Other notable accomplishments include two top ten finishes in ACFW’s 2005 Noble Theme Contest, General Historical and Historical Romance categories, respectively. Her first novel, Where the Truth Lies, which she co-authored with Janelle Mowery, is scheduled for release in spring of 2008 from Heartsong Presents: Mysteries, an imprint of Barbour Publishing. The sequel, Died in the Wool, is due spring, 2009.

To find out more, visit Elizabeth on the web at http://www.elizabethludwig.com/.

BE AFRAID

Barbour Publishing is launching this line of cozy mysteries called Heartsong Mysteries. You can find out more about it here: http://www.heartsongmysteries.com/

My first book in this book club comes in September and if you’ve been reading along the earlier posts you’re getting an idea of the fun all our authors are having being involved in this new line of books.

Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple stories are the classic example of cozy mysteries.

On television, think Murder She Wrote.

My next turn to blog I’ll talk more about my own cozy mystery coming in September, the first of a three book series. But I’ll give you a blurb for now:

Of Mice…and Murder

By Mary Connealy

Being named in Great-grandma’s will was like hitting bankrupt on Wheel of Fortune. The whole family held their breath while the wheel ticked around and around, or rather while the lawyer opened the envelope. Then the wheel stopped on Carrie’s name and everybody else heaved a sigh of relief.

Carrie the heiress. Great.

Clean up the house.

Clean up the yard.

Clean up Great-grandma’s rap sheet.

Carrie hates mice and loves the big city. So why is she living in a huge mouse infested house in her dinky hometown? The dead guy in her pantry closet is the most interesting thing that's happened since she came home. Of course the carpenter who's helping her trap her mice and solve the crime is pretty interesting, too.

http://www.maryconnealy.com/

I created Carrie out of my own mouse phobia. How about you? Anyone else afraid of mice? Any other phobias?

The only truly unrealistic thing that happens in my small fictional town of Melnik, Nebraska, is...Carrie staying in that house once she sees the first mouse. The rest of it, an oversized stuffed mouse, a dead guy in the closet, a crazed pie-baker and a mouse obsessed drama queen, sure...those could happen. But staying in that house with the mice?

No way.

So tell me what makes you go EEEEKKK!!!!!