Here
at 221b our interest was captured by a new and most promising author;
aficionados may have visited James Moffett's excellent blog where all
things Holmes are covered in a refreshing and concise manner. We have
been lucky enough to be granted an interview with the man of the hour
himself, but first let us share this remarkable site with you;
https://apalaceforthemind.wordpress.com/
Now
you will be delighted to hear, James has written his first novel, The
Trials of Sherlock Holmes, a
collection of short stories which can be approached individually or
as separate tales. Here
is the Publisher's blurb;
It
is a cold London morning in 1887, and the discovery of a dead man in
an abandoned house plunges Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson into a
series of eight trying cases that will test the friendship of the two
companions and threaten the safety of the country itself. From a
staged murder to an impossible suicide, the theft of a national
document to the disappearance of an entire family, London's foremost
consulting detective and his faithful companion must seek out the
clues and venture into the very heart of each mystery. All the while
a sinister force, lurking amid the busy streets of London, stalks
their every case, testing their own mental and physical prowess;
ultimately they require the assistance of their closest allies,
including Mycroft Holmes and the unsophisticated Inspectors Gregson
and Lestrade. Will Holmes and Watson be able to avert the approaching
threat that appears to be vengefully heading straight for them?
Intrigued,
to say the least
we tracked down the author and here is the result of our conversings;
James,
what inspired you to challenge Holmes with such a dazzling range of
cases?.
The
idea of 'The Trials of Sherlock Holmes' initially started as a single
novel. It then occured to me to try and tackle the whole concept of a
collection of short stories from a different perspective. In essence,
the book can be experienced either as a single overarching case or
collection of separate stories. The way it is written allows for each
short story to serve as either a collection of adventure, or one of
eight chapters in a series of stories that are ultimately
interlinked. That provided for an interesting take on Holmes and his
quest to discover the truth.
What
got you writing in the first place?.
My
passion for writing was in fact something of a recent spark. At a
young age I was never much into reading or writing, but there was
always a sense of wanting to "create" something of my own.
Some six years ago I discovered how liberating and satisfying writing
can be and this has led to the creation of a blog and the idea that
started the journey to this book's completion.
Which
writers inspire you?.
Besides
Arthur Conan Doyle and J.R.R. Tolkien as inspiring authors, I much
prefer going by genre or book rather than specific writers. Besides
the occasional thriller novel, I'm also keen on reading biographies
of historical figures, science-related arguments and fantasy
stories.
Who
is your favourite Actor to play Holmes and why?.
Tricky
question! Without being too much of a cliche' I must admit that
Jeremy Brett's interpretation is spot on. At the same time, given the
modern-day alternative, Benedict Cumberbatch is as good as Brett.
Controversial!...
have you any advice for aspiring writers?.
Keep
on writing! It's advice I have received and advice I relay to others.
Sometimes, having the drive to write something that you want others
to read is strong. Yet, there are circumstances when you're not
always going to feel good about what you're writing. The trick is to
keep at it until you're done. Nothing beats the satisfaction you get
once you've completed your own work - whether it is published or not.
We
agree there... what are you working on next?.
I
am currently hard at work on a long historical fantasy poem, whilst
fleshing out ideas for a Sherlock Holmes novel.
We
await these with interest. Thank You for talking to us.
 |
| James Moffett (Photo Copyright: Author) |
James
Moffett is a Masters graduate in Professional Writing, with a
specialisation in novel and non-fiction writing. He began developing
a passion for writing when contributing to his University's student
magazine. His interest in the literary character of Sherlock Holmes
was deep-rooted in his youth and has recently launched a blog on
Arthur Conan Doyle's titular character; the
aforementioned https://apalaceforthemind.wordpress.com/
James'
book The Trials of Sherlock Holmes (ISBN:
9781787051355)
weighs in at 220 pages
and is reasonably priced at £9.99. It is published on the
13th of June, but you can guarantee a copy for yourselves
by Pre-Ordering here-
-or
direct from the publisher;
No comments:
Post a Comment
What do YOU think?; don't forget to leave your E-Mail address or join our E-Mail list for the latest from 221b!.