[Link] Nikki Nelson-Hicks on Sherlock Holmes

Hi, Nikki. Tell our readers about your love of Sherlock Holmes. When did it start? Why has it persisted? What about it grips you so tightly?

“My infatuation with Holmes began in the late ‘80s when I started watching the Granada Sherlock Holmes television series starring Jeremy Brett.  My only experience with Holmes before Brett was watching those horrible Rathbone movies. Granted, Rathbone was a fine Holmes but the movies were terrible! And that Watson…I wanted to strangle him. What an idiot.

“But Brett! Oh, that man! He brought depth and gravitas to the character that no one had done before him. With just the flick of his long hand, he could dismiss a King. With a smirk and a roll of his eye, you felt the depth of his disdain. And when Holmes became angry, you could see the seas boil in Brett’s eyes. He understood the character in a way other actors did not because Brett suffered from bi-polar disorder and knew, very personally, about what it was like to be riding a high as well as drowning in a low. He brought that into his performance and it capped the personality of Sherlock Holmes.

“Why has it persisted?  Because Sherlock Holmes is a badass. Many people think of him as only a stick thin, snooty English aristocratic asshole but he is so much more. He is the one man you want on your side when shit goes down. He is like a terrier, digging for the truth, and he won’t stop until the mystery is solved. He doesn’t let things like law and bureaucracy get in the way. If a little B&E is required, so be it. If he has to lie and trick people to get what he needs, oh well. And God help the fool that messes with anyone Holmes considers under his protection.  He is not beyond pulling strings to bring people down if they kill off a client (“The Five Pips”) or standing by while a victim renders some vigilante justice (“The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton” and “The Adventures of the Devil’s Foot”).

“Yeah, he can be a bastard but sometimes you need a bastard to get things done. Looking at my choice in literary heroes, I tend to run towards bastards. Huh.”

Read the full interview: http://agonyzer.com/?p=770

PRO SE PRODUCTIONS REVEALS COVER FOR FIRST ENTRY IN NEW SERIES -- THE ASTONISHING TALES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE SHRIEKING PITS

Known for both original innovative characters as well as bringing new adventures to classic creations, Pro Se Productions reveals its first entry into tales about the world’s most famous detective. The Astonishing Tales of Sherlock Holmes will feature new digest novels and full length works about Holmes and Watson in a style both respective Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original work and reflecting the skill of individual modern writers.

“Ever since Pro Se began publishing,” says Tommy Hancock, Editor in Chief of and Partner in Pro Se Productions, “a month, sometimes even a week hasn’t gone by without someone emailing or asking, ‘So, when will Pro Se do a Holmes book?’ And from the beginning, we steered clear of pursuing Holmes tales for a few reasons. First, several publishers of various sizes were already producing new stories of the famous detective, both hewing to Doyle’s style and taking Holmes to brand new places. Also, we were very interested in making sure we had the right tales for Holmes as well as the best creators to leave their mark on the legend. And Holmes has shown up in a supporting capacity in a few of our books, even as a ghost. But now, everything has sort of come together in a perfect storm for Pro Se, in terms of what we wanted before throwing our deerstalker into the ring, as it were. And that is why we are proud to announce The Astonishing Tales of Sherlock Holmes!”

The new line of stories from Pro Se Productions will feature only digest novel or novel length Holmes adventures (Digest novels-30 thousand words, novel- 60 thousand words). The first work in the series will be The Astonishing Tales of Sherlock Holmes: The Shrieking Pits by author Nikki Nelson-Hicks and will be available in the coming weeks from Pro Se Productions.

Artist Jeff Hayes created the wonderfully rendered cover for The Shrieking Pits. Evoking classic images of the Detective and his partner, the cover also hints at the adventure and mystery that Holmes and Watson will encounter, again balancing aspects of both classic tales and new influences.

Jeff Hayes was born and raised in Austin, Texas where he continues to live and work today. He began his graphic design career working as a pen and ink illustrator for a role-playing and strategic gaming company and work several years as a commercial illustrator for a retail grocery chain. In 1989, he changed careers and has served as a law enforcement officer for over 25-years. During this time he has continued working as a part-time illustrator and graphic designer, focusing primarily on audio, television, and film entertainment promotions. A fan of diverse subject matter, his core interests remains science fiction, fantasy, western, and not surprising - crime dramas. Most recently, Hayes has provided hundreds of illustrations for audio drama promotions, covering a wide variety of classical and contemporary subjects. Examples of his artwork can be found on his website at www.plasmafiregraphics.com.

The Astonishing Tales of Sherlock Holmes: The Shrieking Pits by Nikki Nelson- Hicks will be available very soon from Pro Se Productions.

For more information on this series or interviews with the creators, contact Morgan McKay, Pro Se’s Director of Corporate Operations, at directorofcorporateoperations@prose-press.com.

For more information on Pro Se Productions, go to www.prose-press.com. Like Pro Se on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProSeProductions.