Haunted Halloween Spooktacular: Warlock Holmes Series, by G.S. Denning

Welcome to the blog tour for

The Warlock Holmes Series,

sponsored by

Bewitching Book Tours!

For my stop, I'm featuring a Guest Post by the author, G.S. Denning!

There's also a tour-wide giveaway!!

What do you think of when someone mentions Sherlock Holmes? The epitome of fictional detectives? A series of stories so timely and so visionary that they revolutionized police-work, the world over? A deerstalker? A pipe? Benedict Cumberbatch’s perfect cheek-bones?

You wouldn’t be wrong.

But in this season of fun-filled frights, let’s take a moment to reflect on one oft-overlooked aspect of the world’s favorite detective:

He’s really creepy.

No. Seriously. Just pleasantly-but-sometimes-right-to-the-edge-of-discomfortingly creepy.

Do you know where the modern tradition of Halloween takes its roots? Dartmoor. Arthur Conan Doyle repeatedly set his adventures out upon the moor in abandoned hallows filled with lethal peat-bogs, fog, reeds and wisp-light. Want to see Holmes and Watson chasing a seemingly-demonic hound across moonlit moor? Well then, it’s no wonder The Hound of the Baskervilles is amongst the most popular of Doyle’s original 60 stories.

Now, if you want to see them chasing an actually-demonic hound across a moonlit moor, you’ll have to check out my second book: The Hell-hound of the Baskervilles. And for those of you who just rolled their eyes at how easy it must have been for me to come up with that angle: yeah, that’s sort of my point. You don’t have to work hard to make Sherlock Holmes macabre. It’s there already.

One of the less-known stories is titled The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire; it features a mother who’s been caught sucking blood out of the neck of her own infant. Even in 1898, not great parenting.

Or how about The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb? It features not just the aforementioned disembodied thumb, but also its owner, trapped in a room-sized hydraulic press, debating if he should stand up, or sit down or lie face up or… Well, just what exactly is the least-painful way to be slowly crushed to death? It’s ironic that the modern detective story is attributed to Edgar Alan Poe, because in moments such as these, Doyle absolutely equals Poe’s famous brand of dark introspection. 

Or maybe you’d just like to see Sherlock murder a dog. Would that be nice? Dog murder, anyone?

Because that’s how he unravels his very first case, A Study in Scarlet. Yep. No lie. To figure out if the pills he’s recovered are poisonous, he steals his neighbor girl’s dog and feeds it half of each pill. 

Guess what? (1887 spoilers follow…) Totally poison. There is something uniquely Halloween-ish about a character who thinks that is acceptable behavior. Oh yeah, and half the people he meets seem to think the only way he could possibly know the things he knows is through dark magic. They’re wrong. 

He’s not magical. But he is probably sociopathic. And he’s definitely not on the ASPA’s top 10 list of great guys.

So if Halloween makes you think about goblins, vampires, demonic possession and soul-binding magic… Well, pick up a copy of my first book, A Study in Brimstone. It’s all in there.

But if you’ve got a little time to kill before All-Hallow’s Eve, and if you’ve got a mind for the classics, here’s what you do:

You pull your favorite chair up to next to a window on a rainy night. You get some fleece pants and a comfy blanket. You brew up a nice cup of tea. Light a couple candles. Then snuggle down and spend a little cozy murder time with the undisputed-number-one-original-king-of-creepy-daddy-detectives, Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

A Study in Brimstone
(Warlock Holmes, Book 1)
G.S. Denning
Trade Paperback, 336 pages
Titan Books, May 17, 2016
Classics Retelling, Humor, Mystery, Paranormal Fiction, Thrillers, Urban Fantasy

Synopsis: Sherlock Holmes is an unparalleled genius who uses the gift of deduction and reason to solve the most vexing of crimes.

Warlock Holmes, however, is an idiot. A good man, perhaps; a font of arcane power, certainly. But he’s brilliantly dim. Frankly, he couldn’t deduce his way out of a paper bag. The only thing he has really got going for him are the might of a thousand demons and his stalwart flatmate. Thankfully, Dr. Watson is always there to aid him through the treacherous shoals of Victorian propriety… and save him from a gruesome death every now and again.

An imaginative, irreverent and addictive reimagining of the world’s favourite detective, Warlock Holmes retains the charm, tone and feel of the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle while finally giving the flat at 221b Baker Street what it’s been missing for all these years: an alchemy table.

Reimagining six stories, this riotous mash-up is a glorious new take on the ever-popular Sherlock Holmes myth, featuring the vampire Inspector Vladislav Lestrade, the ogre Inspector Torg Grogsson, and Dr. Watson, the true detective at 221b. And Sherlock. A warlock.

Purchase Links
Amazon US/Amazon UK/Amazon CA

  The Hell-Hound of the Baskervilles

(Warlock Holmes, Book 2)

G.S. Denning

Trade Paperback, 320 pages

Titan Books, May 16, 2017

Classics Retelling, Humor, Mystery, Paranormal Fiction,
Thrillers, Urban Fantasy

Synopsis:  The game's afoot once more as Holmes and Watson face off against Moriarty's gang, the Pinkertons, flesh-eating horses, a parliament of imps, boredom, Surrey, a disappointing butler demon, a succubus, a wicked lord, an overly-Canadian lord, a tricycle-fight to the death and the dreaded Pumpcrow. Oh, and a hell-hound, one assumes.

Purchase Links

Amazon US/Amazon UK/Amazon CA

My Grave Ritual
(Warlock Holmes, Book 3)
G.S. Denning
Trade Paperback, 432 pages
Titan Books, May 15, 2018
Classics Retelling, Humor, Mystery, Paranormal Fiction, Thrillers, Urban Fantasy


Synopsis: "If you ever wondered how much better Sherlock would be if people could hurl hellfire at each other, well this one is for you." -- Starburst Magazine on A Study in Brimstone

Warlock Holmes and Dr John Watson find themselves inconvenienced by a variety of eldritch beings, and the fact that one of them has goat legs. Christmas brings a goose that doesn't let being cooked slow him down, then they meet an electricity demon, discover why being a redhead is even tricker than one might imagine, and Holmes attempts an Irish accent. And naturally Moriarty is hanging around in some form or other.

Purchase Links
Amazon US/Amazon UK/Amazon CA

a Rafflecopter giveaway

G.S. Denning furiously studied reading and math until he could play Dungeons and Dragons. His love of DandD expanded to a passion for all things in the sci-fi and fantasy realm, particularly when spliced with comedy - Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Monty Python, Red Dwarf, Black Adder, Whose Line Is It Anyway, Dr. Who, and the holiest of holies: The Princess Bride.

He learned his story-telling skills on the improv stage as a member of Orlando Theatersports, Seattle Theatersports, Jet City Improv, and as a Disney Performer at Epcot. G.S. also worked for Nintendo and Wizards of the Coast

Finally, after realizing that humanity had not used the pun "Warlock Holmes" yet, he sat down to begin his first novel series: a dark-comic retelling of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Sherlock Holmes stories. 

G.S. Lives in Las Vegas with The Best Wife and The Best Children.

Website/Facebook/Goodreads
Twitter/Instagram
Amazon Author Page




You can access the complete blog tour schedule by clicking on 
the button below!

Shelf Candy Saturday No. 262: Pride, by Ibi Zoboi

Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!

***Late Edition***

This is my weekly feature

showcasing beautiful covers!

It also provides information, 
if available, on their 
very talented creators!

Here's my choice for this week!

Pride
Ibi Zoboi
Hardcover, 304 pages
Balzer + Bray
September 18 , 2018
Classics Retellings, Contemporary Fiction,
Diverse Reads, Romance,
Young Adult Fiction

My Thoughts About This Cover

Well. This cover just totally FLOORED me! Absolutely! I have never ever seen anything like this before! It's not only STUNNING, but visually innovative. Music to my eyes! Lol.

The combination of elements here -- traditional versus contemporary, has created a powerful visual statement that depicts -- without words -- the whole concept of this novel. 

The gilded, 19th-century-style ornamental design for the entire cover speaks of Old World money, while that bright blue, graffiti-style title refers to the brashness of contemporary street art styles that were born in "the 'hood". These are symbolic of two very different worlds colliding. It's a brilliant metaphor for the two very different people who are depicted in this novel -- a novel that revisits Austen's Pride and Prejudice in contemporary, New World terms.

I LOVE the cameo portraits of the protagonists -- Darius Darcy and Zuri Benitez. They defiantly stare at each other, as if daring each other to "try anything funny". The fact that there's a barrier between them -- an ornamental design, resembling a coat of arms -- is perfectly emblematic of the apparent gulf separating these two. Both of these romantic antagonists have a lot of pride, and it's very evident in their individual portraits.

I also LOVE the gilded design of the whole cover! It reminds me of traditional frames for Old Master paintings, as well as the designs included on Baroque ceiling paintings found in many European castles and mansions. It's SO very lovely!

There are actually three people responsible for this GORGEOUS cover. One of them is the cover designer, Jenna Stempel-Lobell. She works for HarperCollins. She details her search for the perfect combination of artists for this cover in the Spine Magazine article, referenced below. This search led her to realistic illustrator T.S. Abe, who created the cameo portraits, and Billelis, a freelance 3D illustrator and art director, who created the rest of the cover. Both of these artists are from the UK, and based there, as well.

T.S. Abe is a graduate of Central Saint Martins University of the Arts. Her detailed, brilliantly executed, and powerful, realistic drawings have been featured on album covers, exhibitions, and even a London bus. She has also exhibited at Electric Blue Gallery, and has been featured in Dazed and Confused Magazine. 

Billelis (this is a pseudonym from his graffiti art days) is known for his intricately detailed style, just as powerful as T.S. Abe's drawings. He also tends to prefer macabre subject matter. Thankfully, nothing macabre is evident in this beautiful, graceful cover. 

This is truly an AMAZING cover! The plot synopsis, which you can read on Goodreads, shows that the novel is just as amazing. I can't wait to add this book to my collection! Of course, the artists are already part of my ever-growing list of brilliant cover artists!

 

Online Links

T.S. Abe
Website 
Escape Into Life Blog: T.S. Abe
 Instagram
Spine Magazine
ArtFixx Blog: T.S. Abe


Billelis

Website/LinkedIn/Instagram

Twitter

What do you think of 
this week's cover?
Please leave a comment
and let me know!

Shelf Candy Saturday No. 260: Circe, by Madeline Miller

Welcome to Shelf Candy Saturday!

***Late Edition***

This is my weekly feature

showcasing beautiful covers!

It also provides information, 
if available, on their 
very talented creators!

Here's my choice for this week!

Circe
Madeline Miller
Hardcover, 400 pages
Little, Brown, and Company
April 10, 2018
Classics Retellings, Fantasy, 
Feminist Fiction, Historical Fiction,
Mythology

My Thoughts About This Cover

This is such a visually STUNNING cover! This novel is a retelling of the story of Circe, the nymph and goddess of magic from Homer's Odyssey. 

This cover is bold and dramatic, as well as being an example of virtuoso two-dimensional design. It is very much influenced by an ancient Greek style of pottery, in which the background was black, and the figures an interesting, and highly-contrasting, orange tone. In this style, figures and faces were heavily stylized. This is also evident in the cover above. Circe's facial features are stylized, not realistic, and yet, they do convey a feeling of realism. She wears a head ornament that incorporates roses, and her hair, which beautifully frames her face, resembles sheaves of wheat.

Since this is a feminist revisioning of the original story, this fact is evident in the face depicted on this cover. The nymph/goddess stares out at the viewer with a strange mixture of sadness and defiance, with no apologies. It's as if she were saying, "See, I've been misunderstood and unfairly vilified. This is who I REALLY am!" In this context, I suddenly realized that her face also resembles a shield. She's ready to do battle, this goddess!

See below for the type of Greek art that had such an influence on this cover.

 Interior (tondo) of a red figure kylix, depicting Herakles and Athena, by Phoinix (potter) and Douris (painter), c. 480-470 BC, Antikensammlungen Munich, Germany

 (Source: Wikipedia, Public Domain)

In the article I'm linking next, a photograph is included, which shows a 2,500-year-old clay wine vessel depicting the scene from Homer's Odyssey in which Odysseus confronts Circe after she has turned his men into pigs. I wish I could include this photo here, but it's from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which means it's protected by copyright. This is such a GORGEOUS image! You can access it, as well as the article it forms a part of, HERE. The article also includes a breathlessly beautiful image of this book, showing the cover in glowing bronze.

Equally striking is the bottom half of the cover, which features those sheaves of wheat framing the bold, one-word title. This title uses a font which was influenced by ancient Greek writing.

This is a cover that will inevitably draw a reader to the book, and compel them to dive into its pages! I hope to add this book to my collection as soon as I can!

Unfortunately, this is another case in which I've been unable to find out who the brilliant cover artist is.... I suppose I will be able to get this information when I actually hold this gem of a book in my hands. The Amazon preview has not been any help in discovering the artist's identity, nor have I found any references to him or her through Google.

What do you think of 
this week's cover?
Please leave a comment
and let me know!