LIESE SHERWOOD-FABRE (Cont.)
INTERVIEW
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5
What kind of research do you do for a book?
With historical writing, you have to do your re-
search. Readers will let you know when you get it
wrong. That‟s really how my “Life and Times of
Sherlock Holmes” series began. I did all this re-
search and thought to share it. First through short
essays to be published in Sherlock Holmes societies
throughout the world, then in book forms with
others.
When did you first think about writing and what
prompted you to submit your first ms? What genre
is it?
I began writing like many. I was first a reader and
after one book, I thought “I can do that.” It was a
science fiction short story that was quickly rejected,
but I learned that I could do it—write and finish a
piece. From there, I kept honing my craft.
Tell us about your latest book. What motivated the
story? Where did the idea come from? Where do
your story ideas usually come from?
As I mentioned, this book is a compilation of es-
says I first wrote for Sherlock Holmes societies‟
newsletters because of my own research into Victo-
rian England. I have a series I‟m writing about
Sherlock Holmes at thirteen. How Sherlock
Holmes became Sherlock
Holmes. I‟ve had some inter-
est in it, but it‟s still yet to be
picked up by a publisher. In
the meantime, I keep writing
and researching.
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Who are some of your other
favorite authors to read? Favorite books? Favorite
series? Who, if anyone, has influenced your writing?
The first books I couldn‟t get enough of were the
Nancy Drew series. The writer who inspired me to
write was Amy Tan. I had the idea of a reverse Joy
Luck Club, which followed a group of American
women living in bi-cultural marriages in Mexico.
This was based, in part, on what I‟d observed while
living there for five years. I like the concept, but
I‟m afraid my execution was less than perfect. This
was my first attempt at a novel, and so again, I
learned a lot from that effort.
Bubble baths or steamy showers? Ocean or moun-
tains? Puppies or kittens? Chocolate or caramel?
This one is easy: steamy showers, ocean, puppies,
and chocolate.