August 2004

My Fellow Sherlock Holmes Fans,

Although this could be considered an "author's note" and such a thing is not allowed here it is not that in its entirety. It is a note of thanks, a letter of congratulations, a confession, the pouring out of one fan's soul to…many fans.

Try though I might, writing stories is not my forte. Now poetry yes, I can write that and it comes out considerably better. But I was asked to write a story and so forth came the beast. It had a name, Going After The Detective, and was about Mrs. Hudson and Dr. Watson' adventure of saving Holmes from Mrs. Hudson's old husband (Holmes, by the way, had conveniently ditched the three of them by wandering off to the Sussex at the time). It is one of the works I am most ashamed of. Perhaps one day I will have the courage to fix it but, for now, it remains locked in it's cage of horror.

Though many loved it I did not feel as comfortable with it as I did with my former poems. After I had finished the story I had come to a decision: leave Sherlock Holmes to the experts. So that's just what I did, I restricted myself only to reviewing other's work.

But what work it was! Never have I seen such an outpouring of love and admiration for characters! I browse many of the other sections here but the feeling in this section cannot be duplicated elsewhere. The work is (forgive the understatement) incredible!

So I became the local "Peeping Tom", observing others but forsaking my own work. In fact, the wealth of poetic inspiration (sorry Holmes) came out into others genres but was entirely disappointed that it did not come out where it was supposed to. I played with several ideas but time after time they found there way to my shredder, my personal coffin of dead ideas.

Until recently. I was, once again, typing dying ideas into the hospital of blank paper when I received an email by someone I did not recognize. I will not reveal the name or the address from whence it came but suffice it to say that I was utterly shocked by it's by its contents. Here is what I read:

Dear Miss Rose,

It has come to my attention that when all hope is gone for reaching out to the world one must turn to another to do the reaching for one. I can no longer reach the world and so I send this to you.

Best of luck with it,

Dr. John H. Watson

My first thought was that it had to be a practical joker, some scammer. Why, the facts didn't match up to what happened to Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell! But the more I read it, the more I wondered about it. Whom did it really come from, why wouldn't they publish it themselves, and, above all, why send it to me? So I puzzled and mulled over it until I came to my conclusion: give it over to the experts. Play Dorothy Ruskin and give it to someone who can (hopefully) appreciate it.

So that is what I am doing. I cannot term it as actual fact but nor can I term it as fiction. There is no evidence to say either. I leave it up to you, dear writers, to make what you will of it. And, yes, I am aware something of this sort happened to a Ms. Laurie R. King. But if Mary Russell had to send her writings practically across the world to be published, well then, why couldn't Watson?

As Holmes would say, "The game is afoot!"

Most sincerely yours,

Scarlett Red Rose