Being an April Fool

On April 1, I was fooled not once, but twice by emails directed at writers. (Yeah, I know the old saying about "fool me twice.") The first was an announcement forwarded from another site about a new service from Amazon called Kindle Weaver "that allows Kindle subscribers to craft their own books tailored to their personal tastes." Readers would select a genre, setting, character names, etc. and their own personal book would be produced. When you clicked on the link to see it in action, "April Fool!" popped up.

Ok, so, fool me once...

THEN, I got an email from a book publisher/distributor offering a new printing service with scented paper. Authors could order books that smelled like roses for romances, or the woods, or other two other scents. I was intrigued by how these might enhance a reading experience and wondered how much it might cost. I clicked on the link and...April Fool!

I have to say I was glad the first story was false - AI going a little too far for me - and disappointed the second wasn't a true option. I liked the idea of a campfire smell for a book (not that fond of the manufactured rose scent). All the same, I had a good laugh.

Did you have an April fool experience you'd like to share? Let me know at liese@liesesherwoodfabre.com

Upcoming Live Appearances

I will be participating in several events this next year, and if you are in the area, I hope you will drop by and introduce yourself. I will have books for sale, but feel free to bring your previously purchased copies for a signature as well!

The Colony, Texas, High School, Spring Market

April 27

Smith Public Library (Wylie, Texas)

Mystery/Thriller Author Event

June 29

Texas Author Con and Book Fest

Richardson, TX

July 26 - 27

Bouchercon

Nashville, TN

August 28 - September 1

Check Out My New Videos!

I decided to share some of the research I've done on Sherlock Holmes and Victorian England in a new medium. I've developed a series of videos based on my essays about different topics mentioned in the original Sherlock Holmes cases. I'll be posting them on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and others. You can follow/subscribe to them at these links:

TitkTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@liesesherwoodfabre

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbuaN4Dm1_HktYhtI6HJnNQ

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liese.sherwoodfabre/

X: https://twitter.com/lsfabre

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liese-sherwood-fabre-405b641b/

Book Fairs

40+ mysteries that you can check out during this book fair. Starts April 15 and ends April 30. Don't miss the start of these series! Check them all out here.

The Adventure of Lafitte’s Buried Treasure

Part II

For the next half hour, Holmes prepared three telegrams and sent our page Billy to the telegraph office. After that, he changed from his smoking jacket into a hat and coat.

“Would you like me to accompany you?” I asked as he headed toward the door.

Turning back to me, he shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, my friend, but I’m going to consult a coin expert who is rather eccentric and something of a recluse. It is doubtful he would receive both of us. I shouldn’t be more than an hour or so. In the meantime, please be so kind as to wait for any responses to my telegrams.”

While I felt he had given the assignment more out of pity than any great concern for the arrival of a few telegrams, I consented to remain behind.

After Holmes left, I settled back into my chair and pondered the case at hand. It was certainly intriguing, and the possibility of discovering lost treasure stirred my imagination and prompted me to do some research of my own. Turning to Holmes’ extensive library of encyclopedias and notebooks full of clippings on any variety of subjects, I found accounts of Lafitte’s exploits as a privateer as well as mentions of his treasure—but nothing specific concerning its location.

While the man had once run a very successful smuggling operation in New Orleans and other ports in Louisiana, he was forced out in 1817. He moved his operations to the island of Galveston. There, he and his men founded a town that grew to 2000 inhabitants and 120 structures. The grandest was, of course, his own Maison Rouge. This red house actually had a moat around it. After only four years, Lafitte left the island, forced out by the US Navy after one of his captains attacked an American merchant ship. 

Given the urgency with which he had to leave the island, it was rumored he buried some of his treasure there with the plan to return for it. But before he left, the Maison Rouge and other structures were burned, making it more difficult to find the exact location of the buried treasure.

The daringness of this “gentleman pirate” and his amassed fortunes intrigued me. Robert Louis Stephenson’s tales of pirates and buried treasure paled in some comparisons to actual fact. I found myself understanding George West’s fascination, imagining myself standing on the deck of a ship, prepared to capture and board another vessel to take for myself the gold and other valuables in its hold.

So deep was I in thoughts and flights of fancy that when someone knocked on our door, I searched for my cutlass, ready to battle the invader. By the time I rose to my feet, I was back at 221B and thanking Mrs. Hudson for bringing me two telegrams that had arrived together. She had carried them up on a tray holding my afternoon tea.

I selected one and saw it was from the Port of New Orleans:

“Ship records show that ‘The Southern Empress’ set sail from New Orleans with Mr. West and Mr. Farthington aboard. No distress signals were received. Will update if any new information comes to light.”

My hands trembled slightly with a mixture of elation and dread as I re-read the message. The telegram confirmed the existence of Farthington, West, and the ship, but also no sign of the ship facing any disasters. It also provided no information on the ship’s whereabouts or destination. 

The second telegram, from the local constabulary, confirmed that a Mr. and Mrs. George West did reside at the address Mrs. West had supplied in the original packet. Furthermore, Mrs. West had visited the station to report her husband missing two days before she wrote to Holmes.

I set the telegrams next to Mrs. West’s original envelope on Holmes’ desk and planned to return to my chair for further research on this pirate when footsteps echoed through the hallway. After hearing the same tread over these many years of friendship, I knew my friend had returned.

When he entered, I asked, “Was your numismatist able to shed any light on the coin?”

Holmes removed his hat and coat and hung them by the door. He then helped himself to a cup of tea. “Yes, he confirmed that the coin is indeed from the early 1800s and is consistent with the period in which Lafitte was active. He also believes it to be from a private mint, which would have been consistent with the practices of the time.”

I leaned forward, eager for more information. “And did he have any insights to help interpret the map?”

“He did not, but he did make a rather unusual suggestion.” He paused and glanced out the window. “I hadn’t realized it was getting so late.” He set down the teacup with a clatter and strode quickly to his room. Over his shoulder, he said, “I’ll be going out again, Watson. Don’t wait up for me.”

About twenty minutes later, a weathered seaman entered our living room. Had I not known Holmes’ ability for disguise and that only he could have entered the room from his bedroom, I would have never recognized my friend as this sun-browned, wind-burned old sailor. 

“I’m off to the docks in search of someone who knows the waters between Galveston and New Orleans. With any luck, both the whereabouts of Mr. West and the treasure can be deduced.”

See you in May!

Liese

Those links again:

TitkTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@liesesherwoodfabre

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbuaN4Dm1_HktYhtI6HJnNQ

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liese.sherwoodfabre/

X: https://twitter.com/lsfabre

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liese-sherwood-fabre-405b641b/

April Showers and Mysteries: here.

If your email begins bead****, email me at liese@liesesherwoodfabre.com for your $5 Amazon or Apple gift card!