September 15, 2014

Announcing the finalists for Bootalicious, our E-Short Story Contest:

The fabulous Sherlockian stories submitted to Bootalicious span the globe, genre and topic. They reflect the rich multiplicity of ways in which the literary legacy of Sherlock Holmes lives on. Special thanks to our judges, Lahring Tribe, Peggy Perdue, Chris Redmond, and Contest Co-ordinator, Dorothy Palmer.

The three finalists were:

Jean Paton, Toronto, ON,  for “The Case of the Santa Croce Syndicate,”
Craig Stephen Copland, Oakville, ON, for “A Scandal in Fordlandia,”
Sarah Crauder, Vancouver, BC, for “The Adventure of the Missing Corpse.”

Their short stories can be viewed in PDF format by clicking on the links above.

August 17, 2014

Announcing the short list for Bootalicious, our E-Short Story Contest:

Sarah Crauder, Vancouver, BC
Brad Keefauver, Peoria IL
Marino C. Alvarez, Franklin, TN
Craig Stephen Copland, Oakville, ON
Sheldon Goldfarb,Vancouver BC
Jean Paton, Toronto, ON
Cliff Goldfarb, Toronto, ON

Congratulations to all these Sherlock writers!

Please note, for blind judging, the judges have been given the stories without the authors’ names.

Quick, Writer, the Game’s a Boot!

The Bootmakers of Toronto Proudly Announce Bootalicious:
The First, the Only, Sherlock Holmes E-Short Story Contest with Boots!

Founded in 1972, our Sherlock Holmes Society, The Bootmakers of Toronto, takes its name from The Hound of the Baskervilles, from the maker’s label in Sir Henry Baskerville’s boot: “Meyers, Toronto.” To enter Bootalicious, your original short story must:

1. feature your original version of the amazing Sherlock Holmes, and
2. make creative use of the word “boot” in any of its meanings: mukluks or galoshes, the boot of a car, to get (or give) the boot, etc. Use it as many ways as you like, to boot!

Prizes, Publicity, and Publication:

On August 17, 2014, to honor Sherlock’s boots on his 17 steps, a Short List of 17 will be posted on the Bootmakers’ website: www.torontobootmakers.com, on Twitter: @bootmakersTO, and on Facebook: /groups/bootmakers.

On September 13, 2014, five winners will be invited to appear at an Awards Ceremony at the Toronto Reference Library, to receive a book prize and read an excerpt at a Bootmakers meeting.

All winning stories will be published twice: electronically on this website, with excerpts in the Sherlockian journal, Canadian Holmes. Stories will also be publicized on social media.

Submission Guidelines:

Who: Bootalicious is open to every fan of Sherlock Holmes, of any age, from any country.

What: Stories may be in any genre, steampunk to sci-fi. Self-published stories are welcomed! The setting can be anywhere, anytime, past or future. A Victorian setting and/or original characters is encouraged, but to be publishable, entries must respect modern copyright and cannot use characters, settings, dialogue, or story elements of Elementary, BBC Sherlock, or other modern versions. Content must be appropriate for public sites. Word Limit: 2500 words.

When: June 1 to July 30, 2014. To honor Conan Doyle’s 60 Sherlock stories, e-submissions will be open for these 60 days only. Nothing will be accepted before or after that window.

Where: E-mail to bootmakersliaison@yahoo.com. Submission receipt will be acknowledged by return e-mail.

How:

• In the subject line of your e-mail, please write “Bootalicious Short Story Attached”.
• In the body, put your full name, address, phone number, story title and word count.
• The story must be an attachment, double-spaced in Times Roman or Arial, 11 or 12 pt.
• In the upper right hand corner of each page, put your title a page number (e.g., The Curious Incident of the Boot – 1). Do not put your name or e-mail address in the attachment.
• Your amazing stories will be read by Bootmaker judges. The act of entering constitutes acceptance of contest rules. The decision of the judges is final.

Why: Because your Sherlock Holmes deserves to be heard. So boot up those computers!