Q: How did this story come about?

A: Back in 2009, I was complaining to my college roommate about intense writer’s block. She suggested that I read to help get rid of it. Though I scoffed at first because I had been doing that very thing and it wasn’t working, eventually I did take her advice and started reading A Study in Scarlet. Then I asked myself, “What about Mrs. Hudson? She’s in the original books, and helps Sherlock and Watson quite a bit, but we don’t know anything about her”¦”

Q:  Rather than modernizing it, what made you decide to go back to the original Victorian time frame?

A: Although we do not live in the Victorian era anymore, which was definitely more challenging, it also made it more interesting and forced me to be historically accurate, which I hadn’t really needed before. I learned so much from delving into research for the book! I also felt that if I was going to be dealing with Holmes and Watson at all, they belong in their original era, although their characters are timeless. Since I was explaining to the audience where Mrs. Hudson falls in the established story, I needed to go back to the Victorian era to give her the proper background.

Q: How did you come up with the backstory for Mrs. Hudson?

A: Unlike most of the media today, I wanted Mrs. Hudson to be younger than Sherlock and Watson so that she could learn to become a part of their lives that were already established. We also know from the original stories that she had to be a widow, since that is her name in the original books, although I felt it would be easier to have her marry later in The Hudson Diaries, so that the audience could get to know her husband (who I created”¦He was never a part of the original books) and her life before she became the landlady of Baker Street.

Q: Did you ever consider a love story between Sherlock and Mrs. Hudson?

A: I did consider a love story between Sherlock and Mrs. Hudson, but not for very long. In “A Scandal in Bohemia”, one of Conan Doyle’s most famous stories, Sherlock finally meets his match in Irene Adler, a woman who is as clever as he. This story is the only time that we see Sherlock find a person like that and the possibility of him falling in love. I wanted to keep it that way, with a relationship between Holmes and Irene. Never fear, though! There still is romance in the novel, just not between Sherlock and Mrs. Hudson.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who wants to be a published author?

A: Listen to your editors, writing groups and publishers. Often, their advice can make the difference between a good work and a great work. Listen to trusted people who know their craft, because they are most likely trying to help you, not to hurt your feelings. The work will always be yours, but sometimes what might be clear in the author’s head is not necessarily clear for a reader. Listen and learn, take notes and make changes; editing is never a bad thing!

If you have more questions, please feel free to comment or contact me at karalbarney@gmail.com.

You can find the full novella here. Published by Untreed Reads. $4.99 wherever e-books are sold! Thank you Coffee Time and Romance for this opportunity!