Castle Interior, September 2017
The Friends are thrilled to offer people a fun way to help prepare the Castle for a new season. Come tour the Castle the weekend before the official opening day! Enjoy a small-group experience and informal atmosphere with other friends members.
Our soft opening this year (May 19th) is also timed near Sir Arthur’s Conan Doyle’s birthday. So this year, we are ramping up the level of celebration accordingly!
In addition to the usual small-group entrance to the castle by donation rather than ticket sales, we are also having author book signings, and guided train trail hikes!
Book signing 12 noon to 2 p.m.
Christopher D. Abbott
Christopher is a Reader's Favorite award-winning author of crime, fantasy, science-fiction, and horror. He is also an Amazon Bestseller for his Sherlock Holmes “The Watson Chronicles” series.Described by New York Times Bestseller Michael Jan Friedman as "an up-and-coming fantasy voice", and compared to Roger Zelazny's best work, Abbott's Songs of the Osirian series of works brings a bold re-telling of Ancient Egyptian mythology. Abbott presents a fresh view of deities we know, such as Horus, Osiris, and Anubis. He weaves the godlike magic through musical poetry, giving these wonderfully tragic and deeply flawed "gods" different perspective, all the while increasing their mysteriousness.
His Sherlock Holmes novellas, published in the Watson Chronicles Series, have been recognised by readers and peers alike as faithfully authentic to the original Conan Doyle. In 2022, after publishing nine individual Watson Chronicle stories, Christopher teamed up with prolific authors Michael Jan Friedman and Aaron Rosenberg to add a collection of Holmes short stories to the series under the banner Cases by Candlelight. He later coerced those authors, along with Keith R.A. DeCandido, to add a set of stories to a second volume, coming in 2023. In addition to this, Christopher has scheduled to publish five brand new Sherlock Holmes novellas in 2023.
Christopher has published with Crazy8Press and written for major media outlets, including ScreenRant.
Email Contact: cdanabbott@live.com
Social Media:
www.facebook.com/cdanabbott
www.twitter.com/cdanabbott
https://www.instagram.com/cdanabbott/
Website: www.cdanabbott.com
Brian Belanger
Brian Belanger, PSI, is a publisher, narrator, graphic designer, editor and actor. In 2015 he co-founded Belanger Books publishing company along with his brother, author Derrick Belanger. His illustrations have appeared in The Essential Sherlock Holmes series, the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes series, and Scones and Bones on Baker Street. Brian has published a number of Sherlock Holmes anthologies and novels through Belanger Books as well as new editions of August Derleth’s classic Solar Pons mysteries. Brian continues to design all of the covers for Belanger Books, and since 2016 he has designed the majority of book covers for MX Publishing. In 2019, Brian received his investiture in the PSI as “Sir Ronald Duveen.” More recently, he created the logo for the ACD Society and designed The Great Game of Sherlock Holmes card game. In July 2022 he played Sherlock Holmes onstage in "Yes, Virginia, there is a Sherlock Holmes" and "Sherlock Holmes Goes West." Brian has been narrating Belanger Books audio releases since April 2023.Find Brian online at www.belangerbooks.com
Matthew Goldman
Mr. Goldman grew up in Hadlyme (East Haddam) and has written about boating and local history. He illustrates all of his own books and is a member of WesterlyArts.com, the Artists’ cooperative and gallery of Westerly, Rhode Island.Matthew Goldman Author and Illustrator 860-912-5886
facebook.com/people/matthew-goldman100089621996478
Janet Lemond
Come and meet author Janet Lemond, who has written two exciting books. The first of these books is about the iconic Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT. And the second is about one of William Gillette’s famous neighbors, Dr. Alice Hamilton.A Tour of the Goodspeed Opera House
Janet Lemond, Goodspeed tour guide, takes you on an exciting tour of an iconic Connecticut theater. She details both the history and reveals the story behind each of the period rooms within this Victorian beauty. Janet Lemond has been a Connecticut resident for all of her life. As a child, she remembers the time when the Goodspeed Opera House was slated for demolition and then was miraculously restored. Ms. Lemond is currently retired and has spent her time writing books, serving on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut River Valley American Industrial Hygiene Association, and working as a historical tour guide for the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT. She currently lives in Haddam, CT, with her husband of more than 35 years.
https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Janet-Marie-Mandrona-Lemond/dp/1312023015
Dr. Alice Hamilton, Neighbor of William Gillette
Alice Hamilton, M.D., was a notable friend and neighbor of William Gillette. Dr. Hamilton was a pioneer in protecting the American worker. She was instrumental in bringing about the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the World Health Organization. Not only did Dr. Hamilton see sweeping changes in the world of occupational medicine and safety and health, but she instituted many of these changes herself. She was the first female professor at Harvard University, even before women were allowed an education at this institution. As a political and social activist, she did not shy away from difficult and even dangerous conditions. She spoke up against the Nazis while in Hitler’s Germany and worked with world leaders to bring Europe back to normalcy after the World Wars.
https://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Hamilton-Neighbor-William-Gillette/dp/1304900312
Janet Lemond has been employed in the safety and health profession and is currently a Certified Industrial Hygienist for the past 30 years. She worked for OSHA and the EPA.
James Walker (Bennett)
Jimmy Bennett has written three mystery novels that feature William Gillette and Gillette’s Castle under the pen name James Michael Walker. His fourth novel, A Castle Christmas, is a light-hearted comedy -romance, also featuring William Gillette in the Castle’s setting.Jimmy is a professional Chef who resides in Mystic, CT and turned his creativity to writing. He has been published in the Sherlock Holmes Mystery magazine and is now working with a Hollywood producer to turn his latest novel into a movie.
Castle is open from 1 to 3 p.m., by donation
Guided train trail hikes at 12:30 and 1 p.m. Register for the 12:30 hike here, and the 1 p.m. hike here.
William and Helen Gillette (a.k.a. “The Nivers”) will be on hand from 2 p.m.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
If you have already renewed your membership for 2024-2025, there is no need to do anything other than show up! We will have a list of current members with us at the door. This event is free for members. A $5 donation is requested for non-members.
Interested in joining this event? Become a member today!
or mail in your membership.