The Day Has Finally Arrived - Volume One of My Chronicles Has Been Published

Hello dear friends. As I was preparing for an entirely different blog post today, the thought suddenly occurred to me that I have made no official announcement involving the publication of the first volume of my chronicles. For shame, I know, so here it is. On June 3, 2012, the eBook version of 'The Chronicles of Mister Marmee ~ The Case of Jack the Nipper' was officially accepted and published on Smashwords.com (https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/168569) and on June 5, 2012, it was accepted and published on Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Mister-Marmee-Nipper-ebook/dp/B0088TEIV2/ref=la_B0088YA1KE_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339344550&sr=1-1). I am fast on my way through the second volume of my chronicles. An excerpt for volume two can be found at the end of volume one, so make sure to read all the way to the end.

Sir Happy Heart - the World's Greatest Consulting Detective

Hello dear friends. I know it has been some time since my last post, and for this, I greatly apologize. My nineteenth century understanding is clashing with your twenty-first century technology. Please do not misunderstand me. Those of us in the Victorian Era are just as scientifically inclined as the next generation of forward-thinkers. It is merely the need for adjustment on my part which has caused any delay in my communication. You must remember I am more accustomed to quill and paper than I am to keyboard and computer screen.

I thought it fitting in the newness of our friendship to fully introduce you to my best friend and colleague, Sir Happy Heart. Since I have already mentioned him before and since I am certain I shall mention him again, now seems as good a time as any to paint as accurate a portrait of my loveable dachshund detective friend. It is not an easy task to describe such a complex individual; nor one I would take up lightly. Sir Happy has so many facets to his personality that it would be nearly impossible to portray them all within one small article. It has taken me a lifetime of observation and evaluation to do him any justice in my memoires. Having made allowances for my own limitations, however, I shall do my best to share a small glimmer of the bright star that is my nearest and dearest friend.

Sir Happy is what many of you would call a consulting detective; perhaps the best the world has ever known. He taught me everything I know about the subject and what it really takes to earn such a title. Sir Happy, with my meager assistance, has solved dozens of high profile criminal cases, for which he has sought no credit or reward. He has also consulted with Scotland Yard on hundreds of other, less noteworthy investigations. The evidence of his handiwork has often been highlighted in the newspapers of my time, with cases solved and criminals apprehended. But for Sir Happy, his greatest triumphs and proudest accomplishments have been the innumerable cases which have never seen the light of day or made the front page of the newspaper.  Most of Sir Happy’s energies and gifts of solving the unsolvable, in fact, have been dedicated to helping and protecting both the unseen poor of London and their precious pets. I cannot even begin to estimate the number of such cases taken, but I can attest to the fact that he has done more for his fellow creatures than he will ever receive credit for on this earth.

With all of his gifts of observation, intelligence, and cunning, though, Sir Happy is the humblest of creatures; viewing the abilities and the accomplishments of the everyday person in a greater light than he sees his own unique gifts. Sir Happy has often said to me, “What does it matter that I can detect what others might fail to observe? There are those who deserve your respect and admiration far more readily than I do. They are the individuals who go forth every day and work to provide for their families; who make our lives easier and more bearable with their efforts. They are the ones you should admire – not me.”

I think you would like Sir Happy - quirks and all - for his heart is as golden and as pure as the best of men. Certainly, he is no saint by any means, but then again, most of us fall short of the mark set for us by our Creator. The very characteristics which drive me to distraction are often the same ones which make him a dear and beloved friend. He can be stubborn and single-minded in his pursuits, which is an admirable quality for a consulting detective but not so splendid when one desires to share something extemporaneous with him when he is in the midst of focusing on a case. Sir Happy can be impulsive, yet calculating. He can be brusque at times when impatient to solve a crime, yet gentle as a kitten with those he deems vulnerable and needing care. There are times when he is locked within his inner thoughts where he seems distant and distracted, and yet his heart is as open to his friends as the pages of a book and far easier to understand. Sir Happy never hesitates to expose his vulnerabilities with those he holds dear, and always treats others with the same dignity and respect he would demand for himself. He is loyal and loving to those who have earned his favor, but woe be unto the creature who becomes his enemy - particularly the villain who would harm an innocent. There is no rock on earth under which such a miscreant can hide nor a corner of hell into which such an evil fiend can crawl that will protect them from Sir Happy’s justice.

Although I could share a thousand anecdotes to illustrate his many wonderful and sometimes irksome qualities, I will close my narrative with this. There is no other creature on this earth whom I would trust my life and my friendship with more than Sir Happy. He has proven himself worthy time and time again to hold both within his capable paws.