by macadmin | Dec 22, 2016 | Blog, Characters
Jim Hutton as Alder Bishop
Alder Bishop is the published (and successful) author of numerous mystery novels, novellas and short stories. As such, much is known about him- and you may have read much of what follows in the pages of the popular press.
He is Harvard-educated (Master of Science, Engineering). As an underclassman and grad student,he read mystery novels to blow off steam. After witnessing one too many occurrences of a book taking flight across the room and impacting into the nearest the wall, his best friend John J. McCaffrey happened upon a writing contest in a magazine and bet Alder $10 he couldn’t finish plotting and writing a novel in time to submit it. That bet led to the creation of Blockade, the first novel to feature college professor Julian Laufer. The magazine folded, but not until Alder had won the $10. John offered double or nothing that Alder wouldn’t submit the novel to an actual publisher. He did.
(The rest, as they say…)
Blockade by Alder Bishop
The artwork on the dust cover of Blockade represented a scene from the book, sort of, but for the most part left Alder scratching his head. On the other hand, it sold well enough that he decided he had better things to worry about…like kicking out the next two or three before the public sobered up. Since then he’s published at least one, sometimes two books a year. Alder’s publisher is after him to create a pseudonym and start a new series. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages.
He spent several months in Hollywood earlier in the year, writing screenplays; it was good money, but he wasn’t kept busy enough and grew to hate it (he did, however, use the experience in the plots for forthcoming novels, including the one he is currently writing, Prepared to Die).
He enjoys both travel and research. Currently he is on vacation in Europe to recharge his creative batteries. So far he has written three short stories and plotted the tricky bits of a locked-room mystery novel (fourth or fifth in line to actually be written). When Possessed by Story very little exists to Alder; he might not eat, sleep (much, if at all), bathe or shave for days.
Seven Salamanders by Alder Bishop
Related to this: unstoppable when sets his mind in pursuit of…well, whatever. Also related: among his practical skills is a knowledge of guns / gunplay; he can shoot reasonably accurately, a skill pounded into him by his father and Sergeant Vincente when he was growing up. He’s kept up his skill in order to write about it accurately. Like his main character/detective Julian Laufer, he currently doesn’t own a gun (though there is one in his apartment; it belongs to his father), though he does belong to a local gun club.
As an adult, he emulates many of the qualities of the boy scout he might have been: friendly and approachable, energetic and adventurous, generous, honorable, honest and trustworthy. Basically optimistic, positive and selfless; disappointments run off him like water off a duck’s back. Instilled with a sincere passion for justice, probably acquired from his father. A fun conversationalist (though when nervous is prone to awkward babble).
Not generally moved to anger (and even more rarely on his own behalf). It takes a lot to push Alder into a rare black mood; it takes even more provoking to flare his temper, and even then it is more likely to be on someone else’s behalf rather than his own. When angry he becomes hot-headed and outspoken. He does not usually express his anger physically; like many large men he is well aware of his size and his capability to injure others or break / smash things if not careful.
Poison for Two by Alder Bishop
He speaks affectionately of his father Edward (living, retired from the NYPD) and his mother Imelda (deceased). His older brother, Edward Jr., died in infancy. For many years he maintained an affectionate correspondence with his godmother Lisa, his mother’s dearest friend. His godfather, his father’s immediate subordinate and working partner, died two years ago; Alder still misses Sergeant Vincente and faithfully visits his grave when his father is snowbirding (every winter, in Florida; Alder bought him a house with his first royalty check).
Alder lives in a brownstone apartment on the Upper East Side of New York City. It is spacious enough to contain a (small, cramped) foyer, a living room/study lined on three sides with bookshelves and oddities (the fourth side has yellow silk wall hangings and a fireplace), a kitchen with dining nook (Alder is not known for dinner-parties), two bedrooms (one, with an oversized bed, is Alder’s; the other is mostly reserved for the use of his father when he comes to stay, which both of them expect he will when he is in town) and a full bathroom. He has a live-out housekeeper, Mrs. Harriet Tabalonsky, who keeps him in groceries and leaves reheatable meals in the refrigerator (that he has a refrigerator at all is a point of pride to “Tabby,” who worries incessantly about Alder’s imminent death-by-starvation). Alder enjoys cooking when not Possessed by Story. Tabby lives in fear of those spells – it takes her days to get the kitchen back the way she had it (ever the engineer, Alder rearranges things for better efficiency), and she never did find the pepper grinder.
Beyond the Pale by Alder Bishop
Heterosexual and open to love but not consumed by the pursuit; truth is, he is somewhat awkward about dealing with the fairer sex. He has had a couple of serious relationships, but they ended up going nowhere (probably appearing in the gossip columns did not help). The last one failed, spectacularly, because he got stuck inside his head writing Beyond the Pale, an Opponent (which had a spectacular multiple-solutions ending), leading to his rarely showing up on time as prearranged, despite fervent and regular promises to Do Better. It was amazing how the bits and pieces of a dozen red roses, when used as a weapon rather than a peace offering as intended, went everywhere. When he got home, his father thought he’d been mugged, and kept after him to report the matter properly to the police. Alder finally broke down and told him the truth. It was several hours before Edward Bishop stopped sniggering.
A political moderate; most recently he voted for Roosevelt.
Even Unto Death by Alder Bishop
Physically, Alder has rugged masculine good looks. He wears black-framed glasses for reading. He has a long, lanky body whose athleticism (he runs, and skis) is usually belied by the clothes he wears. Usually dresses more for comfort than fashion, though looks good in a tuxedo (i.e., when he bothers). Usually he is to be found draped over an easy chair, reading a book, in a posture that (from an outside viewpoint) can’t possibly look comfortable. Coat pockets often distended by at least one paperback mystery novel, napkins, candy bar wrappers, and other assorted scraps of paper. It is not unusual for his clothing to have ink splotches or cuffs to have notes jotted upon them. Casual speech patterns. Drinks Old Fashioneds or (less often) beer, but really prefers coffee. Was a cigarette smoker; broke that habit (too dangerous while distracted) and now only smokes the occasional pipe.
Favorite sports: baseball, boxing and hockey (not necessarily in that order). For team sports, favors New York teams. Is interested in the possibilities of the National Basketball League, but hasn’t started following it with any real interest.
Books by Alder Bishop:
|
Blockade
|
 Basic Endings by Alder Bishop |
Cauldron, Bubble! |
| Regardless of Lightning |
The Nine of Spades
|
| Poison for Two |
Opposite Colors (short stories) |
| Even Unto Death |
Cougar in the Mist |
| The Veil of Testimony |
Beyond the Pale, an Opponent |
| Basic Endings (short stories) |
The Seven Salamanders |
Lancehead
|
Prepared to Die (forthcoming) |
| A Good Time Dying |
Dark Bishop (novellas and short stories; forthcoming) |
| Dead by Reflection |
|
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Alder Bishop is a Player Character in Murder at Christmas, created and written by Ree Moorhead Pruehs
You can learn more about other characters here.
Murder at Christmas is an online email game that will run over (approximately) the Twelve Days of Christmas – from December 21st 2016 until January 6th 2017. There are eight writers, working collaboratively (see the Rules of the Game). Regular updates will be posted on the website, with links that you can follow on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ so that people can follow the story, root for their favourite characters, and keep up with the twists and turns of the plot.
Followers can also apply to join the Gossip mailing list,where they can discuss the game with the writers!
by macadmin | Dec 22, 2016 | Blog, Characters
G Crabtree as Judy Nowak
Judy is a bank clerk returning from Poland to her home in Dorset England. She has very little luggage and was travelling third class. A very serious young lady and well aware of her lowly status. She is shy, somewhat awkward in the company of her betters and not as fashionably thin as she would like. Her dark brown hair and blue eyes are unremarkable. She is devoted to her mother and has no close friends. Her early mornings and evenings are spent running the small holding which helps sustain them.
Her only other relative was the uncle that she was trying to trace in Poland, she now has the task of returning to inform her mother of his death during the peasant uprising.
She gained a scholarship to her local grammar school. When reminded which clerk she was, the manager of her local bank described her as hard working, with neat penmanship.
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Judy Nowak is a Player Character in Murder at Christmas, created and written by Pam Dee
You can learn more about other characters here.
Murder at Christmas is an online email game that will run over (approximately) the Twelve Days of Christmas – from December 21st 2016 until January 6th 2017. There are eight writers, working collaboratively (see the Rules of the Game). Regular updates will be posted on the website, with links that you can follow on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ so that people can follow the story, root for their favourite characters, and keep up with the twists and turns of the plot.
Followers can also apply to join the Gossip mailing list,where they can discuss the game with the writers!
by macadmin | Dec 21, 2016 | Blog, Characters
Hans Holt as Karl Stransky
Karl Stransky is of Czech Noblesse militaire, whose family lost most of its title, influence and wealth in the fall of Empires after WWI. Effectively nationless, the Stranky’s have done their best to keep up the pretense of ‘business as usual’ by mixing with what remains of Europe’s dispossessed and disgruntled elite.
Karl likes to enjoy life, and seems keen to distance himself from the world beyond the bubble of dances, bars and smoking lounges he finds himself in. He takes care to dress well and has impeccable manners, but doesn’t like to talk about politics or the past. He is in his mid-30s, and acquainted with the Blauers, probably due to frequent trips between Vienna and Prague. He is fluent in German, but also speaks English and French (with a pronounced accent).
His black hair cut in a Jazz Age style, Karl is pale-skinned and dark-eyed, handsome by most standards and very upright. Had history played out differently he would have been an officer in Austro-Hungarian army and not an eager student of the arts.
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Klaus Stransky is a Player Character in Murder at Christmas, created and written by Alan Wake
You can learn more about other characters here.
Murder at Christmas is an online email game that will run over (approximately) the Twelve Days of Christmas – from December 21st 2016 until January 6th 2017. There are eight writers, working collaboratively (see the Rules of the Game). Regular updates will be posted on the website, with links that you can follow on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ so that people can follow the story, root for their favourite characters, and keep up with the twists and turns of the plot.
Followers can also apply to join the Gossip mailing list,where they can discuss the game with the writers!
by macadmin | Dec 21, 2016 | Blog, Characters
Hans Richter as Fritzel Bauer
Fritzel Blauer is the son of Frau Gutrun Blauer, the owner of Hotel de Saxe. As a young boy he showed considerable talent as a student of Mathematics and Physics, and, encouraged by his proud mother, he became a student at the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Berlin. She had, however, expected him to return home after he qualified and to take part in running the hotel. This he chose not to do, instead prolonging his studies into quantum mechanics.
Two years ago, however, he began spending more time at the Hotel de Saxe and taking a more active part in the running of the inn. To his mother he has said little about his reasons for his abrupt change of course. He still corresponds with erstwhile colleagues and mentors, as frequent letters arrive with postmarks from Berlin and Munich – and even Copenhagen, and his mother has found papers containing obscure calculations on his desk from time to time.
Fritzel has been a key skier since boyhood. He gives instructions to guests wishing to learn about cross country skiing, leading expeditions into the Zittau mountains.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fritzel Blauer is a NonPlayer Character in Murder at Christmas. This means that he will be written by Mel Mason, who is running the game.
You can learn more about other characters here.
Murder at Christmas is an online email game that will run over (approximately) the Twelve Days of Christmas – from December 21st 2016 until January 6th 2017. There are eight writers, working collaboratively (see the Rules of the Game). Regular updates will be posted on the website, with links that you can follow on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ so that people can follow the story, root for their favourite characters, and keep up with the twists and turns of the plot.
Followers can also apply to join the Gossip mailing list,where they can discuss the game with the writers!
by macadmin | Dec 20, 2016 | Blog, Characters
Berenice Bejo as Flora DeWilde
Flora DeWilde is a young journalist from New York City. Currently she writes for the society pages of a minor paper called the Herald-Star, but she aspires to be a real reporter and write important news stories.
Flora was born to money—more specifically, into a numerous and very wealthy family whose roots were in New York City and whose branches spread out into all aspects of the city’s public life and private enterprise. One of its more eccentric sprigs is Flora’s grandfather, Julian DeWilde, who in 1877 married a Viennese courtesan named Daphne Windbeiger and brought her to live in the Greenwich Village mansion he called Blackstone Abbey. Flora was born and reared at the Abbey in the care of her grandparents, since her father—Julian and Daphne’s only child—was killed in France in 1917 and her mother succumbed to the influenza about a year later. Not that Flora was isolated, growing up, because there were always flocks of DeWilde cousins to play, quarrel, and get into mischief with. Some of these cousins grew up to be merely socialites and dilettantes, but Flora wanted more out of life—to join those of the DeWilde family who made a mark in the world.
Flora is bright, articulate and sociable. She attended an exclusive girls’ boarding school, then went on to graduate from Barnard College (Class of 1933) with a B.A. in English and a determination to embark on a career in journalism.
An attractive young woman; not a classic beauty—her large, sparkling, moss-green eyes are her best feature—but with a good figure, and her vivacity and charm often make her seem prettier than a dispassionate scrutiny would judge her to be. Like many of her family, she is a redhead, in her case a dark auburn, worn short. She usually dresses well, with tailored suits for daytime, which (she hopes) mark her out as a professional, and more fashionable gowns for evening wear.
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Flora DeWilde is a Player Character in Murder at Christmas, created and written by Margaret Dean
You can learn more about other characters here.
Murder at Christmas is an online email game that will run over (approximately) the Twelve Days of Christmas – from December 21st 2016 until January 6th 2017. There are eight writers, working collaboratively (see the Rules of the Game). Regular updates will be posted on the website, with links that you can follow on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ so that people can follow the story, root for their favourite characters, and keep up with the twists and turns of the plot.
Followers can also apply to join the Gossip mailing list,where they can discuss the game with the writers!
by macadmin | Dec 20, 2016 | Blog, Characters
William Boyd as Ashton Sherman
Ashton Sherman is an academic who graduated from university in England after studying History and Art. He loves skiing and can often spends his holidays skiing around Europe.
Ashton can often be found in libraries in various cities round the world researching art and history. He’s known by most of the curators in the major galleries of Europe. He is also known on the cross-country skiing circuit and has competed in several competitions over the years.
Ashton tends to blend into the background in most social situations. He’s average height, with short brown hair and dresses very modestly. The only distinguishing feature is a small scar over his left eyebrow.
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Ashton Sherman is a Player Character in Murder at Christmas, created and written by Chris Farrow.
You can learn more about other characters here.
Murder at Christmas is an online email game that will run over (approximately) the Twelve Days of Christmas – from December 21st 2016 until January 6th 2017. There are eight writers, working collaboratively (see the Rules of the Game). Regular updates will be posted on the website, with links that you can follow on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ so that people can follow the story, root for their favourite characters, and keep up with the twists and turns of the plot.
Followers can also apply to join the Gossip mailing list,where they can discuss the game with the writers!
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