Sharon Kay Penman's Blog, page 153

Robin Hood, Richard, a Mea Culpa, and another book giveaway

       New evidence of the existence of Robin Hood?   It may be.  Dr Julian Luxford, an expert in medieval manuscript studies at the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland, has revealed that he found an intriguing mention of the legendary outlaw scribbled in the margins of the Polychronicon, a history written by Ralph Higden (c. 1280-1363).  The comment, written in Latin by a monk about 1460, said, “Around this time, according to popular opinion, a certain outlaw named Robin Hood, with his a

It’s Richard’s fault

     I am sorry it has taken me so long to post another blog, but Richard has been keeping me very busy with a chapter that ended up being much longer than I’d initially intended.  It isn’t unusual for a chapter to become two, for I try to keep them about fifteen pages or so in length unless the chapter cannot possibly be divided, like Henry’s penance scene at Becket’s tomb.  But this is the first time a chapter split like an amoeba into three parts. 

       Thank you all for the interesting boo

Books, bathing, and a burned koala bear

      I want to thank you all for continuing to suggest books for the rest of us to read.  I’ve gotten very positive feedback from readers about this; it is a wonderful way to find new authors.   

       First of all, I want to alert you to an interview that Elizabeth Chadwick gave on             http://myblog.susannesaville.com/2009/02/04/elizabeth-chadwick-at-the-chatty-cat-cafe.aspx,  in which she discusses her cats and her dog; it is a lot of fun.   Another alert: Dana Stabenow’s latest Kate

Answers and Authors

Greetings to all.  I am sorry it has taken me so long to post another blog entry, but my herniated disks chose this time to flare up again and I’ve had to ration my time at the computer, much to my (and Richard’s) frustration.   We ran into technical difficulties with my on-line chat on January 19th; their server kept crashing.  They are contacting my publicist at Putnam’s and we’ll see if we can reschedule it.  I’m feeling snakebit, for I also encountered computer troubles while I was doing a c

And the winner is……

     Thank you all for taking part in our first book giveaway.  It ended at midnight and the winner is Anne Meltzer.   As soon as you send me your address, Anne, I’ll put your copy in the mail to you.   This was fun and I’ll like to do it again from time to time.  When a hardback book is remaindered (goes out of print), an author is usually given the opportunity to buy it at cost, and most of us do so.  Sometimes an order goes astray; I never had any spare copies of Here Be Dragons because of su

Christmas Book Giveaway

Hi, everyone.  I am sorry there was such a lapse since my last blog, but like most of you, I got caught up in the pre-Christmas craziness.  And of course I have Richard Coeur de Lion’s hot breath on the back of my neck, as he is very impatient to launch his crusade.   If I thought Henry and Eleanor were prima donnas, I suspect Richard is going to make them seem positively saintly.   I decided this would be a good time to respond to the questions and comments that have been posted about my past b

The Poisoned Pen

     My Scottsdale sojourn was great fun.  Visits to the Poisoned Pen always go well; if you believe, as I do, that independent bookstores need to be supported by readers, check out their website at www.poisonedpen.com.     The  PP customers are invariably enthusiastic and receptive, people who love books, and what greater compliment can there be than that?     Diana Gabaldon and Dana Stabenow kindly lent their star-power to my event, and we discussed books with one another and the audience, wit

Scottsdale and sickness

     I’d intended to use my recent on-line interview about my dogs to segue into a discussion of the contrast between our attitudes toward animals and those of the medievals.  I still think that will be a good topic for a blog, but I am going to have to put it on hold.  I didn’t have a good week, have been ill again, and I thought I ought to alert you that I still have health “issues,” which might occasionally interfere with my blogs or e-mail responses.  It is frustrating without a doubt, and I

Devil’s Brood castles

     I am delighted to announce that Danielle Campisi, my brilliant webmaster (webmistress?) has put up a slide-show of the castles featured in Devil’s Brood, complete with haunting background music.  Much of the credit for this new feature must go to Susan Flantzer, who first posted the photos on one of my favorite websites, the Historical Fiction On-line forum.  As soon as I saw the photos, I knew readers of Devil’s Brood had to see them, too.  Be warned, though—they will make you want to head