Sharon Kay Penman's Blog, page 25
August 14, 2018
German shepherd 1, jack-in-the-box, 0
Thank you all so much for the birthday good wishes; they were much appreciated. We’re actually celebrating my birthday twice this year, a pizza party tonight and a family birthday dinner toward the end of the month. Right now my house is so fragrant with birthday bouquets that it resembles the Garden of Eden! And as a very special birthday gift, Holly is finally beginning to feel better. Her eye no longer looks so inflamed and she is willing to tackle the stairs again.
Now I have something to share. A friend sent me this video of a German shepherd reacting to a jack-in-the-box. When you watch it, you’ll probably want to share it, too. As much as I love Holly, I really, really miss having a shepherd. They are such great dogs. When the link comes up, click onto it to start the very brief video.
http://a.msn.com/09/en-us/BBLTa3n?oci...
Now I have something to share. A friend sent me this video of a German shepherd reacting to a jack-in-the-box. When you watch it, you’ll probably want to share it, too. As much as I love Holly, I really, really miss having a shepherd. They are such great dogs. When the link comes up, click onto it to start the very brief video.
http://a.msn.com/09/en-us/BBLTa3n?oci...
August 12, 2018
Eleanor at her best
Holly and I are still hurting, but I can still copy and paste, so here is a post from a few years back, long enough ago so I hope no one remembers it. 😊
On August 3, 1189, Richard Lionheart landed at Portsmouth, England to claim the crown that was his upon his father’s death on July 6th. He’d been in no hurry to sail for England since he knew his new kingdom was in very capable hands, those of his mother Eleanor. The 12th century Annals of Roger de Hoveden described her activities upon regaining her freedom: “Queen Eleanor, the mother of the before-named duke, moved her royal court from city to city, and from castle to castle, just as she thought proper; and sending messengers throughout all the counties of England, ordered that all captives should be liberated from prison and confine-ment, for the good of the soul of Henry, her lord, inasmuch as , in her own person, she had learnt by experience that confinement is distasteful to mankind, and that it is a most delightful refreshment to the spirits to be liberated therefrom.” Making a royal progress, she issued edicts establishing uniform weights and measures, eliminated restrictions Henry had imposed upon monasteries, demanded oaths of fealty to her son (and to her!), and even found time to establish a hospital for the poor. As I have Richard tease her in Devil’s Brood, “I assume that upon the seventh day, you rested?”
Jumping ahead several centuries, on August 3, 1460, King James II of Scotland was killed while besieging Roxburgh Castle. James was enthusiastic about the potential of artillery, and he died when a cannon he’d imported from Flanders exploded as it was being loaded. He was only thirty and had been a successful and popular king, so it is interesting to speculate how Scottish history might have been changed had he not been so hands-on with this new technology.
As an American, I have to mention that on August 3, 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain for the New World.
And on August 3, 1553, Mary Tudor was welcomed warmly into London by the citizens. It is rather sad to consider the initial enthusiasm for her queenship in light of how badly it ended. She would be crowned in October, thus achieving what had been denied the Empress Maude, who was chased out of London before her own coronation.
On August 3, 1189, Richard Lionheart landed at Portsmouth, England to claim the crown that was his upon his father’s death on July 6th. He’d been in no hurry to sail for England since he knew his new kingdom was in very capable hands, those of his mother Eleanor. The 12th century Annals of Roger de Hoveden described her activities upon regaining her freedom: “Queen Eleanor, the mother of the before-named duke, moved her royal court from city to city, and from castle to castle, just as she thought proper; and sending messengers throughout all the counties of England, ordered that all captives should be liberated from prison and confine-ment, for the good of the soul of Henry, her lord, inasmuch as , in her own person, she had learnt by experience that confinement is distasteful to mankind, and that it is a most delightful refreshment to the spirits to be liberated therefrom.” Making a royal progress, she issued edicts establishing uniform weights and measures, eliminated restrictions Henry had imposed upon monasteries, demanded oaths of fealty to her son (and to her!), and even found time to establish a hospital for the poor. As I have Richard tease her in Devil’s Brood, “I assume that upon the seventh day, you rested?”
Jumping ahead several centuries, on August 3, 1460, King James II of Scotland was killed while besieging Roxburgh Castle. James was enthusiastic about the potential of artillery, and he died when a cannon he’d imported from Flanders exploded as it was being loaded. He was only thirty and had been a successful and popular king, so it is interesting to speculate how Scottish history might have been changed had he not been so hands-on with this new technology.
As an American, I have to mention that on August 3, 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain for the New World.
And on August 3, 1553, Mary Tudor was welcomed warmly into London by the citizens. It is rather sad to consider the initial enthusiasm for her queenship in light of how badly it ended. She would be crowned in October, thus achieving what had been denied the Empress Maude, who was chased out of London before her own coronation.
August 10, 2018
August 8th in medieval history
Sorry to still remain MIA on Facebook, but I’ve been busy nursing my ailing spaniel and my own rogue knee. But here are some medieval musings (a bit late) for August 8th. On this date in 1171, Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester and conniving younger brother of King Stephen, died in his episcopal palace. I always thought he was a contender for the title bestowed on the French king, Louis XI, “the Universal Spider,” as I saw him as the driving force behind Stephen’s usurpation of the Empress Maude’s crown. He was also a self-server, bouncing back and forth between Stephen and Maude like a wayward Ping-Pong ball. But in his later years, he seems to have developed a conscience, possibly because he’d lost his sight and realized he needed to mend fences with the Almighty.
And on August 8, 1503, King James IV of Scotland wed Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, in Edinburgh. I don’t usually like to spend much time on those ubiquitous Tudors, but Margaret’s life was an eventful one. Margaret was only 13 at the time of her marriage and her mother had died just a few months before her journey to Scotland. Her husband was not faithful to her, and her dower castle of Stirling contained the royal nursery for his seven illegitimate children. There was a lot of tragedy in her life. Her first son was born in 1507, which indicates James waited until she was at a suitable age for sexual relations, as was usually the case in the MA; the birth of Henry Tudor to his thirteen year old mother, Margaret Beaufort, was fortunately not the norm. Margaret’s first son died within a year, and a few months later, she gave birth to a daughter who died that same day. A second son, named Arthur, was born in 1509 and died the following year. She had a stillborn daughter in 1512, and another son born in 1514, after his father was slain at Flodden in 1513, who died in 1515. She did have one surviving son, who’d become James V. She forfeited the regency when she took a second husband, the Earl of Angus in 1514; this marriage would end in bitter enmity, and her third marriage would fail, too. She was unpopular with the Scots, who felt that she was partial to English interests. When her brother Henry VIII tried to gain control of her sons, James and Alexander, the latter by the Earl of Angus, the Scots took both boys away from her. Having lost her regency, her sons, and her revenues, she fled to England in 1515, where she nearly died giving birth to a daughter. She was still extremely ill when her two year old son, Alexander, died, and for a time they kept the news from her in her weakened state. The remainder of her life continued to be turbulent, with estrangements from her brother Henry and her third husband and her son James. She died of a stroke in 1541, at age 52. While she found little happiness in Scotland, the Stuart line that would eventually rule England resulted from her marriage to James IV; their son, James V, was the father of Mary Queen of Scots and thus the grandfather of the man who’d assume the English crown after Elizabeth Tudor’s death.
And on August 8, 1503, King James IV of Scotland wed Margaret Tudor, daughter of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, in Edinburgh. I don’t usually like to spend much time on those ubiquitous Tudors, but Margaret’s life was an eventful one. Margaret was only 13 at the time of her marriage and her mother had died just a few months before her journey to Scotland. Her husband was not faithful to her, and her dower castle of Stirling contained the royal nursery for his seven illegitimate children. There was a lot of tragedy in her life. Her first son was born in 1507, which indicates James waited until she was at a suitable age for sexual relations, as was usually the case in the MA; the birth of Henry Tudor to his thirteen year old mother, Margaret Beaufort, was fortunately not the norm. Margaret’s first son died within a year, and a few months later, she gave birth to a daughter who died that same day. A second son, named Arthur, was born in 1509 and died the following year. She had a stillborn daughter in 1512, and another son born in 1514, after his father was slain at Flodden in 1513, who died in 1515. She did have one surviving son, who’d become James V. She forfeited the regency when she took a second husband, the Earl of Angus in 1514; this marriage would end in bitter enmity, and her third marriage would fail, too. She was unpopular with the Scots, who felt that she was partial to English interests. When her brother Henry VIII tried to gain control of her sons, James and Alexander, the latter by the Earl of Angus, the Scots took both boys away from her. Having lost her regency, her sons, and her revenues, she fled to England in 1515, where she nearly died giving birth to a daughter. She was still extremely ill when her two year old son, Alexander, died, and for a time they kept the news from her in her weakened state. The remainder of her life continued to be turbulent, with estrangements from her brother Henry and her third husband and her son James. She died of a stroke in 1541, at age 52. While she found little happiness in Scotland, the Stuart line that would eventually rule England resulted from her marriage to James IV; their son, James V, was the father of Mary Queen of Scots and thus the grandfather of the man who’d assume the English crown after Elizabeth Tudor’s death.
August 5, 2018
August 4th at the vet's office and on the battlefield
I am sorry to report that Holly has suffered a relapse. My vet has been treating the eye that she injured during her struggle with Peripheral Vestibular Disease, but I did not like the way it looked and took her in to see him yesterday. My instincts were right; she had scratched the cornea and the eye was now ulcerated. So the poor little girl is getting ointment squirted into her eye four times a day and must wear one of those Cones of Shame. She is, as usual, being a good sport about it and lets me do what must be done. But she understandably looks very sad. Wish us luck; we may need it. Meanwhile, I am going to try to catch up with historical events; see below.
August 4th is the date of two significant medieval battles. On August 4, 1192, Richard Lionheart won a remarkable victory at Jaffa against a much larger Saracen army. Richard was camped outside the city walls, having managed to regain control of Jaffa. Learning that re-enforcements would not be coming to Richard’s aid, Saladin staged a surprise attack upon the crusaders. He may have won a huge victory if not for a sharp-eyed Genoese who’d risen early to relieve himself and spotted the sun glinting off the shields and spears. Richard had time to rally his small force and they held off assault after assault, until late in the day he took the offensive with barely a handful of knights and scored one of the more improbable triumphs in military history. According to the mortified Saracen chroniclers, at one point he rode out alone to challenge the Saracen line and none dared to accept it. For those who haven’t read Lionheart yet (what are you waiting for???), I naturally dramatize this battle in considerable detail, for I was lucky enough to have eye-witnesses accounts from both the crusaders and the Saracens who actually fought in this conflict.
And on August 4, 1265, another brilliant medieval general, the future Edward I, trapped his godfather and uncle, Simon de Montfort, at Evesham. Edward had earlier staged a successful assault upon Simon’s son, Bran, who was camped at Kenilworth Castle, and he used some of the captured banners so that Simon would assume this was his son arriving with the much-needed reinforcements. By the time they realized the truth, it was too late. Simon, watching the approaching army from the bell tower in Evesham, said, “They come on well. He learned that from me.” He then uttered one of history’s better exit lines, saying to his sons and soldiers, “We must commend our souls to God, for our bodies are theirs.” In the ensuing battle, a violent thunderstorm broke out over the field at the height of the battle. Simon was slain and his body horribly mutilated by Edward’s men. Simon’s eldest son died on the field with him and his younger son, Guy, was gravely wounded. Edward showed no mercy; even the squires were killed, which was highly unusual. A chronicler would later write, “Such was the murder of Evesham, for battle it was none.” Simon’s son, Bran, would arrive on the battlefield in time to see his father’s head on a pike. Simon’s widow and daughter were allowed to go into French exile. Simon’s death was not forgotten; much to Edward’s frustration, people began to make surreptitious pilgrimages to Evesham to pray to a man some saw as a saint. A saint, he most definitely was not. As I said in the Author’s Note for Falls the Shadow, “A French-born English hero, lordly champion of the commons, an honorable adven-turer, Simon continues to be as controversial and enigmatic and paradoxical a figure in our time as he was in his own.” I think he’d have been pleased, though, with the memorial stone erected in his honor at Evesham on the 700th anniversary of his death, which was unveiled by the Speaker of the House of Commons and dedicated by the Archbishop of Canterbury:
HERE WERE BURIED THE REMAINS OF
SIMON DE MONTFORT, EARL OF LEICESTER,
PIONEER OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, WHO WAS
KILLED IN THE BATTLE OF EVESHAM ON 4 AUGUST 1265.
August 4th is the date of two significant medieval battles. On August 4, 1192, Richard Lionheart won a remarkable victory at Jaffa against a much larger Saracen army. Richard was camped outside the city walls, having managed to regain control of Jaffa. Learning that re-enforcements would not be coming to Richard’s aid, Saladin staged a surprise attack upon the crusaders. He may have won a huge victory if not for a sharp-eyed Genoese who’d risen early to relieve himself and spotted the sun glinting off the shields and spears. Richard had time to rally his small force and they held off assault after assault, until late in the day he took the offensive with barely a handful of knights and scored one of the more improbable triumphs in military history. According to the mortified Saracen chroniclers, at one point he rode out alone to challenge the Saracen line and none dared to accept it. For those who haven’t read Lionheart yet (what are you waiting for???), I naturally dramatize this battle in considerable detail, for I was lucky enough to have eye-witnesses accounts from both the crusaders and the Saracens who actually fought in this conflict.
And on August 4, 1265, another brilliant medieval general, the future Edward I, trapped his godfather and uncle, Simon de Montfort, at Evesham. Edward had earlier staged a successful assault upon Simon’s son, Bran, who was camped at Kenilworth Castle, and he used some of the captured banners so that Simon would assume this was his son arriving with the much-needed reinforcements. By the time they realized the truth, it was too late. Simon, watching the approaching army from the bell tower in Evesham, said, “They come on well. He learned that from me.” He then uttered one of history’s better exit lines, saying to his sons and soldiers, “We must commend our souls to God, for our bodies are theirs.” In the ensuing battle, a violent thunderstorm broke out over the field at the height of the battle. Simon was slain and his body horribly mutilated by Edward’s men. Simon’s eldest son died on the field with him and his younger son, Guy, was gravely wounded. Edward showed no mercy; even the squires were killed, which was highly unusual. A chronicler would later write, “Such was the murder of Evesham, for battle it was none.” Simon’s son, Bran, would arrive on the battlefield in time to see his father’s head on a pike. Simon’s widow and daughter were allowed to go into French exile. Simon’s death was not forgotten; much to Edward’s frustration, people began to make surreptitious pilgrimages to Evesham to pray to a man some saw as a saint. A saint, he most definitely was not. As I said in the Author’s Note for Falls the Shadow, “A French-born English hero, lordly champion of the commons, an honorable adven-turer, Simon continues to be as controversial and enigmatic and paradoxical a figure in our time as he was in his own.” I think he’d have been pleased, though, with the memorial stone erected in his honor at Evesham on the 700th anniversary of his death, which was unveiled by the Speaker of the House of Commons and dedicated by the Archbishop of Canterbury:
HERE WERE BURIED THE REMAINS OF
SIMON DE MONTFORT, EARL OF LEICESTER,
PIONEER OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, WHO WAS
KILLED IN THE BATTLE OF EVESHAM ON 4 AUGUST 1265.
August 3, 2018
Wales and Eden
I was hoping I’d be able to start posting much more frequently, but my rogue knee had other ideas. I am about to tackle my editor’s comments and suggestions for The Land Beyond the Sea; wish me luck. Meanwhile, Holly’s news is mixed. Her peripheral vestibular disease symptoms have dramatically decreased, but she injured her eye during that period and it is proving to more of a challenge for my vet. She is obviously feeling much better, though.
Since I’ve been feeling somewhat guilty about not being able to plunge right back into the Facebook pool, I come with a peace offering. This link will lead you so some stunning photos of Wales, proof of why I call it the most beautiful land this side of Eden.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-448...
Since I’ve been feeling somewhat guilty about not being able to plunge right back into the Facebook pool, I come with a peace offering. This link will lead you so some stunning photos of Wales, proof of why I call it the most beautiful land this side of Eden.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-448...
July 18, 2018
Good news
I am very happy to report that Holly is much better. She began to improve once the vet increased the prednisone and we are now starting to slowly wean her off it. She still has the head tilt and is not completely steady on her feet, but she no longer acts as if she’s gotten into the wine when my back was turned. I am accustomed to having very smart dogs (sometimes too clever by half) poodles and shepherds, and when I adopted Holly, I thought I might have to lower the bar for her since spaniels are not ranked among the Einsteins of the canine world. But no one told Holly that. She has proven to be a very smart little dog, but during this illness, she outdid herself. Because of the prednisone, she began to have “accidents,” quite a few of them. Yet for every single one of them, she wobbled into my kitchen, always sparing my carpets. Lassie, eat your heart out! Okay, some hyperbole there; she’s too small to rescue Timmy from the well. Again, thanks to all of you who sent good wishes for her recovery and related stories of your own dogs’ experiences with peripheral vestibular disease. They definitely helped.
Below is a fascinating and detailed account of the rescue of the “Thai cave boys.” The BBC coverage was riveting. When you see the diagram of the escape route the boys had to travel, you realize that this truly was a miracle. Much credit is due to the Thai government and it is so heartening that the rest of the world rallied around the boys. It was as if all of our children were trapped in that cave. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-4...
Below is a fascinating and detailed account of the rescue of the “Thai cave boys.” The BBC coverage was riveting. When you see the diagram of the escape route the boys had to travel, you realize that this truly was a miracle. Much credit is due to the Thai government and it is so heartening that the rest of the world rallied around the boys. It was as if all of our children were trapped in that cave. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-4...
July 15, 2018
Holly update and cheers for France
I would like to congratulate my French Facebook friends for their win in today’s World Cup. I know none of my British friends were rooting for France—memories of the 100 Years War and all that. :-) But I love France and was happy to see them win. Had Croatia been playing another team, I’d probably have rooted for them since I always have a soft spot for the underdogs.
Speaking of dogs, Holly is still ill, not responding to the steroid treatment as fast as her vet and I have hoped. She wobbles around the house as if she’s been hitting the wine and the extreme tilt of her head keeps her from eating herself, so she has to be hand-fed. Since I was already hobbling around the house thanks to my rogue knee, we make quite a pair. My vet remains optimistic that she will make a full recovery in time, but we probably could use as many positive vibes as you all would like to send our way. And thanks again to all who posted about their own dogs and peripheral vestibular disease; I really appreciate that.
Speaking of dogs, Holly is still ill, not responding to the steroid treatment as fast as her vet and I have hoped. She wobbles around the house as if she’s been hitting the wine and the extreme tilt of her head keeps her from eating herself, so she has to be hand-fed. Since I was already hobbling around the house thanks to my rogue knee, we make quite a pair. My vet remains optimistic that she will make a full recovery in time, but we probably could use as many positive vibes as you all would like to send our way. And thanks again to all who posted about their own dogs and peripheral vestibular disease; I really appreciate that.
July 11, 2018
A rescue for the ages and a sick little dog
Sorry I did not get on-line yesterday to celebrate the Miracle Rescue in Thailand. That truly was a rescue for the ages. I hope we all will remember Saman Gunan, the diver who died in the effort to save the boys. There is so much ugliness in the world these days that we desperately need to be reminded that there are people capable of this sort of altruism and courage. Here is a link to a story about the divers and doctors involved in the rescue. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-4...
I was off-line yesterday because my spaniel, Holly, became very ill this week. Without warning, she began to stagger around as if she were drunk, her head cocked at an odd angle and her eyes twitching like pinballs. I admit I was terrified, sure she was having a stroke. Thankfully, it was not; my vet diagnosed vestibular disease, which can be treated with steroids. It is strange that I did not think of this, for one of my other dogs was stricken with this ailment about 12 years ago. I think I was associating it with diseases of age, for that dog was much older than Holly. The poor girl is still having a rough time, though I do see some improvement; she is no longer lurching around as if she were trapped in an earthquake. She did refuse food this morning, though, and normally that would be a sign of the coming Apocalypse. But my vet says to be patient. Of course he is not the one throwing up or having to be hand-fed because of the extreme head tilt. I just hope Holly does not decide hand-feeding is something she wants us to continue. The vet said it usually does not recur. It did with Randy, my elderly dog, but her great age—15—may have made her vulnerable. Just curious….have any of your dogs had vestibular disease and if so, did it come back?
I was off-line yesterday because my spaniel, Holly, became very ill this week. Without warning, she began to stagger around as if she were drunk, her head cocked at an odd angle and her eyes twitching like pinballs. I admit I was terrified, sure she was having a stroke. Thankfully, it was not; my vet diagnosed vestibular disease, which can be treated with steroids. It is strange that I did not think of this, for one of my other dogs was stricken with this ailment about 12 years ago. I think I was associating it with diseases of age, for that dog was much older than Holly. The poor girl is still having a rough time, though I do see some improvement; she is no longer lurching around as if she were trapped in an earthquake. She did refuse food this morning, though, and normally that would be a sign of the coming Apocalypse. But my vet says to be patient. Of course he is not the one throwing up or having to be hand-fed because of the extreme head tilt. I just hope Holly does not decide hand-feeding is something she wants us to continue. The vet said it usually does not recur. It did with Randy, my elderly dog, but her great age—15—may have made her vulnerable. Just curious….have any of your dogs had vestibular disease and if so, did it come back?
July 9, 2018
Of miracles and book titles
Two miracles down, one more to go. People are awed by the courage of the divers, but the courage and composure of those youngsters is remarkable, too. We desperately need a happy ending—for the boys and their families, but for the rest of the world, too. Here is a link to an interesting column about why a crisis like this one rivets the attention of people all over the planet. The story of those trapped Chilean miners is a prime example. Numerous stories of children who’d fallen into wells. Even the fate of those three whales trapped in the ice mesmerized most of us; I still remember the joy when a Russian ice-breaker was able to cut an escape route for them. And of course every day there are people who risk their lives to save others in peril.
Did I ever explain why my new book’s title suffered a sea change, from Outremer to The Land Beyond the Sea? Outremer was my first choice, but after a conversation with my then-British editor, who sadly is no longer with Macmillan, I agreed to accept The Land Beyond the Sea; she explained that their sales department was uneasy with Outremer. Writers learn to pick our battles and I did see her point. A few friends who had no knowledge of French had confessed they did not know how to pronounce Outremer, calling it Out-Reamer! Only once did a publisher seriously object to one of my titles; my British publisher for Here de Dragons wanted to change it for reasons that made no sense to me. So, there I drew a line in the sand, but I did agree to a compromise of sorts—that my middle initial would be deep-sixed on their side of the Atlantic. And that is why I am known as Sharon Kay Penman in the US and as Sharon Penman in the UK.
End of digression. Here is the link to the story about the Thai cave rescue.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/08/opinio...
Did I ever explain why my new book’s title suffered a sea change, from Outremer to The Land Beyond the Sea? Outremer was my first choice, but after a conversation with my then-British editor, who sadly is no longer with Macmillan, I agreed to accept The Land Beyond the Sea; she explained that their sales department was uneasy with Outremer. Writers learn to pick our battles and I did see her point. A few friends who had no knowledge of French had confessed they did not know how to pronounce Outremer, calling it Out-Reamer! Only once did a publisher seriously object to one of my titles; my British publisher for Here de Dragons wanted to change it for reasons that made no sense to me. So, there I drew a line in the sand, but I did agree to a compromise of sorts—that my middle initial would be deep-sixed on their side of the Atlantic. And that is why I am known as Sharon Kay Penman in the US and as Sharon Penman in the UK.
End of digression. Here is the link to the story about the Thai cave rescue.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/08/opinio...
July 8, 2018
The rescue
All over the world, people are praying for a miracle for those trapped boys in Thailand. We did get one miracle when four of the kids were safely taken out, but more miracles will be needed. I have so much admiration for those volunteer divers, am awed by their courage. See the link below for one of the latest updates about the rescue.
On a personal note, I would like to thank all of my Facebook friends and readers for being so understanding about my disappearances over the past few months. I have never worked so hard to complete a book as I did on this one, in part because my health “issues” continue to slow me down and sabotage schedules, etc. It probably didn’t help, either, that LBS (as one of my friends has dubbed it) is one of my longer efforts—742 pages. I am so lucky that you guys love long books!
Now that the manuscript has gone off to my editors in the US and UK, I will be able to rejoin the real world and start posting on Facebook again. I may even be able to revive my moribund blog, assuming that I can scrape all the cobwebs off. Thanks again for your patience. I have the world’s best readers, bar none.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...
On a personal note, I would like to thank all of my Facebook friends and readers for being so understanding about my disappearances over the past few months. I have never worked so hard to complete a book as I did on this one, in part because my health “issues” continue to slow me down and sabotage schedules, etc. It probably didn’t help, either, that LBS (as one of my friends has dubbed it) is one of my longer efforts—742 pages. I am so lucky that you guys love long books!
Now that the manuscript has gone off to my editors in the US and UK, I will be able to rejoin the real world and start posting on Facebook again. I may even be able to revive my moribund blog, assuming that I can scrape all the cobwebs off. Thanks again for your patience. I have the world’s best readers, bar none.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...
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