Bad weather and a forgotten queen

I am still housebound thanks to the polar vortex that followed our last snowstorm. I figure at this rate the snow ought to have melted by St Patrick’s Day. My sympathies to all of my readers and friends–if not braving frigid air, you all seem to be dealing with deadly droughts (California and Southwest) or horrific heat (Down Under.)
Meanwhile, I am happy to report that Sharan Newman’s new biography of Queen Melisende of Jerusalem is available for pre-ordering on Amazon. Melisende died in 1161, before the time I’ll be covering in my Outremer novel, which opens in 1172, but Sharan’s book gives an excellent perspective on the history and customs of the kingdom. I was able to get an ARC and enjoyed it very much. And Melisende is an interesting figure in her own right.
http://www.amazon.com/Defending-City-...