Ivana

Ivana asked Sharon Kay Penman:

I love "The Sunne in Splendour". If you wrote it today, would you incorporate some of the new info that has surfaced in the last 30 years; e.g. would the negotiations for the double marriage of Richard to Joana of Portugal and his niece (presumably Bess) to Manuel of Beja affect your portrayal of the relationship between Bess and Richard; and how would the marriage to Ralph Scrope fit in the story of Cecily of York?

Sharon Kay Penman Thank you, Ivana. Actually, I answered a very similar query about Sunne in an earlier post. I would definitely want to include what we now know about Richard's scoliosis, and of course I'd want the story to reflect these new discoveries in the 30 years since Sunne was published. I don't see why what we now know about the proposed marriages would affect the the relationship between Richard and his niece, and I'd have welcomed the chance to expand Cecily's role, for I've always been very sympathetic to her..

More Answered Questions

A Goodreads user

A Goodreads user asked Sharon Kay Penman:

I hope its okay to ask the question: Are you planning on writing about the Plantagenets up to Richard III? Thanks! :)

Darcey

Darcey asked Sharon Kay Penman:

I just finished reading Alison Weir's "Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life", and I'm curious what your thoughts on it (I presume you've read it, but I can't find any books of yours on hand to see if you've included it in your references/etc). I found some of her positions interesting, especially concerning evidence or lack of evidence for particular things. Have you read it, and if so, what do you think?

Cheryl Mallon Webb

Cheryl Mallon Webb asked Sharon Kay Penman:

I love your books. My favorite is Here be dragons. Reading your books caused me to develop an intense interest in European (especially British) history. I love history so much that it has become one of my hobbies, along with reading great novels. What got you interested in history and caused you to want to create such incredible books for us?

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Sharon Kay Penman

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