Reader Questions for Sharon Penman

[boswellbaxter]

We're delighted to have Sharon Penman stopping by today! Thanks very much for being here.

To start us off, here are a couple of questions from board co-administrator Marg, who would have loved to be here if it wasn't 3:00 a.m. in Australia:

What prompted you to write historical mysteries, and will there be any more Justin de Quincey books?

Could you ever see yourself writing a novel that wasn't set in medieval times?

[ellenjane]

Who has been your favorite character to write? Does it change over time or depending on what book you're working on?

[sharon]

HI, everyone,
Sorry I am a little late, but i got sidetracked answering an interesting e-mail from a woman who wanted to know why I preferred Eleanor to Henry. I had to argue my case, that I care as much about Henry as I do Eleanor. Flaws and all, they were fascinating people.
I was asked if I am doing any more mysteries, right? I do hope to. I was planning to do another mystery next, but my publisher wants me to do Lionheart instead as my nect book. That makes sense; they want to ride the momentum of DB. But after that I hope to get back to the ever so patient Justin.
I was asked if I have a favorite character. Let me send this off to let you all know I am here and I'll answer that next.
Sharon

[sharon]

Who has been your favorite character to write? Does it change over time or depending on what book you're working on?

I usually am partial to the characters who are causing the most trouble! For example, I had a soft spot for Llewelyn ap Gruffydd's scapegrace brother Davydd because he stole every scene he was in. I enjoyed writing about Elizabeth Woodvlle, oddly enough, because she had no sense of humor, was very literal and utterly self-centered, utterly unlike Edward IV. I obviously enjoy writing about Henry and Eleanor. I devoted three books to him and Eleanor has been in four and will have another one coming, not even counting the mysteries when she appears in her Kate Hepburn mode. I always assume everyone saw The Lion in Winter!
But if I had to pick one character who was closest to my heart, I think it would be Llewelyn Fawr, Joanna's Llewelyn in Here Be Dragons.

[sharon]

We're delighted to have Sharon Penman stopping by today! Thanks very much for being here.

To start us off, here are a couple of questions from board co-administrator Marg, who would have loved to be here if it wasn't 3:00 a.m. in Australia:

What prompted you to write historical mysteries, and will there be any more Justin de Quincey books?
After writing Saints, I was in need of a change of pace, for that book came closest to burning me out. Since I read mysteries for fun, it seemed like a natural progression to try my hand at one--naturally a medieval one!

Could you ever see yourself writing a novel that wasn't set in medieval times?
Lord, no! That would be cruel and unusual punishment, both for me and my readers. Well, let me modify that a bit. It was the thought of writing a novel set in contemporary times that gave me a chill of horror. If I had nine lives like a cat, though, I would have loved to write of two different times. I played around for a while with the thought of writing a novel about the Roman Republic and the Gracchi brothers, who were sort of like the Kennedys of their day. And I would have loved to write a novel about the American Revolutionary War, approaching it as our first civil war. John Adams estimated that a fourth of the population were rebels, a fourth were Tories, and the rest were on the fence, waiting to see how the war went. So I would have liked to explore that conflict of loyalties.

[boswellbaxter]

You had to rewrite The Sunne in Splendour after the MS was stolen. Do you think it was a better novel for the rewriting? And has the original MS ever surfaced?

[EC2]

Hi Sharon and welcome,
How did you originally come across Llewelyn and Joanna's story?
Here Be Dragons is one of my favourite's of yours!
I am delighted to hear also that Justin will be making a re-appearance. I have particulary enjoyed his last two outings!

[Misfit]

I usually am partial to the characters who are causing the most trouble!

I assume then you're going to have your hands full with John in Lionheart?

I loved how well you developed all the characters in Devil's Brood, along with the dialogue -- especially Richard. How do you as a writer gather information from the historical texts, etc. and then breath such life into it?

[sharon]

You had to rewrite The Sunne in Splendour after the MS was stolen. Do you think it was a better novel for the rewriting? And has the original MS ever surfaced?

Oh, most definitely! I made a terrible mistake with that first draft of Sunne. I was writing it mainly for myselfr, not really thinking about getting it published. And so I was writing it like a patchwork quilt. I'd think of a particular scene or chapter I'd want to do and plunge into it. But there was no continuity to the story. I might do one chapter set in 1472 and then do one set in 1169. This made it easy for me in one sense, for I didn't have to worry about Writer's Block. If I ran into trouble, I just skipped on to another dramatic episode. But it made it impossible to show character development. In Sunne as it was finally published, Edward was a very different man at his death than the young, cocky seventeen year old who opened the book. And that wouldn't have worked if I'd continued my haphazard approach.
No, the original ms. never surfaced. I had bought a loose leaf binder the week before it was taken, a bright pink notebook with a peace sign. I have always believed that one of the children playing in front of the apt conplex saw it and on impulse, snatched it from the car while it was untended. So most likely the new notebook went to school with the young thief, and the contents ended up dumped in the woods behind us. That seems more logical than to believe in vengeful Tudor ghosts hovering over New Jersey!

[boswellbaxter]

Per Marg, as most readers know, you've had some health issues lately. Has that affected your motivation to write?

[sharon]

I assume then you're going to have your hands full with John in Lionheart?

I loved how well you developed all the characters in Devil's Brood, along with the dialogue -- especially Richard. How do you as a writer gather information from the historical texts, etc. and then breath such life into it?

Yes, John is always a handful. I enjoyed writing about him in Here Be Dragons, for I wanted to show his human side, while not whitewashing him in any way. He seems to have been the most damaged of Henry and Eleanor's four sons. And I am afraid Henry must bear a lot of the blame for that. As Eleanor said to Henry in The Lion in Winter, "Oh, no, you are not blaming me for John. He is your doing!"
I'd had a one-dimensional view of Richard until I started seriously researching his life for DB. I saw him as the flashy battle commander, the man who saw a certain glory in war, as I have him say in DB. But he was actually a competent king, unfairly criticized by the 19th century British historians as an absentee landlord. The fact was that England was only part of his domains, and he spent so little time there because he was needed to put out fires on the continent. In the last five years of his life, after he'd regained his freedom, he was constantly at war with the French king.
I also discovered that Richard had inherited his parents' sardonic sense of humor and sense of irony. One of my favorite stories about Richard involved the capture of his enemy, the Bishop of Beauvais, a very warlike prelate who'd been caught raiding Richard's domains. When the Pope criticized Richard for holding prisoner a "good son of the Church," Richard sent him the bishop's bloodied chainmail hauberk with a laconic, "Here is your son's shirt."
Thanks for the kind words about dialogue and humor. Medieval humor is tricky at best. But in DB I found the dialogue often seemed to write itself, especially in scenes between Henry and Eleanor or between their squabbling sons.

[ellenjane]

Like Misfit, I've really been enjoying the dialogue in Devil's Brood - I have about 100 pages left to go. I think a lot of the readers on the board have really appreciated Geoffrey and Constance, and I concur!

On another note, I've always enjoyed the dyrehunds in your novels. How did you decide to introduce that sort of personal note into your writing, and how has it been received? (I'm assuming they come from your own affection for the breed.) And does Ranulf still have that breeding pair? :p

[Misfit]

I'm very much looking forward to Lionheart and how you will continue with Richard's character. Are you going to focus a great deal on Richard's crusade and marriage to Berengeria?

[sharon]

Hi Sharon and welcome,
How did you originally come across Llewelyn and Joanna's story?
Here Be Dragons is one of my favourite's of yours!
I am delighted to hear also that Justin will be making a re-appearance. I have particulary enjoyed his last two outings!

I don't know if we should admit that we have favorite books. It is a bit like a mother confessing, "I love Johnny so much more than little Susie." But Here Be Dragons is my own favorite of my books. After spending twelve years on Sunne, it was lovely to have people left alive at the end of the book! And it really was a powerful and true love story.Do you have any favorites among your own books?
I'd orignally meant Dragons to be the story of John and his daughter. I'd found myself wondering how it would be for a grown woman to discover that the father she'd always adored was a moral monster. At that point, all I knew about Llewelyn was that he was the Welsh prince Joanna married. Then I moved to Wales to research the book and it took Llewelyn less than three weeks to snatch the book right out from under John's nose. He literally leapt off the page. And then when I discovered that Joanna had been unfaithful--with the grandson of the woman John had starved to death--and Llewelyn had forgiven her, I knew I'd struck gold.

[sharon]

I'm very much looking forward to Lionheart and how you will continue with Richard's character. Are you going to focus a great deal on Richard's crusade and marriage to Berengeria?

First of all, thank you for that wonderful review of DB you posted on the Amazon mother ship. You really made my day! Yes, Berengaria will be a major character in Lionheart, and a good portion of the book will be set in the Holy Land. It is not surprising that Richard and Berengaria's marriage showed such strain, for it could not have gotten off to a more sressful start. Here she was, sent all the way to Italy to marry a man who was still offically betrothed to the French king's sister. And then, after a "quickie" marriage in Cyprus, she and Richard's sister Joanna followed him on the Crusade. This was an experience filled with danger and discomfort and uncertainty. Berengaria really saw very little of Richard, as he was off leading raids and killing Saracens and she and Joanna were left to occupy themselves behind the walls of Acre. Richard also had serious health problems while on Crusade, and his emotions were often raw, for he'd soon realized that it would be impossible to recapture Jerusalem. After he'd struck a realistic but reluctant peace with Saladin, he sent Joanna and Berengaria on ahead of him. And then, of course, he was captured on his own way home, and Berengaria did not see him for a year and a half. No, being a highborn princess of a royal house was not always all it cracked up to be in the MA. Wait till you all read about the extraordinary fate of Agnes, the French king Philippe's little sister, who'd been sent off to wed the heir to Byzantium at the age of eight. Her story is something no fiction writer could make up, and I do mention it in Lionheart.

[EC2]

I'm very much looking forward to Lionheart and how you will continue with Richard's character. Are you going to focus a great deal on Richard's crusade and marriage to Berengeria?

Berengaria has always seemed to me a shadowy figure. She's there in the history but always sort of tucked away in the background without a voice. I'm looking forward to your take on her Sharon.

[Misfit]

Berengaria has always seemed to me a shadowy figure. She's there in the history but always sort of tucked away in the background without a voice. I'm looking forward to your take on her Sharon.

I'm looking forward to it as well. I guessing Sharon can tell her story better than some of the others I've read (and skipped through). Boy, now you've got my curiosity up about Agnes. I recall reading The Reckoning and the struggles Llewellyn and Eleanore went through and rolling my eyes thinking this can't be (I mean a pirate ship????), and then went on the internet and yes it was all true.

You're very much welcome about the review, and thank you for writing such awesome books.

[sharon]

Like Misfit, I've really been enjoying the dialogue in Devil's Brood - I have about 100 pages left to go. I think a lot of the readers on the board have really appreciated Geoffrey and Constance, and I concur!

On another note, I've always enjoyed the dyrehunds in your novels. How did you decide to introduce that sort of personal note into your writing, and how has it been received? (I'm assuming they come from your own affection for the breed.) And does Ranulf still have that breeding pair? :p

Thank you so much. It has been so heartening to receive so many compliments on the dialogue. As I said earlier, sometimes these scenes literally seemed to write themselves. I especially liked Henry and Eleanor's spirited give and take. One of my favorite scenes is the one I called their Medieval version of Truth or Dare, where she challenges him to answer truthfully and they soon get themselves into deep water.
I really enjoyed writing about Geoffrey and Constance; their wedding scene is another one of my favorites. As I explained in my AN, I was so lucky to have a wonderful book to draw upon, Brittany Under the Angevins, which--for the first time--analyzes Geoffrey's actions, not as a disgruntled son but as the Duke of Brittany. Seen in this context, his behavior may not always be admirable, but it is understandable. And for so long, historians dismissed Geoffrey's actions as "mindless malice." Yet nothing could be further from the truth.
I lost my own "dyrehund" Kristin in 2001, to cancer. I adopted a German shepherd after I lost her, Cody, the Johnny Depp of Dogdom who is shown on my website. But I loved being able to work the dyrehunds into the plot of Saints. For those who have not read it, I used a dyrehund to reveal adultery. And of course Ranulf continues to have dyrehunds in his quiet retirement in Wales with Rhiannon. Anyone who reads my books knows that I love animals. I do try to keep things in the medieval context, though. For example, when I mention cats, I always also mention that they were not normally kept as pets. And I have a scene in my first mystery, The Queen's Man, where Justin rescues a young dog that was deliberately thrown into the Fleet River to drown. I took pains to show the various attitudes of the bystanders, most being indifferent to the dog's fate. There were always people like Justin in the MA, people who loved dogs. But this was a time when people believed that Man had Dominion over all the earth and all the creatures in it, and the idea of animal rights would have been an utterly alien one to them. We have to remember, too, that when daily life was so hard for the average man and woman, they would naturally have less pity to spare for animals in peril.

[LCW]

Hi Sharon! Thanks so much for stopping by. I've read six of your novels and just love them. Here Be Dragon's is one of my favorite books of all time and Devil's Brood follow's close behind. I'm anxiously awaiting your next one.

I had a question about the relationship between Henry and Eleanor while she was his prisoner. I was surprised the in Devil's Brood she never just came out and demanded or asked Henry to release her, esp. during those years where they were getting along fairly well and her stature had improved somewhat. Was that just way beneath Eleanor or did she know that Henry would never have agreed and so didn't bother to debase herself like that?

I also had a question about Constance from Devil's Brood. The scene where she finds out Geoffrey has died was just heartbreaking! They were two of my favorite characters and I'm so looking forward to reading more about her. Will she play a major role in Lionheart? And what was it about her that attracted you to her initially?

[sharon]

Per Marg, as most readers know, you've had some health issues lately. Has that affected your motivation to write?

I have run into a problem. I typed up a response to the last query, and cannot get the computer to send it. I keep getting a cryptic message saying the message is too short and I need at least ten more characters???? I tried adding another sentence, but it still won't send it. I am not even sure this one will come through. If it does, I'll then answer your question. Any one have any ideas how I can get the blocked message to go?

[boswellbaxter]

I have run into a problem. I typed up a response to the last query, and cannot get the computer to send it. I keep getting a cryptic message saying the message is too short and I need at least ten more characters???? I tried adding another sentence, but it still won't send it. I am not even sure this one will come through. If it does, I'll then answer your question. Any one have any ideas how I can get the blocked message to go?

That's odd! I've had the board reject one-word messages, and messages that are very long, but not any other message. If it doesn't let you through, you can use the private message feature to send it to me, and I'll post it. (To use private message, you can click my user name, and there will an option that states "send private message").

[sharon]

I have run into a problem. I typed up a response to the last query, and cannot get the computer to send it. I keep getting a cryptic message saying the message is too short and I need at least ten more characters???? I tried adding another sentence, but it still won't send it. I am not even sure this one will come through. If it does, I'll then answer your question. Any one have any ideas how I can get the blocked message to go?

Okay, this one went through. It has not been a good year for me, healthwise. But fortunately I have ailments that are treatable. Despite a truly horrendous stay in the hospital last month, I have a profound appreciation for modern medicine. This is especially true whenever I am researching a medieval ailment. It amazes me that Eleanor lived to be 80 in the 12th century, and apparently remained in good health until the end of her life.
As far as motivation is concerned, I've found that the need to pay my mortage always helps! Seriously, I feel blessed in that I genuinely love what I do. So even on days when I am not feeling all that well, I can still derive pleasure from the research or the writing.

[LCW]

I just thought of one other question! I've loved the titles of all your novels. That's initially what attracted me to your work. I came across "Here Be Dragons" and thought it was such an unusual title and somewhere found out that it's what map makers put on areas of the map that were unknown and were thus shrouded in mystery and a bit of fear. Also most of your novels there is a quote or a reference to where you got the title from such as When Christ and His Saints Slept or Falls the Shadow. Where did the title Devil's Brood come from? If there ever was an appropriate title for a novel then surely that is it, lol! I'm just curious as to how you came up with it.

[Ash]

Thanks so much for spending your valuable time talking with us! Its such an honor to have you here!

I still have some unread posts, but wanted to respond to this:

But Here Be Dragons is my own favorite of my books. After spending twelve years on Sunne, it was lovely to have people left alive at the end of the book! And it really was a powerful and true love story.

Oh I totally agree with you - that was the first of your books I had read and tho I have loved all of your books, this is my favorite (and was almost turned off by the bodice ripper cover at that time; Im so glad I got beyond that!) I fell in love with Joanna and Llywellen, and actually found myself seeing John as a much more complex character than I had imagined. This by the way is what I so admired about this latest book - Henry and Eleanor both became so very human and complex. Their inner thoughts and conflict not only worked for the characters, they worked for the time period. I came to feel so much sympathy for Henry at the end; even tho he drove his sons to their rebellions, they were just the serpents tooth (teeth) that Lear laments about.

Speaking of sons: I never knew much about Hal, and expected him to be a self centered brat. But the more I read of his paranoia, self doubt, and ego the more I wondered if there was something more of a mental illness going on here. Do you think Henry knew that? If so why on earth would he have been made king? Oh, and you mention in your AN about the reasons for the death of Hal and Henry; I couldn't find it on your site. Would you mind telling us here?

Were the scenes with Geoffrey and Constance similar in your mind to Eleanor and Henry's early marriage? They just had that spark that I imagined in E&H.

BTW I finally got to meet you several years ago when you came to the Poison Pen to speak and sign in Scottsdale. Any chance you'll be down this way again?

One more question then I need to catch up - is the Maud in Devils Brood the same one in Dragons? .

[Ash]

Oh, another comment: there were some scenes that literally moved me to tears: Henry's visit to Thomas's tomb, Constance finding out about Geoffrey, Henry and Eleanor's last meeting, and his death. I remember asking you back when you had written the Reckoning, if it was hard for you to write what you find history dictates. Do you ever want to say to hell with this lets keep this one alive just a little longer? (and btw, I am very glad that you keep accurate as much as possible. Your author notes are invaluable, as are the maps and cast of characters. Wish more HF writers would follow suit!)

[sharon]

Hi Sharon! Thanks so much for stopping by. I've read six of your novels and just love them. Here Be Dragon's is one of my favorite books of all time and Devil's Brood follow's close behind. I'm anxiously awaiting your next one.

I had a question about the relationship between Henry and Eleanor while she was his prisoner. I was surprised the in Devil's Brood she never just came out and demanded or asked Henry to release her, esp. during those years where they were getting along fairly well and her stature had improved somewhat. Was that just way beneath Eleanor or did she know that Henry would never have agreed and so didn't bother to debase herself like that?

I also had a question about Constance from Devil's Brood. The scene where she finds out Geoffrey has died was just heartbreaking! They were two of my favorite characters and I'm so looking forward to reading more about her. Will she play a major role in Lionheart? And what was it about her that


attracted you to her initially?

I tried to send a reply but it won't go through. I wanted to let you know that I am having a major problem, so I'll see if this one goes through okay.

[sharon]

I tried to send a reply but it won't go through. I wanted to let you know that I am having a major problem, so I'll see if this one goes through okay.
This one did, but two of my last three messages wouldn't go through and a third was wiped clean. So I am leery of trying again. It might be safer if you e=mail this query to me directly, same with any others I have been unable to answer. Okay?

[sharon]

Oh, another comment: there were some scenes that literally moved me to tears: Henry's visit to Thomas's tomb, Constance finding out about Geoffrey, Henry and Eleanor's last meeting, and his death. I remember asking you back when you had written the Reckoning, if it was hard for you to write what you find history dictates. Do you ever want to say to hell with this lets keep this one alive just a little longer? (and btw, I am very glad that you keep accurate as much as possible. Your author notes are invaluable, as are the maps and cast of characters. Wish more HF writers would follow suit!)

I am having real problems posting replies, with several not getting through and one being erased entirely before I could even try to send it. These are such good questions, too--damn!

[boswellbaxter]

I am having real problems posting replies, with several not getting through and one being erased entirely before I could even try to send it. These are such good questions, too--damn!

I sent you a PM--you should see the notification on the upper right hand corner of you screen in the "Welcome" area. Also, you can always send me your replies in a PM, and I'll post them.

Anyone else having problems posting today?

[EC2]

I have to disappear to cook :mad: I've been really enjoying reading the questions and answers - sorry that you're having a problem posting.
I'll doubtless catch up with you anon. It'd be great if you stayed as a forum member. I love it here and everyone's terrific and very switched on to historical fiction.
I was going to ask if you have started writing Lionheart, or are you researching it at the moment? Do you research and then write, or do both together? I admit to the latter.

[ellenjane]

I'm so sorry you've having posting problems. Hopefully boswellbaxter can get things sorted out, or maybe the system would work better later in the day. I haven't had any problems, but am clueless about how message board software works.

In any case, thank you so much for taking some time out to answer our questions!

[boswellbaxter]

Sharon has had to log off due to the computer problems she's experienced, but wanted me to pass along her e-mail address for who want to contact her. (Replace "at" with "@" and remove the spaces.)

skp1124 at comcast.net

She thanks everyone for their questions and their interest. And we thank her for for paying us a visit!

[Leyland]

Love the questions on this thread and thank you, Sharon, for joining in and giving your very informative and sometimes humorous answers. It was great to 'meet' you this way and hope your PC problems are solved soon. I'm really looking forward to reading DB in the next few weeks - Henry and Eleanor are nearly my top favorite duo.

[Margaret]

Argh! I lost track of the time and got here late. I wanted to ask if Richard's troubadour, Blondel de Nesle, plays a major role in the novel she's working on next. Ever since I wrote about troubadours for History Magazine, I've been fascinated by the story of Blondel searching for Richard during his captivity and finally finding him by singing a verse of a song Richard had written under a castle tower and hearing Richard sing the next lines.

Bad luck about the computer troubles. I have never had that problem posting here. How awful that it would be Sharon in particular that this had to happen to.

[diamondlil]

I really wanted to thank Sharon for stopping by and Boswell for asking my questions!

I am sorry that you were having trouble answering, and hope that you can occasionally drop by just for fun!

[boswellbaxter]

I really wanted to thank Sharon for stopping by and Boswell for asking my questions!

I am sorry that you were having trouble answering, and hope that you can occasionally drop by just for fun!

Eleanor of Aquitaine stirring up trouble, maybe?

Strange--I've never had problems posting to this forum. Maybe people trying to post at the same time upset it?

[Misfit]

My thanks to Sharon for stopping by as well. What fun!

[Amanda]

Well I have just read through all the thread, and I must say.....what a great discussion!

I'm pretty keyed up to read a Penman now! I still have to read Time and Chance.... :D

[Carine]

I was there at the time afterall ! It was absolutelly great ! I was so busy reading all the questions and answers ... I never posted any myself !
Pity about the computer troubles, I hope Sharon can drop in every now and then.
I never read any of her novels as yet, but I have a few on my TBR pile and after all that has been said and discussed here so far, I'm really exited to start reading one and it will be Here be Dragons since everybody here recommends it so highly.

[Vanessa]

I've read this thread with interest. It's a shame Sharon couldn't reply as she wanted to - perhaps it's because too many people were trying to post at the same time? Maybe it jammed up the system!

[anne whitfield]

I just read all the posts, very interesting.

Thanks for stopping by, Sharon. I enjoyed all your books. My two favourites are Sunne and Here Be Dragons.
The Devil's Brood is in the post. Yay!
Your titles are great too.

[Spitfire]

Well I have just read through all the thread, and I must say.....what a great discussion!

I'm pretty keyed up to read a Penman now!
Me too! I think Here be Dragons will be my next read!

[Margaret]

Maybe the next time we try this, we should start a thread a day or two before to post people's questions, and then fewer people will be trying to post while the author is present.

Though it should have worked okay - other forums do this sort of thing all the time.

[EC2]

Maybe the next time we try this, we should start a thread a day or two before to post people's questions, and then fewer people will be trying to post while the author is present.

Though it should have worked okay - other forums do this sort of thing all the time.

Perhaps Sharon will stay on as a permanent member of the forum!

[michellemoran]

Oh shoot - I missed her visit! I was searching for the thread but must have overlooked it somehow. That was so nice of Sharon to stop by, and what interesting questions and answers!

[LCW]

I also hope she decided to participate here regularly as a forum member. As a reader, I really enjoy the interaction with the authors. And it makes me more likely to buy your books!! :p :)

[Misfit]

I'll jump in on that request as well - would love to see Sharon stop by again.

[Ash]

Sharon emailed me, and answered many of my questions. With her permission, here are her answers.

I don't think that Hal was mentally unstable, Cindy. Emotionally unstable, perhaps, and certainly very immature, not to mention spoiled. Hal would have made a perfect playboy prince for our tabloids, hitting all the clubs and hanging out with Paris Hilton and Brittny Spears! But Henry didn't really have much choice, for Hal was the eldest surviving son and therefore his heir. By the 12th century, primogeniture was accepted in England--that the firstborn son had the right to inherit. It is true that it was not yet carved in stone. For example, when Richard died, some argued that John should then succeed him as Richard's lone surviving brother. But others favored Arthur of Brittany, as the son of John's elder brother Geoffrey. It would have been very difficult, however, for Henry to have bypassed Hal in favor of a younger son. And of course when Hal was crowned at fifteen, Henry had no reason to doubt his fitness to rule. To the contrary, he was confident that his charming, handsome,spirited young son would make a fine king one day. By the time he was forced to face the truth, there was little he could do about it. Ironically, Hal was the only one of the Angevins to enjoy widespread popularity during his lifetime, as evidenced by the odd little sainthood boomlet that followed his death. Henry did not have free choice in picking his heirs. During those last bitter months of his life, he was likely tempted to disinherit Richard in favor of John, the one son still loyal to him. But he knew better. Many would have seen Richard then as the injured party, the son with a just grievance and rallied around him. And of course Henry the pragmatist would have known that John could not have held onto the crown with Richard determined to lay claim to it.

I think Henry's greatest mistake was in not making peace with Richard, in not naming him as his heir, and of course in not trying to compel Richard to yield Aquitaine to John. Of course he made other grievous mistakes as a father, too--in crowning Hal during his lifetime, in favoring Hal above his brothers, in using Geoffrey as a weapon against Richard. And we mustn't forget the mistakes he made with John! For all that he loved his sons, Henry was not a good father, and that, too, was his tragedy.

Hal died of dysentery, what they called the bloody flux, one of the great killers of the MA. He actually died of dehydration caused by the dysentery, and those are the symptoms I describe in his death chapter. Henry most likely died of septicemia or blood poisoning caused by an injury that wouldn't heal. He also suffered from what a chronicler described as
"an abscess of the groin," and possibly an ulcer, as well as a chronic leg injury resulting from being kicked by a horse. We rarely know the exact cause of death in the MA; Hal is a rare exception. If we are lucky, we are told of symptoms, as in Henry's case, and we can draw conclusions from them. But often we know nothing, as was the case with Henry's daughter Matilda, Duchess of Saxony, Tilda in Devil's Brood. She died suddenly in the summer of 1189, at only thirty-three. Henry at least was spared this grief; he never knew that she'd preceded him to the grave. Eleanor was not as fortunate; she would eventually outlive all but two of her ten children.

I enjoyed writing about Geoffrey and Constance, and I guess it showed, didn't it? It is interesting to speculate how history might have been changed if Geoffrey had not died in that needless tournament accident. At the very least, John would not have become king. But those are the What ifs and If only of history. So often I wish I could write my own endings!

And she's going to reading and signing in my neck of the woods next month, I am so excited!

[Misfit]

And she's going to reading and signing in my neck of the woods next month, I am so excited!

Very cool Ash, thanks for sharing and thanks to Sharon as well.

[LCW]

Great idea, Ash! She wasn't able to answer my questions either so I'll email her.

[EC2]

Thanks Ash - very interesting. I met Sharon when she came to Leicester some years ago and she's lovely - as you can tell from her posts!

Henry also had an ingrowing toe-nail to add to his woes!

[amyb]

Much thanks for posting! She is unbelievably talented!

[LCW]

I got a lovely response from Sharon to my email questions! She gave her permission to post her answers and also asked me to let you all know that she definitely plans to be back and hang out with us as a member. Good news!! Her responses are in bold below:

I had a question about the relationship between Henry and Eleanor while she was his prisoner. I was surprised the in Devil's Brood she never just came out and demanded or asked Henry to release her, esp. during those years where they were getting along fairly well and her stature had improved somewhat. Was that just way beneath Eleanor or did she know that Henry would never have agreed and so didn't bother to debase herself like that?

I think Eleanor was too proud to ask him, knowing that he was not going to agree. She wouldn't have wanted to give him the satisfaction! And Eleanor, superb politician that she was, was well aware why she continued to be held in the later years, even after her relationship with Henry was no longer so antagonistic. She in effect became a hostage for Richard's good behavior, in part because her continued captivity gave Henry leverage over Richard, so so Henry thought. And then, too, Henry knew that if she were free, she'd have made a powerful ally--for Richard, not for him.

I also had a question about Constance from Devil's Brood. The scene where she finds out Geoffrey has died was just heartbreaking! They were two of my favorite characters and I'm so looking forward to reading more about her. Will she play a major role in Lionheart? And what was it about her that attracted you to her initially?

I enjoyed writing about Geoffrey and Constance, for too often they have been shoved off center stage in favor of Geoffrey's better-known brothers. In some ways, Constance reminded me of Eleanor, a strong, ambitious woman struggling against the constraints imposed upon medieval women both by the Church and society. Yes, she will be a major character in Lionheart, as she fights to secure her son Arthur's inheritance, and--spoiler alert here--she finds herself imprisoned by her English husband, once again following in Eleanor's footsteps. I suppose I am not really ruining the suspense since Constance is a well known historical figure and her story can easily be found with a simple google search. She did find happiness in a brief, third marriage and while she died young, that was a blessing, for she was spared knowing the sad fates of her children, who fell into John's hands after her death. Arthur, of course, never emerged alive from a Rouen prison and it is generally believed that John had him killed. His sister Eleanor was held in comfortable confinement for more than forty years, first by John and then by his son, Henry III, guilty of nothing but a blood claim to the duchy of Brittany.


I just thought of one other question! I've loved the titles of all your novels. That's initially what attracted me to your work. I came across "Here Be Dragons" and thought it was such an unusual title and somewhere found out that it's what map makers put on areas of the map that were unknown and were thus shrouded in mystery and a bit of fear. Also most of your novels there is a quote or a reference to where you got the title from such as When Christ and His Saints Slept or Falls the Shadow. Where did the title Devil's Brood come from? If there ever was an appropriate title for a novel then surely that is it, lol! I'm just curious as to how you came up with it.

I'd always liked the title Here Be Dragons, and so it was a shock when my British publisher wanted me to change it when Dragons was going to be published in the UK. They explained that it was a "joke" title, and gave as an example a comedian appearing in a skit saying "my mum-in-law is coming for the weekend. Here Be Dragons." Well, none of my English friends had reacted to the title like that, so I held my ground, and did prevail--but at a price. They hadn't wanted to use my middle name when Sunne was published, saying that two names seemed "too American." We'd compromised by using the initial K, but to salvage the title for Dragons, I agreed to deepsix the initial, too, and I have been published in the UK ever since as Sharon Penman. And to this day, it still looks odd to me!
The term Devil's Brood was what Henry's contemporaries called his unruly sons. I cannot remember, though, where I first encountered it. But it seemed so apt that I never considered any other title for the book.

[Carine]

Thank you so much for posting LCW, very good questions and very interesting answers.
I never knew what "Here Be Dragons" meant !

[Vanessa]

Yes, they do refer to mothers-in-law as dragons in the UK! LOL. Luckily I have a lovely mil!! But I never thought of the title 'Here Be Dragons' in that way.

I always wondered about that middle initial and where it went! I always think of this author as Sharon K Penman. I don't see where the thinking came from either that using her whole name was too 'American'. That would never cross my mind.

[Ash]

But I never thought of the title 'Here Be Dragons' in that way.


Wait a minute; I'm not questioning Sharon's story, but I am sure that in my copy of HBD, its mentioned that on the old maps, the phrase was written for the land of Wales. I seem to remember that was why it was chosen. Mother in laws just doesn't make sense for that book. Mmmmm

(edit) From Wikipedia: "Here be dragons" is a phrase used to denote dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of the infrequent medieval practice of putting sea serpents and other mythological creatures in blank areas of maps.

[Misfit]

Wait a minute; I'm not questioning Sharon's story, but I am sure that in my copy of HBD, its mentioned that on the old maps, the phrase was written for the land of Wales. I seem to remember that was why it was chosen.

Nope, I remember reading that at the end of my copy as well.

[boswellbaxter]

But I never thought of the title 'Here Be Dragons' in that way.


Wait a minute; I'm not questioning Sharon's story, but I am sure that in my copy of HBD, its mentioned that on the old maps, the phrase was written for the land of Wales. I seem to remember that was why it was chosen. Mother in laws just doesn't make sense for that book. Mmmmm

(edit) From Wikipedia: "Here be dragons" is a phrase used to denote dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of the infrequent medieval practice of putting sea serpents and other mythological creatures in blank areas of maps.

But she didn't say that the title was meant to refer to mothers-in-law--only that the publisher was worried that UK readers might take it as a reference to the mother-in-law joke.

[LCW]

But I never thought of the title 'Here Be Dragons' in that way.


Wait a minute; I'm not questioning Sharon's story, but I am sure that in my copy of HBD, its mentioned that on the old maps, the phrase was written for the land of Wales. I seem to remember that was why it was chosen. Mother in laws just doesn't make sense for that book. Mmmmm

(edit) From Wikipedia: "Here be dragons" is a phrase used to denote dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of the infrequent medieval practice of putting sea serpents and other mythological creatures in blank areas of maps.

In her answer to my question she just says that she's always liked the title. The "joke" part of it was the reason her British publishers gave her for wanting to change the title. There's nothing that contradicts what she says at the back of the book! If I'd checked there first I'd have probably answered my own question! ;)

[Vanessa]

Oooh, no, I know the title didn't refer to mothers in law. Sorry!:o What I meant was the fact that the publishers thought the UK would see a reference to it there, but I, being British, actually never thought of the 'joke' when seeing the title. A dragon is on the Welsh flag. Quite colourful it is, too!:D

[Ash]

Thanks for clarifying.

[sharon]

Argh! I lost track of the time and got here late. I wanted to ask if Richard's troubadour, Blondel de Nesle, plays a major role in the novel she's working on next. Ever since I wrote about troubadours for History Magazine, I've been fascinated by the story of Blondel searching for Richard during his captivity and finally finding him by singing a verse of a song Richard had written under a castle tower and hearing Richard sing the next lines.

Bad luck about the computer troubles. I have never had that problem posting here. How awful that it would be Sharon in particular that this had to happen to.

Hi, Margaret,
I am back, two weeks late, but back. I wasn't at all surprised I'd have computer trouble, as I have a love-hate relationship with them. I called my first one Lucy, for Lucifer's Hand Maiden. Then I had RB, for Rosemary's Baby, and two Dells from Hell. Then I tried reverse psychology and called my current Gateway Merlin; when Dell sent me a replacement for the one their tech burned up (long story) I called him Mordred, so of course I had to name my laptop Morgan le Fay. She went over to the dark side right away, but Merlin likes to play mind games with me. Some days he is good, even very good, and then when I let down my guard--like during our first forum chat--he pulls the rug out from under me.
You asked about Blondel, I think, right? I have no plans as yet to add him to the cast since my research indicates the Blondel story was one of the many legends that sprung up around Richard. When I begin to do serious in-depth research about Richard's capture on his way home from the Holy Land, I am open to changing my mind if I find credible information to the contrary, but truthfully I don't expect it.
Sharon

[EC2]

A wonderful companion guide to UK history - 1066 And All That by Sellers & Yeatman tells the reader all about Richard's reign and his troubadour.:D:p;)
Sharon, I assume you have a copy of this erudite work!!!

Richard I: A Wild King

RICHARD I was a hairy King with a Lion's Heart; he went roaring about the Desert making ferocious attacks on the Saladins and the Paladins, and was thus a very romantic King. Whenever he returned to England he always set out again immediately for the Mediterranean and was therefore known as Richard Gare de Lyon. He had a sword of enormous dimensions with which he used to practise cutting iron bars and anvils in half, whereas the Saladins had very sharp swords which were only useful for cutting cushions in half. In spite of which the Crusaders under Richard never got Jerusalem back; this was undoubtedly due to the treacherous behaviour of the Saladins, who used to fire on the Red Cross which the Crusaders wore on their chests in battle.

The Story of Blondin

Richard is also famous for having a minstrel boy (or Touralour) called Blondin who searched for him under the walls of all the dungeons in Europe. This was when Richard had been caught by the blind King of Bohemia during a game of Blind King's Bluff and sold to the Holy Roman Terror. Blondin eventually found him by singing the memorable song (or 'touralay') called O Richard et man Droit ('Are you right, there, Richard ?') which Richard himself had composed. Richard roared the chorus so that Blondin knew which dungeon he was in, and thus the Ring easily escaped and returned to the Crusades, where he died soon after of a surfeit of Sala-dins, and was therefore known in the East as Richard Coeur de Laitue.

[sharon]

[QUOTE=ellenjane;8722]Who has been your favorite character to write? Does it change over time or depending on what book you're working on?[/QUOTE
]

Hi, Ellen,
I am not sure I have a favorite character, though Llewelyn Fawr in Here Be Dragons probably comes closest. But there are so many characters that I enjoyed writing about, often the ones who were up to the most mischief. I liked Edward IV's ironic take on the world; he took little seriously, least of all himself. I enjoyed the contrast in writing of his literal, humorless queen, Elizabeth Woodville. John was fun because of his manifest flaws. I became fond of Joanna, perhaps because of her vulnerabilities. I enjoyed Davydd's company, although I always felt I should start counting the silverware whenever he was around, though actually what he liked to steal was scenes. Simon de Montfort was challenging for he was a man of such contrasts, and his spirited wife Nell was his perfect match. Henry and Eleanor would be hard for any writer to resist. I didn't like Edward I as a king, but he was great fun to write about. Even the neurotic, dangerously warped George of Clarence was fun to write about. Writers have a tendency to enjoy those characters who were always up to no good--just for the sheer drama of it!
Sharon

[Misfit]

Writers have a tendency to enjoy those characters who were always up to no good--just for the sheer drama of it!

Thanks for dropping back by Sharon. I know it's true for me, but probably for most readers that we enjoy the baddies just as much as the writers enjoy writing about them.

[diamondlil]

For sure, partially because there is room for them to maneuvre. They can do more bad stuff, or can go the occasional good deed and surprise us all!

[LCW]

Thanks for dropping back by Sharon. I know it's true for me, but probably for most readers that we enjoy the baddies just as much as the writers enjoy writing about them.

That is so true! I love the villians! Often I find them much more interesting than the hero or heroine.

[Margaret]

David Boyle wrote a really interesting book about Blondel called The Troubadour's song: The Capture and Ransom of Richard the Lionheart. Of course, the evidence for Blondel is scanty, except to show that he did exist, and it's unlikely he simply wandered around Europe singing under towers until someone answered him. But Boyle makes the case that a troubadour would be in an excellent position to travel inobtrusively from court to court gathering gossip and other information that might have ultimately revealed where Richard was being held.

Anyway, I think troubadours are cool!

I have a copy of When Christ and His Saints Slept in my physical TBR pile - well, it's not a pile, exactly, because they're scattered all over the house, on coffee tables, various piles on the floor, etc. But I'm looking forward to this as a treat when I have 100 reviews on my website and will allow myself to start reviewing more than one book per author. Only 39 more to go...

Thanks for coming back, Sharon. Perhaps you need to name your computer something a lot nicer! And maybe offer it little treats when you first turn it on in the morning. I wonder what sort of treats a computer would like. Maybe you could sacrifice alarm clocks to it.

[annis]

If you have a taste for humorous fantasy, Tom Holt's novel "Overtime" (http://www.rambles.net/holt_overtime.html) features Blondel in a hilarious time-warping tale. Blondel has been searching for the Lionheart for 900 years, and he's getting mighty sick of that song.

[annis]

I heartily sympathise with Sharon's computer hassles (love "the Dells from hell"!) I have a relationship with computers which ranges from the merely wary to near computercide, and frequently involves lots of cursing from me and much bleeping from them :( And it doesn't matter if it's a Mac or a PC - they all hate me equally.
Well-meaning friends trying to untangle me from my latest computer contre-temps are often to be seen scratching their heads and muttering, "Wow, I've never seen that before"--
It seems, to quote U2, that I can't live with or without them!

[Leyland]

I heartily sympathise with Sharon's computer hassles (love "the Dells from hell"!)

Is that kinda like Hell's Dells? ;)

[annis]

Lol, good one!

[Margaret]

I'll have to put that one on my TBR. Hmmm ... does it count as an historical novel?

[Lauryn]

Thanks for coming back, Sharon. Perhaps you need to name your computer something a lot nicer! And maybe offer it little treats when you first turn it on in the morning. I wonder what sort of treats a computer would like. Maybe you could sacrifice alarm clocks to it.

(My bolding, BTW)

I howled with laughter when I saw this! My good friend got me set up with my current laptop, and told me either NOT to name it this time, or to pick a name of someone I like, and trust to always be there for me. (The laptop is now known as "Hey You!" and is more-or-less reliable. :D )

This has been such a great thread to read - technical dysfunctions notwithstanding. I really enjoy SKP's work, and deeply appreciate the author's notes, maps et al.

[Margaret]

Glad to hear your new computer is behaving itself! Be sure to feed it an alarm clock every now and then. :D