Dear Bernard, I have two quite contrasting questions. Firstly, from an historical writer’s perspective, when you’ve decided that a particular period and/or place(s) appeals to you, do you seek out as much information on that period as you can or do you try to seek out the key source of information for that time and work from there (i.e. the Saxon Chronicles for the Uhtred stories)? I’m often overwhelmed by the amount of information readily available and wonder what your strategy is in order to get right to the heart of the detail relevant to your future story without being bogged down by all the rest.

Secondly, as a fellow (expat) Englishman living for quite some time away from the ‘motherland’, I’m extremely interested in how you’ve dealt with living overseas as an English writer, and one who is obviously passionate about British history? From a personal point of view, how have you managed the distance / disconnect from England over time, given your focus on England in so much of your work? From a writing perspective, have you felt disadvantaged not being in the UK on a full-time basis to do the research, soak up the environment, and so on? I’ve been away 9 years now and wonder whether I’m best placed ‘watching from afar’ or whether it would pay to be located ‘in amongst it all’. I really am quite keen to learn more about this second point, particularly your experiences, whether you have opted for British publishers or US-based ones (ditto for agents), and whether you’ve found yourself to be quite happy writing from a distance away. I’d be more than happy to talk over email if easier than through this website. Do keep up the good work. I enjoy your writing immensely – long may it continue. Kind regards, Russell