Dear Mr. Cornwell, First, let me tell you how much I love your work! It was a rather fortuitous accident that I came across your work, and I’m glad I did. I’m a huge Patric O’Brian fan, (which is quite puzzling to many people due to the fact that I’m a young woman living in the Midwest, i.e. Michigan) yet I know good historical fiction when I see it! I read the entire Aubry/Maturin cannon three times then branched out into Allan Mallinson’s Napolionic tales of young Dragoon, Matthew Harvey. And from there, in conjunction with straight history, I tried many others. But the crux is, that I too write historical fiction but for the female audience, yet I love reading historical fiction written by men. I took a break, thinking I should concentrate more on the market I’m after, and began re-focusing on getting my own work sold. ButI keep getting turned down because, or so I’m told, people aren’t interested in Viking folklore, an 18th century nautical tale told through the eyes of a Norwegian woman, or Americans writing about England–which very well could be true, but I’m rather passionate about good stories, history and the influence the Norsemen had on Europe before the turn of the 1st millennium. So, I wandered the bookstore again in search of answeres, when all of a sudden I turned the corner and found a Viking Dragon ship staring me down! It was a brilliant cover, and the title was The Last Kingdom. I knew then that there was another person out there who shared some of the same interests as myself. But it wasn’t until I picked up the book and read the 1st chapter, a chapter that was set in Northumbria, at Bamburgh Castle (I don’t know the old spelling) near the Holy Isle of Lindisfarne, that I knew I found a real treasure. Of course, I bought the book, much to my husband’s dismay (he’s used to my strange proclivities by now)and devoured it. I loved how you handled your main character Uhtred, and the struggles he has with the two vastly contracting religions. Your detail on Viking (or Norse) pagan rituals and superstitions was wonderful, as was the way you portrayed the two clashing cultures. Anyhow, I next purchased The Pale Horseman, and again, I was hooked. I am now patiently awaiting the US release of Lords of the North, and in the meantime have been systematically picking off all your other novels. It’s so refreshing to find (after all this time) such a gifted, prolific author of historical fiction! Please keep up the great work, and someday, (I know many fans probably say this, and you likely wish the contrary) if the weavers are kind, I would love to chat with you on history in general. I can tell by your work that you’re as passionate about a great historical story as am I. Anyhow, I’m going to keep on plugging away here, attempting to convince American agents that Historical Fiction is not dead. If you have any suggestions or anicdotes about your personal experiences with the publishing industry, I’d love to hear them. But if not (I know writers are very busy people) I’m still, and will always be, a huge fan! Best wishes, and thanks for all the great stories! Sincerely, Darci Hannah