Dear Bernard:   My wife Cindy and I, even though we are Americans  have been avid readers of your writings for the past 15 years.   I believe we’ve read virtually everything you’ve written including all of the Sharpe series, the Arthurian Series, Agincourt, the Archers, the American wars including the only book you’ve written that I didn’t like – the Fort – in fact my wife believes you were not quite yourself when you wrote it, etc.  We are currently engrossed in the Uhtred series including  Death of Kings– so much so in fact that my wife had me take her to England again last month so she could visit the majority of the locations you reference in Uhtred’s travels.  Twenty five hundred miles later – travelling from Northumbria – Berwick-on-Tweed, Lindisfarne and Bamburgh Castle – we were almost trapped on the Holy Island as the tide came in – to Winchester and Longstock where the Viking ships were repaired having come all the way up the Test River and also
visiting Stockbridge to see the old graveyard where our Hawkins ancestors of long ago were buried.  In between we visited York (Ragnald’s home) and Nottingham and Chester and a hundred other towns and then on down to London so my wife could gain a better grasp of the area referred to as Mercia.  She of course loves Aethelflaed and wanted to better understand her kingdom.   We both love the Uhtred story even though we know ultimately Aethelflaed must die – sometime in 918.   Which brings me to our reason for writing.  Neither you or we (my wife and I) are getting any younger.   We are guessing of course but we think you probably plan to write two more books before you conclude the Uhtred series.   After all Uhtred is 42 years old in Death of Kings and over the next 20 years Edward, together with Uhtred has to conquer Essex, East Anglia, extend the borders of Mercia up to Northumberland, gain Ragnald as an ally and ultimately be at Edwards side when he is killed in battle fighting the Welsh around Chester.    Edwards death releases Uhtred from his oath  which gives him the opportunity to take Bamburgh from his uncle and then to die there peacefully at a ripe old age – probably in his 70’s which is incredibly old in that day and age.  Therefore, we are respectfully requesting that you focus entirely on writing these books.   I’m 70 and your only a couple of years younger.   Who knows how much longer we have left on this side.   I’d hate for either you or us to pass over to the other side without having these books completed.   We love your writing – you provide us with many hours of incredible enjoyment and an infinitely greater understanding of the history your characters and stories bring to life.  Please don’t let us down.   Finish these books quickly.  Yours sincerely,

Art and Cindy Hawkins.