Mr. Cornwell, first of all, I must say that that you are one amazing author, not only for your literary abilities (which, needless to say, are enormous), but for your willingness to interact with your readers, providing answers, advice, and a sympathetic ear. Amazing doesn’t even begin to cover it… And now on to my question. I’ve recently been rereading your Sharpe series, then following each book with a rewatch of its corresponding dramatization, and that has brought to mind something I’ve been wondering about for quite a while, concerning the casting of your main original characters. It’s been noted on numerous occasions that, while Sean Bean brings Richard Sharpe to life beautifully, physically he doesn’t exactly match the description of Sharpe in the books, Bean being relatively fair as compared to the physical darkness of his literary counterpart. But what no one seems to have noticed is that Patrick Harper has undergone a similar transformation, the long sandy hair of the sergeant having evolved into the dark curly locks of Daragh O’Malley. You seem quite content with the changes that Bean’s casting wrought in Sharpe; were you equally as happy with the casting of O’Malley as Harper? (For the record, I adore Sharpe and Harper in either of their manifestations, but the real perfect casting for me was Brian Cox as Michael Hogan; it broke my heart when Cox bailed out of the series!) Thank you so much for your generosity toward your fans and your wonderful writing. I look forward with great anticipation to the next time Sharpe and Harper march again, whenever that may be! Melissa Selby