Sharon Kay Penman is a highly regarded American novelist, known for her exceptional historical fiction. She was born on August 13, 1945, in New York City, New York, and was raised in New Jersey. Penman received her bachelor's degree in History from the University of Texas, Austin, and later obtained a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers University School of Law. She worked as a tax lawyer before becoming a full-time author.
Penman's novels are set in England, Wales, and France during the Middle Ages, focusing on English and Welsh royalty. She is renowned for her meticulous research, which is reflected in the quality of her writing, including the accurate portrayal of various settings, events, and characterizations. Her first novel was published in 1982, and since then, she has written numerous successful novels under five different series.
One of Penman's most popular novels, "The Sunne in Splendour," is a historical novel about Richard III of England. She has also ventured into historical whodunnits, with four mysteries set in the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine during the reign of Richard I. However, her mysteries did not receive the same success as her historical novels. She returned to writing historical novels in 2002 with "Time and Chance," which covered the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II.
Penman's latest novel, "The Land Beyond the Sea," is set in the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the late 12th century. It was published in early March 2020 in the U.S. by G.P. Putnam's and in the U.K. and Down Under by Macmillan and co. Penman's works have received critical acclaim, and she has a loyal following of readers on both sides of the Atlantic. She is of Irish-English-Welsh heritage and currently resides in New Jersey.