The Scourge of Muirwood (40 page)

I dedicated this novel to Sharon Kay Penman because she is the inspiration for this story. I first read her novel
Here Be Dragons
while I was in college and fell in love with medieval English history. My friend Jeremy told me of the book, which he found in a used bookstore in Switzerland. After
Dragons
, we discovered
Falls the Shadow
at a used bookstore in downtown San Jose. It tells the tragic story of Simon de Montfort and his death at Evesham Abbey. The trilogy concluded with
The Reckoning
which describes the subjugation of Wales to Edward I. It was reading this book that I first learned of the lost princess of Wales, Gwenllian ferch Llewellyn who was banished to the Gilbertine Priory at Sempringham where she died 54 years later. Her story is a sad one, and it inspired me to create Lia in her memory and give her a much happier ending. Many of the political details in the Muirwood series come directly from this era. Yes, even the bit about Tomas Aldermaston abducting her mother by sea (history named him Thomas the Archdeacon).

Writing novels is an endeavor full of surprises. When I first began plotting Muirwood, it was a more comical series than what it ended up becoming. The characters began developing their own personalities and would often buck against the paths where I tried to coax them. For example, Sowe was supposed to go along with Lia and Colvin when they first left Muirwood. But instead she ran off and told the Aldermaston what was going on and whimpered in a corner instead. Another example, the confrontation between Lia and Almaguer, in book one, was supposed to happen at a tavern in the village of Winterrowd. Sometimes my best intentions were deliberately waylaid by the characters. And some scenes ended up writing themselves just by throwing Dieyre into the mix. I enjoyed each of the characters in a different way. But Lia is clearly my favorite.

Lastly, I wanted to thank many of the early readers of Muirwood for their extreme patience in waiting for the story to be finished, and especially for those who read it in little gulps, five chapters at a time. Thanks to Muirwood’s biggest fan, my sister, Emily Bradshaw for her persistent enthusiasm and sharing. My niece, Jenna Wheeler, who could pass for Lia in a pinch if you saw her. For Melanie Hoem and her late-night IM’s with Emily about the series (which they forwarded to me!). I would also like to thank Kate, Colleen, Rachelle, cousin Melanie, and Steve for their feedback on the series. Your feedback and enthusiasm helped keep my motivated to keep writing, one chapter at a time.

For readers who want to know if this is the end. An author rarely shuts the door and locks it when creating new worlds. I wrote a novella years ago called “Maia” which is set in this world in the future, after the ships return and the kingdoms begin anew. The main character is part of Lia and Colvin’s posterity. There is more to be written still as that novella was just a foreshadowing of the plot and characters. You can find this story on my website: www.jeff-wheeler.com

Thank you for reading!