Your Questions

Q

Hi, I know you get questions like this all the time but I've just finished reading Burning land and couldn't put it down, i was sent the last kingdom while serving out in Afghanistan and have been hooked ever since, I'm just writing to ask if there will be at least one more? Really hope so! Also i was wondering if you think you might follow the Uhtred and Alfred stories with maybe the year of the Battle of Hastings as this is possibly the finish of the Saxon/Dane wars although technically the Normans were vikings, thankyou for your time. Richard Brand

Is the Burning Land the last in the Saxon stories?
Michael Nolan

Submitted October 29, 2009

A

There will be more to Uhtred's tale. The Battle of Hastings is possible, but it's not high on my list.

Q

Bernard,have you ever looked at the Australian history and thought about writing about our savage stories and history? Have a look & you won't be disappointed,thanks for letting my mind run with the great stories DARRYL CAVANOUGH BUNBURY WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Submitted October 29, 2009

A

Thanks! It's not likely to happen as there is so much on my plate now, but I appreciate the suggestion.

Q

I looked in your faq section and did find the answer to my question. However I wanted to 2nd the request for The Arthur Books to be reissued on audio CD, just in case there's someone out there counting. Thanks

Janice

Do you plan on releasing the Warlord Series in digital audio?
Cary Kaplan

Your Arthur Books are my favorite books of all time. I have a well used cassette copy of the abridged version of the Warlord Trilogy that I am afraid to play one more time. It's going to break any time now. I am looking to get the unabridged versions on disc or maybe MP3. Cassettes, even used, are very expensive, and we can't buy cassette players anymore. My players are wearing out and we can't buy the cleaner tapes anymore either. Anyway we can get a new reading or recording for the newer audio technologies? Tim Pigott-Smith is fabulous with his voice in these stories. Thank you for your time and help.

Linea Payne

Just finished the grail series and loved it! I've also read Sharpe and am working on Azincourt. Do you have any idea when the Arthur books will be available on kindle? Any hints for the next Sharpe book, if there will be one? Thanks again for the great reading!
Erik

Submitted October 29, 2009

A

We are waiting to hear when The Warlord Chronicles will be available on both Kindle and audio CD. Hopefully the answer will come soon!

There will be more Sharpe, but not for awhile yet.

Q

Firstly,what a writer. I don't mean to be a brown nose, but I love your books. My dad first introduced me to Sharpe (rifles). I then read the lot. Wanting more, I went to our local market and bought all Cornwell books available. I have to say my favorite so far are the grail books, although I am onto the saxon books presently. So far I have not been disappointed, but please,please tell me if someone with sense is going to do a film series on Arthur or Alfred? If they were half as good as your books they would outdo "the rings"trilogy(and I did enjoy them.)thank you and keep writing.
Morgan Wilkinson

Submitted October 29, 2009

A

No plans for films of either Arthur or Alfred at the moment, but I am glad to know you enjoy my books! Thanks for writing.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, I just wanted to ask if you ever get fed up of people asking you when the next Sharpe book will be written? Have you ever thought of writing the next chapter in Dick Sharpe's life quickly just to get yourself a little peace and quiet I wonder !!! So Bernard,"When are you going to write the next Sharpe adventure" ???? Sorry :-) It was worth a try wasn´t it. I really am hankering after a bit more Sharpe after seeing John Tams recently live.Of course "over the hills and far away" was the encore and I was lucky enough to chat with John after the gig and he told me how much he enjoyed playing Daniel Hagman for the TV series. Anyway,please do keep up the good(no,great) work and I look forward to whatever you publish next. Thank you for taking the time to read this,all the best. Anthony Morgan Lambert P.S. "when is the next Sharpe book coming" !!!!!.....Whoops,just slipped out ;-)

Bernard, When's the next Richard Sharpe book being born? Thanks, TK

When will we see another Sharpe book?
Tom Torrillo

Submitted October 29, 2009

A

Another Sharpe is still a few years away.

Q

Just finished all your books and was wondering what your latest ideas were. for the time being i will anticipating the next installment of your books. Imagination rules the world, Napoleon

Sean MacDonald

Mr Cornwell, I've just finished reading the Burning Land and thoroughly enjoyed it! Once again I was griped and couldn't put it down! With the said I was wondering how long I will have to wait for the next instalment of the Saxon stories? Or just your next book as I have now ran out of books of yours to read!

James O'Neill

Submitted October 29, 2009

A

My next book (the one I'm writing now) is set during the time of the American Revolutionary War. Another Saxon Tale may come after that, I don't know yet.

Q

Hello Mr. Cornwell, I am curious about your process for developing (and writing) a story. Stephen King says that he gets the idea for a situation--say, a crazed fan holds her favorite author hostage--and lets the story develop however it happens. Do you do the same, or (for example) do you have the climax of the story mapped out inside your head in advance, and just have to figure out the way to get there? Do you outline story before beginning to write? Also, when you are in the process of writing, do you try to write a certain amount every day (like King), and do you try to write the first draft through all the way without edits, and then go back and make changes when you are finished? Anything else you can share about your process would be welcome. Thanks and best wishes, Warren Firschein Safety Harbor, FL

Submitted October 29, 2009

A

An outline? No, I don't. I have a very broad idea of where I want the book to go, then just let the characters sort it out amongst themselves. I'm not saying this is the right way to do it - some writers plot very carefully, and their books are great, but others, like me, leave it to instinct.
I write maybe eight, nine hours a day? That includes daydreaming. I always start with a stick figure . . but there ain't no rules. I like to get the story straight so I write fast, pushing the story line ahead, but I revise constantly. I always think that writing a novel (for me! not for everyone!) is like climbing a mountain - I get a quarter of the way up, look back and see a better route, so it's back to the beginning and start again and that better route takes me halfway up, I look back, and so on and so on. Once that 'first' draft is finished I rewrite the whole thing maybe two times, and it's then that I add lots of detail.

Q

Bernard, Is there any possibility of your books being turned into graphic novels or manga? I think that The Warlord Chronicles and The Saxon Tales would work really well in this format. John MacCallum

Submitted October 29, 2009

A

I seem to remember hearing some talk of it, but nothing's come of it yet.

Q

Just wanted to let you know how much we at the Nashua Police Department have enjoyed your books. Thanks for making some long midnight shifts educational and entertaining. There is currently a debate among us that Nicholas Hook is a descendant of the Good Thomas of Hookton. Our only request to you is that you please enter into World War I and II. Thanks for Everything. Lt. Michael Carignan and all the midnight misfits.

Submitted October 29, 2009

A

There isn't a relationship. I took the name from the muster roll of the archers who really were at Agincourt and it just happened to be the name I liked best and, by coincidence, shared the Hook with Hookton. Sorry, no plans for either WW. I prefer to write about the more distant past. Many thanks for your message!

Q

Dear Mr. Cornwell, Was it really true that the Mercians and West Saxons used bee hives against the Danes which would be some early stage of biological warfare ? I thought that info was missing in the historical note section of your book. I also want to congratulate you on this great book and would kindly ask you never to stop with writing the Saxon Stories, I bought a 7000$ Charles & Ray Eames Lounge Chair with Ottoman because of you haha ! Don't stop writing now, I read all your other books and am a great fan of yours. Kind Regards from Switzerland, Gian

Submitted October 23, 2009

A

I made it up - but the ploy was used in medieval times, and probably much much earlier.