This is going to be a little raw. I hope you’ll forgive me.
In the summer of 2012, my wife was directing me in Richard III at the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, flipping the script from twelve years earlier when I had directed her in the show. I was playing King Edward and then Richmond, and choreographing the fights. David Turrentine played Richard, and played him brilliantly.
Since Jan was busy running the festival and directing two shows, I decided I would take care of opening night gifts for the company. As we were doing R3, I bought everyone my favorite Richard novel, The Sunne In Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman. On a whim, though I didn’t know her at all, I sent an email to Sharon through her website, letting her know she was about to gain a bunch of new fans, and thanking her for bringing me such joy through her writing.
Imagine my surprise and delight when she wrote back at once, insisting on sending autographed and personalized book plates for each of the thirty copies I was handing out. She also sent me a signed first edition for my own. Then she wrote to say she’d just devoured my latest novel, Her Majesty’s Will, and asked if I would like to be interviewed by her.
Thus began my love affair with Sharon Kay Penman.
I say love affair because from the moment of that first interview, we started a really fun riff with me flirting with Sharon and Sharon treating me with arch disdain. We were both laughing so hard when the comments started coming in. And it carried over into our emails, calling each other “darling” and “dearest.” I informed my wife I seemed to be having an affair with Sharon Kay Penman, and she said, “Well, if it has to be someone, I’m glad it’s Sharon.”
Two years later, a dear friend died of cancer, leaving her husband utterly bereft. Knowing he was a fan of Sharon’s, I wrote and asked if she might send him a signed copy of a book. Being Sharon she did one better, sending him a letter along with the book. I don’t know what it said, but he has kept it as a treasured possession.
That’s who she was. The most amazing writer, and the most amazing human. Such generosity, such spirit, so large in so small a frame.
In 2015 we were both attending the Historical Novel Society conference in Denver. I was teaching writers the mechanics of sword fighting, and she was there to sign books and take part in a panel with Margaret George and Anne Easter Smith. Sharon suggested I moderate the panel, which was an amazing honor. And while she didn’t feel up to swinging a sword, she attended my workshop, where I had her pose with a sword almost as tall as she was. She later asked if she could use that photo of us for her website.
Over the past 8 years we’ve chatted about everything and nothing. Football. Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon series. Politics (lots of politics). Her never-ending battles with her computers, and the Deadline Dragon. Out of the blue, apropos of nothing, she’d reach out to ask about my Verona books, or to share something she saw, to ask after Jan and the kids, or the show I was doing. I did the same.
Our most recent exchange was in December, when she hinted at a serious health issue. This afternoon I found out that Sharon died today, and I am – lost. Bewildered. Gutted. Crushed. Bereft. 
Books are the treasure an author leaves behind. Sharon will live on in the worlds and characters she created. I can imagine no better legacy.
But the books only hint at the glorious, dog-loving, football-following, sweet, kind, hilarious, generous soul we lost today. I was told today she treasured me as much as I did her, and I broke. For the rest of my career, and my life, whenever I have news or joy, it will be a little bitter now, because I won’t get to share it with her.
But I will hold close to my heart the fact that for a brief time I was privileged enough to run alongside a giant of both words and spirit, and share in the beauty of Sharon Kay Penman. She was the true Lion Heart.
I was once the Richard III Society Fiction Librarian. My basement was flooded and some of the Society’s books were damaged. At the fall AGM in Philly, I gave my report. Sharon was a guest of honor that day. She came up to me and offered to donate replacement copies of her book and a few others that she had. A few weeks later, a package of signed copies arrived. She was a thoughtful, gracious lady.
She also donated a complete set of her works as the grand prize at that AGM — and signed them for the winner (Sharon Michalove). A truly generous soul. We bonded over rescue German Shepherds (as if Richard weren’t enough). I was gutted when I read the news.
I am devastated and the tears are flowing again. The thought if no more books is heartbreaking. She is in no more pain now. Now I am in great emotional pain
It’s true, David. She did love you. And I love you for loving her well. These memories of yours are some of my fondest because you are right… they represent exactly who she was.
Such a beautiful tribute for a truly beautiful lady. She will be missed by all who knew here through her fantastic books to her posts on Facebook. I have all of her books, treasure them and have re-read them many times. Only sorry I was not able to meet her.
She was such a bright light.
I thought I was done crying for the day, and then I read this. It’s a beautiful tribute to a generous soul. You captured her spirit. I was privileged to call her friend. Thank you for sharing this with us all today.
I loved reading her books,back in the 80’s.I ordered online last week,”Here be Dragon’s “.She was a treasure to the world. Rest in peace, Sharon.
Thank you for this lovely tribute– one among many today, all heartfelt and laced with grief. I met Sharon once at one of her book launches in San Francisco. She was on the tail end of a long, nationwide tour, looking exhausted, but speaking wonderfully and enthusiastically about Lionheart, and generously talking with my smitten self when I found the courage to walk up to her signing table and introduce myself. You are right: her works are the treasures that will survive her, and we are so lucky to have them.
What an amazing story and you captured her spirit perfectly! I am beyond devastated at this news. Sharon was such a beautiful soul. She always had time for her fans and we spoke quite often on her page. I was beyond amazed at how often she responded to her fans. She will be missed by many!
David, that was a beautiful tribute. I well remember the hilarious ‘flirting’ between you in the days when I followed her blog more than recently.
She was also very kind, generous and encouraging to me and quite often, when a storm or whatever was hitting the U.K., up would pop an email from her to check I was ok.
I’m finding it hard to read all the genuine, heart broken tributes to her as I just well up all over again.
I will miss this beautiful, caring, wonderful friend.
You captured her beauty of spirit wonderfully. She will be greatly missed by those of us who were blessed to know her and spend time with her.
She spoke very highly of you.
Thank you, David, for sharing your memories of Sharon with us. She was such a beautiful soul, it made everything she touched better. You are blessed to have had such a personal communion with her, as she was blessed with your true heart. Hugs. <3
What s touching Tribute to a beautiful lady, a great loss to those who knew her personally and her millions of fans. RIP Sharon
What a touching Tribute to a beautiful lady, a great loss to those who knew her personally and her millions of fans. RIP Sharon
Thank you, David. She is worth all the tears and more.
I stumbled upon one of her books in a second-hand book store and could not put it down. Since that faithful day, I bought everything she wrote. I am, as most of you have said, devastated at the loss of this wonderful person. Even though I have read all her books more than once, as a writer, when stuck, at times, I pull out one of her manuscripts and find myself in the flow of her words, description and dialogue. Sad is not enough to describe how most of us feel today.
Thank you for this tribute. Words fail me, because Sharon was such a wonderful person. I struggle to accept she is no longer with us. She talked to me some years back now about a book on Owain Glyndwr; I was so looking forward to it, and offered to help her with any research. Sadly, that book will never be written now. All we have is the legacy of the great novels Sharon *did* write, which won her so many admirers around the world. She was a model of kindness, graciousness and helpfulness.
David, thank you for this tribute to our Sharon. I never got to meet her except on Facebook, but that was a gift in itself. Hugs as you grieve, and you’re so right – she’s left us her work to hug to ourselves.
David, you may not recall but nine or ten years ago you introduced me to Sharon’s works via goodreads – I cannot thank you enough. Her Welsh trilogy gave me insight into the history of the country in which my mother grew up – Sunne reinforced my picture of Richard III that I had formed when reading Josephine Tey many years before. Sharon definitely had a way of making her characters live. Thank you & blessings on Sharon’s memory.
Thank you. You’re right, I didn’t remember that, but I’m not surprised – I’m known as a “pusher” among my friends, forcibly giving people books or movies or shows I enjoy and making them watch. Usually it works out pretty well. And I’ve never had anyone not fall in love with Sharon’s work when I shared it with them.
Thankyou David. And Thankyou Sharon for the pleasure you have given to so many of us. You will be missed greatly and will never be replaced.
This is such a beautiful tribute to a wonderful, inspiring author.I never met Sharon Penman but love her novels. Clearly, she will be terribly missed. It is just so sudden.
What a lovely tribute, I heard this morning and couldn’t believe the news, I felt I’d lost a close friend and we’d never met. She was so kind and generous with her time to all her readers. Sharon inspired so many to read about the history of the characters and the times she wrote about. I wish I could have met her. We shall all miss her.
Sharon is and always will be my favorite author ever. My heart is so full of sorrow that she is gone. However, I am so very thankful she left behind a body of work that I will read, reread, and read again. I will never forget years ago as a young mother sitting in a folding chair outside our camp trailer in the midst of a beautiful woods, my mind a world away in Wales, totally engrossed in “Here be Dragons”. I savored every moment. It was my first Penman book and still my favorite. It was the book that began my love for historical fiction and GB. Thank you Sharon for sharing your wondrous gift with us. We are grateful beyond words and will miss you terribly.
A lovely tribute, David, thank you.
What a beautiful tribute to an amazingly talented woman. I had the privilege of corresponding with her via email and meeting her in 2003 at Books & Co in Dayton, OH while she was on tour for the release of “Time and Chance”. I pulled the book from my shelf this morning and found a photo of her and I tucked inside, bringing back so memories of an unforgettable evening. I can just imagine her sitting at a table, drinking wine, with Richard, Eleanor and Maude. May she Rest In Peace.
Dear David.
Thank you for a really nice tribute for one of the most wonderful people I have ever had the pleasure to know.
I first met Sharon when she walked into my photo gallery in the eighties. She loved my photos making me so proud of my work and I fell in love with her storytelling there and then. We talked for ages and that was when we formed a life long relationship like no other.
My love for Sharon grew when I read her first book ‘The Sunne in Splendour’ – signed as was her M.O. and sent to me from the US when she got home. I read it – all 800 or so pages – in one night. A feat I had never managed with any book in my life, and I was incredulous at the way she brought her characters to life describing their clothes, the food they were eating and all the other details that just brought it all to life.
That was part of Sharon’s magic and she excelled at it whilst also being one of the most kind and generous people on Earth.
Along with my partner Pam Jones, (above), we shared so much during the time Sharon was here with us in the Conwy Valley N. Wales, and I particularly remember the fun times we had as I took her around N Wales photographing her for her book covers and one time, having ordered an automatic car for her stay, she had been give a ‘stick shift’, and so Pam drove her up and down some of our narrowest lanes to Llanrhychwyn Church, a beautiful place she treasured and we cannot visit without thinking of her.
I could relate so many beautiful memories of her loving and caring attitude that both Pam and I will cherish for the rest of our lives.
Heaven knows how she ever found the time to do all that she did for so many people.
God bless you Sharon.
We will miss you, R. I. P. S.K.P.
What a beautiful story. Time you will cherish forever. She will be with you always. She will direct you as needed and praise you as well.
My profound sorrow at your loss of your friend, mentor, and colleague. Her importance to you has been clear since our first meeting, and I know she’ll remain a beloved and guiding figure in your life and work.
love,
Judith
Thanks for your beautiful words we will all keep Sharon close in our hearts forever
Dear David,
I was scrolling thru my email and I read one from u telling me about 11 lost novels (by Nellie Bly), and I read your tribute to Sharon Kay Penman. Sir u do not know me, nor do I know anything about your dear friend Sharon, never having met her nor ever even read anything that she wrote. That will soon change. I am absolutely devastated after reading the beautiful way you described Sharon. The world has lost a fine lady, author and all around fantastic, caring, giving and loving person. And I learned this all from you sir. I feel I know her just from reading what you have given to us, the way u described her life, her giving ways, her love to soo many people. Your love shines 4 her to me thru your pain. And your loss is the loss all who heard your words now share. My tears fall for Sharon, but for u as well my friend, and for never knowing such an amazing woman. Thank you David for telling us about the late great Sharon Kay Penman. Heaven has gained a wonderful story teller as we here are saddened to have lost one such as Sharon. Again, thank you for sharing your love affair with Sharon. She is very much missed, and that will continue as we all grieve.
Thank you, Rik. You are in for a wonderful ride through her books. I’m re-reading Here Be Dragons right now. She really was the best of all worlds.