On the left you will find links to all the pages of the site, full of interesting facts about me and my writing and the various periods in which my books are set. There is an account, specially written for this site, of the true history of John Rawlings and how I first met him. And there's a regularly updated letter with all my news: the latest letter was written in November 2006!
I hope you enjoy reading the books, and that I will hear from you at deryn [at] derynlake.com .
Hot news at the moment is the recent court case between two of the authors of THE HOLY BLOOD AND THE HOLY GRAIL and Dan Brown, writer of THE DA VINCI CODE. As we all know by now Dan Brown won because there is no copyright on ideas and his book, after all, was a work of fiction.
What connection has all this with THE KING'S WOMEN, I hear you ask? Let me tell you that I read THE HOLY BLOOD AND THE HOLY GRAIL at the time I was researching my book and became convinced that there really was a secret society called The Priory of Sion. Moreover it had a connection with Joan of Arc - one of the main characters of the story - through René d'Anjou. Rene was not only the future King of Lorraine but also Grand Master of the Priory, and Joan of Arc actually asked to be sent to him at the time when she was attempting to see the Dauphin.
As for the rest... you'll have to read the book to find out how this most intriguing mystery unfolds.
I am so grateful to Allison and Busby for reprinting the book and to Suzy Dunlop, the managing director, for showing her faith in me. It now means that a new generation of readers can find out more about the fascinating character of Charles VII and the many women with whom he was connected.
By the way, I gave THE HOLY BLOOD AND THE HOLY GRAIL a really good credit at the end of the book and was quite definitely not sued!
Read more about historical novels by Deryn Lake.
"Meticulously researched ... brings the past to colourful life"
Guardian
"This is vintage stuff ... With history this colourful and a mystery this baffling, the result is delicious"
Good Book Guide
"As usual, Miss Lake spins a yarn with all the flourish of a dandy producing a silk handkerchief"
Birmingham Post
Death and the Cornish Fiddler, is set in Spring 1765. It brings a welcome sense of recovery to the recently widowed Apothecary John Rawlings, but his tentative peace of mind does not last for long: a young child disappears in strange circumstances at the Helstone Floral (Furry) Dance and a seemingly omnipresent blind musician is never far away.
Whilst this mysterious figure intrigues Rawlings, the case of the missing child alarms him: he feels he must do all in his power to attempt to rescue the young life.
Read more about Death and the Cornish Fiddler
Web site designed and maintained by Cornwell Internet Last update November 6th 2006
