Margot Sims is a retired high school history teacher who has always been drawn to the medieval past, especially that of France and its neighbors. She believes good historical fiction has the power to transport readers to different times and places, deepening their understanding of their past and present. She has tried hard in this book to depict historical events, facts, and persons accurately, and to represent fictitious persons and events authentically. She makes her home in Kansas City, Missouri, but travels extensively whenever she can. She particularly enjoys nosing around old walled town...