Author Talk: Jay Ruud

"Treasure of Sherwood" A Robin Hood Mystery

Dr. Jay Ruud is back with the third book in his Robin Hood Mysteries, Treasure of Sherwood!

Join us for an afternoon of mystery with Robin Hood in the Sherwood Forest on Sunday, June 23rd. Doors will open at 2:00 pm and Dr. Ruud will delight us with a selection of readings at 2:30 pm. Light refreshments will be provided.

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This event is free and open to the public. Intended for ages 16 and up.

Description of Treasure of Sherwood:

When Lord Randal dies of poison after dining at Robin Hood’s outlaw camp, the Sheriff of Nottingham arrests Robin for the murder. As Alan a Dale seeks to prove someone else committed the crime, Countess Lydia tries to force the Sheriff and Guy of Gisbourne to give Robin a public trial. But was Randal killed because of a lovers’ quarrel—or because of a secret hidden treasure? And can Robin trust the enigmatic Friar Bungay, who visits him in Gisbourne’s dungeon and promises to help him? And finally, can Maid Marion and the Countess bring word back from the new king that will stay Robin’s execution and squelch Gisbourne’s power? Everything may hinge on finding Randal’s missing servant, who hasn’t been seen since the murder.

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About the author:

Jay Ruud is the author of a new series of mystery novels revolving around the legend Robin Hood. He has also previously written a six-volume mystery series set in the court of King Arthur, featuring the venerable court spellbinder Merlin and his young assistant, the page Gildas, who investigate the crimes.

Following the success of the first novel in the Robin Hood series, Sleuth of Sherwood, the second novel, Ghoul of Sherwood was released in December 2022, and has since been named a finalist in the Eric Hoffer Award competition. Both novels can be ordered on either Amazon or Barnes and Noble. A third book in the Robin Hood series, Treasure of Sherwood, is due out later in 2023.

Jay Ruud has also authored four previous books of literary criticism and scholarship (one on Chaucer, one on Dante, one on Tolkien, and an encyclopedia of medieval literature), in addition to several dozen articles on topics like Arthurian literature, Tolkien, Chaucer, the mystic Julian of Norwich, and medieval drama.

Drama is one of Jay’s special interests, and as an avid amateur Thespian he has played various parts over the years in regional and community theater productions of Shakespeare (recently, e.g., Brabantio in Othello), musicals (most recently the Narrator and Mysterious Man in Into the Woods), and more modern “straight” plays. A few years ago he played Lady Bracknell in a production of The Importance of Being Earnest, where he had the interesting experience of playing his own daughter’s mother. Fortunately she is past the age when this could mess her up for life.

He does have two spectacular children, an awesome wife, four loving dogs, and four astounding grandchildren, including a set of twin boys.

In real life, he is recently retired from his position as Professor and Chair of the English department at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, where he taught for thirteen years, prior to which he was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He has a Ph.D. in Medieval Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is a long-suffering and finally redeemed Chicago Cubs fan, and believes that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

For more information about the author and his works: http://jayruud.com/

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