Sharon Kay Penman was an American historical novelist, best known for her Welsh Princes Trilogy and the Plantagenet series. She also wrote four medieval mysteries, with her first, The Queen's Man, being a finalist in 1996 for the Best First Mystery Edgar Award. Her novels and mysteries are set in England, France, and Wales, focusing on English and Welsh royalty during the Middle Ages.

The Sunne in Splendour, her first book, is a stand-alone novel about King Richard III of England and the Wars of the Roses. After the manuscript was stolen, she restarted and rewrote the book. Penman's work was well received, with recent novels reaching the New York Times Bestseller List. Critics praised her meticulous research and characterizations.

Penman received her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in history, and also earned a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers University School of Law. She later worked as a tax lawyer. Her novel, The Sunne in Splendour, is one of the most popular books on the Historical Novel Society's list of best historical novels. In 1996, following the success of When Christ and His Saints Slept, Penman ventured into historical whodunnits with mysteries set in the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine during Richard I's reign.

Sharon Kay Penman passed away from pneumonia on January 22, 2021, at the age of 75.