We all know about the 13th-14th century outlaw Robin Hood, whose story has been told many times over.

Author Larry Deibert gives the legend a new twist with a change in gender in “Robyn Hood” (206 pages; $13, print; 2023).

Robyn Haake is an 18-year-old Olympic gold medalist in archery. Robyn, her boyfriend and the moderator of an archery event are mysteriously whisked back in time to the days roughly during the era of the original Robin Hood.

The story switches between the year 1191 in England and today.

“Robin Hood has been done to death, but not as a female,” says Deibert.

“I’ve always been a fan of Robin Hood, especially when Errol Flynn played him,” says Deibert during an interview in a Hellertown restaurant.

Errol Flynn played Robin Hood in “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938).

Deibert is a fan of viewing Olympic archery.

He’s become a fanatic about old oak trees since seeing them on vacation in North Carolina.

“There are trees there that are eight- and nine-hundred-years-old.

”The Royal Oak in Sherwood Forest, which is close to where Robin Hood had his hideout according to legend, is a thousand-years-old. It is held up by poles, and the general public is not allowed near it.”

“Robyn Hood” is Deibert’s 16th book and first young adult novel, which he says is for older young adults because of the complexity of the story.

“In my last few books I’ve toned down the language and sex, as I’ve become more involved with Christianity,” Deibert says.

At the time of the deadline for publication of this column, only a printed version of the book is available.

“I’m going to have a digital version. But I tend to believe most young people want an actual book,” says Deibert.

Deibert’s other novels cover a wide range. His first one, “Combat Boots dainty feet - Finding Love In Vietnam,” came out of his experience serving in Vietnam with the Army Military Police. He wrote the novel, originally called “95 Bravo,” because he was afraid exposure to Agent Orange might end his life early. He wanted to leave the story for his wife, who was then pregnant with their first child.

“Requiem for a Vampire,” “A Christmas City Vampire” and “Werewolves in the Christmas City” feature supernatural creatures, many of whom lurk close to home. “Santa’s Day Jobs” is an illustrated children’s book. “The Life of Riley” is about his late dog.

He is working on the fourth novel in his “The Other Side of the Ridge” series, which is a time-travel adventure.

“I’ve always loved sixties’ time-travel series. And I like to send my characters to places where I would like to have gone.”

“I don’t write on a schedule, and I don’t have to do this for a living,” he says.

Deibert sometimes works in spurts, recalling once when, he says, “I sat in front of a word processor for hours, coming up with nothing. My son came in and said, ‘Dad, it’s fiction. Make it up.’”

“I wound up writing twelve-thousand words. I couldn’t stop.”

Deibert, 75, lives with his wife, Peggy, in Hellertown. He is retired from the United States Postal Service. He previously worked for Mack Trucks, Inc.

He says he is satisfied with his writing career:

“I have a couple hundred fans in the area. I don’t care how many books I sell. It doesn’t matter. Even if I never write another thing, I think I did OK.”

Larry Deibert book signings: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. July 14, Moravian Book Shop, 428 Main St., Bethlehem, and 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. July 15, Barnes and Noble, Lehigh Valley Mall, 801 Lehigh Lifestyle Center, Whitehall Township.

“Literary Scene” is a column about authors, books and publishing. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com