Kim Rendfeld

She was his 2nd choice. The 1st choice was an accused child molester.

Duchess of the New Dawn 740: Chiltrude, the daughter of Francia’s most powerful…

Thank you, @tinneyheath.bsky.social, for this fantastic review of "Duchess of the New Dawn" (available for preorder now): "All in all, an excellent historical novel." www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...

A crowd, including the queen and princes, gathers to watch the coronation of King Pippin.

One of those strange-but-true stories: A high-ranking medieval man is told he can't remarry after divorce, and he becomes a steadfast husband to his current wife: kimrendfeld.wordpress.com/2026/02/10/a...

Duchess of the New Dawn 740: Chiltrude, the daughter of Francia’s most powerful…

"Duchess of the New Dawn," which comes out June 16, got a nice early review: “[I]t reflected the period of history well. Religion was also a large part of everyday life and it was interesting to see how it ruled the characters’ lives.” More on Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...

"May you live in interesting times" is a curse.

What to escape to a different time and place? Check out the 40+ books in “Sail into the Past with Historical Fiction”: books.bookfunnel.com/nowboarding/...

One of my retirement projects is to declutter, but if you ever find my house or my yard in perfect order, you will know I've gone off the deep end.

What don't philosophers argue about?

Bishop Gewilib: A Bloody Vengeance for His Father When his father was slain in battle, 8th-century Bishop Gewilib did not leave vengeance to God.

Need a break from the news? How about a strange but true story of a bishop seeking revenge for his murdered father. And I don't mean prayer. kimrendfeld.wordpress.com/2026/01/13/b...

All of the above.

Fall into Historical Fiction Searching for your next favorite story? Look no further! These bestselling authors have teamed up to offer a delightful selection of new books. Available for a limited time.

Looking for a diversion from today's reality? Check out these historical fiction novels: books.bookfunnel.com/fallforhisto...

This is phrenology. AI is doing stuff search committees are told not to do, like judging people on appearance.

Childeric III, the Last Merovingian King Who was Childeric III, the last Merovingian king of the Franks?

We know little about the last Merovingian king. So I took liberties to make him a character in "Duchess of the New Dawn" (available for preorder). kimrendfeld.wordpress.com/2025/12/09/c...

Fall into Historical Fiction Searching for your next favorite story? Look no further! These bestselling authors have teamed up to offer a delightful selection of new books. Available for a limited time.

On Black Friday, remember books make great gifts--maybe one for yourself. Check out nearly 40 historical fiction novels from several time periods. books.bookfunnel.com/fallforhisto...

Sisko had a girlfriend. They watched baseball games together.

Ruling in the Name of a Dead King When Frankish King Theuderic IV died in 737, his mayor of the palace, Charles Martel, made an unprecedented choice. Instead of setting up a new king, Charles ruled in the name of the dead one.

A novelist runs into strange but true things, like a highborn man ruling in the name of a dead king: kimrendfeld.wordpress.com/2025/11/10/r...

This was a fun story to work on.

Samhain: The Start of a New Year Although she is a Christian, Gwenhwyfar, the heroine of “Betrothed to the Red Dragon,” would have observed Samhain, or Calan Gaeaf as it was called in Wales (where my Gwenhwyfar’s fortress is). At …

As part of my research for the short story "Betrothed to the Red Dragon," I looked into the holiday that we call Halloween. kimrendfeld.wordpress.com/2017/10/31/s...

Why Merovingians claimed a sea monster as ancestor Like many ancient and early medieval rulers, Merovingians claimed supernatural ancestors. Theirs was a sea monster.

It's easy to write off early medieval people as superstitious, but rulers had good reason for claiming supernatural origins, even if they were sea monsters. kimrendfeld.wordpress.com/2025/10/14/w...

This was a fascinating story to edit. It has a "spinning straw into gold" quality.

As childhood myopia surges, SIU team finds cleaner, cheaper way to make a key drug If it seems like more children are wearing glasses, you’re not imagining it. By 2050, scientists project about 50% of tthis he world’s population will be nearsighted. As families and clinicians look f...

Childhood myopia is surging and treatment isn’t cheap. SIU researchers set out to change that.

They turned caffeine from tea & coffee waste into 7-MX, a drug that slows nearsightedness. Cleaner, cheaper, sustainable. Drops from $700 a gram to under 35 cents.

Yesterday’s waste. Tomorrow’s solution.

Horse Heredity in the Dark Ages Early medieval warhorses, the costliest livestock, had to be brave, a trait they inherited from their fathers.

Fastrada. my heroine in "Queen of the Darkest Hour," would understand the impact of a disease that wiped out most of the army's horses. The novelist needed to do some research. kimrendfeld.wordpress.com/2025/09/16/h...

SIU grad’s research illuminates pollution threats to endangered Calif. fish The Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel was still and quiet as the boat cut through the morning fog. For Cristina La, then a graduate student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, this was the mo...

What happens to a tiny fish when the water turns toxic?

SIU grad Cristina La studied pollution in the delta smelt’s last habitat with @ucdavis.bsky.social & CA Fish & Wildlife. Her findings, published in Environmental Pollution, revealed contaminants in every sample, a warning for the ecosystem.

I'd rather have competent, even if grumpy.

Kim Rendfeld's review of Rogue (Tales of Robin Hood, #1) 5/5: With a middle-aged Robin who has a troubled relationship with his eldest son, “Rogue” has a very different and entertaining take on a familiar legend. Although set in medieval times, it feels rel...

Need an escape from today's news? Try "Rogue" by @charnewcomb.bsky.social. Here is my review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

#BookSky

Did anyone get photos?

This was a fun story to write.

‘Duchess of the New Dawn’ launches June 16, 2026 – preorder now Kim Rendfeld’s novel Duchess of the New Dawn, about an 8th-century noblewoman daring to forge her own fate at great peril, launches on June 16, 2026. The ebook is available for preorder.

On my blog, I discuss "Duchess of the New Dawn," its inspiration and why I'm waiting until June 2026 to release it. Plus a couple of photos with a feline assistant. kimrendfeld.wordpress.com/2025/08/12/d...

Book cover with a woman with red hair and blue dress looking at mountains. A smaller silhouette of a warrior is in the foreground.

My latest novel, "Duchess of the New Dawn," about an 8th century woman daring to forge her own fate at a great risk, is available for pre-order, with a release date of June 16, 2026. You can buy the ebook on Amazon and elsewhere. Paperback will be available soon.

If we regard historical figures like the human beings they were,we will find they are all complicated.