We know the British Saxon Osulf and Charlemagne’s son Charles were close, but just how close remains a mystery. The intrigue centers on a poem by the courtier Theodulf. The Visigoth composed a paro…

In 781, Alcuin had a choice. Should he accept an offer from Frankish King Charles (Charlemagne) to teach in the brand new Palace School or should he continue serving as master of the Cathedral Scho…

The ninth century monk Notker the Stammerer has an interesting take on the discovery of the plot to overthrow Charlemagne in 794: “This son of Charles had been plotting the death of the emper…

An 8th-century Lombard king adopted a Frankish prince with no intention of changing his heir.

I didn’t need to invent an antagonist in my novel. Portrayed fictitiously, Swidger was a real-life 8th century Bavarian count who caused trouble.

A medieval gold and garnet brooch from around AD 600 has been restored in the Netherlands, bringing together fragments found over more than 70 years.

A lifelong fascination with fairy tales and legends set Kim Rendfeld on her quest to write fiction. A retired communications professional, she has written four novels set in early medieval times. More...

A lifelong fascination with fairy tales and legends set Kim Rendfeld on her quest to write fiction. A retired communications professional, she has written four novels set in early medieval times. More...

Queen Hildegard, Charlemagne’s third wife, is portrayed as beautiful, pious, intelligent, and benevolent. But don’t let those virtues mislead you into thinking she was a sweet, little flower. Altho…

After the 741 death of Frankish ruler Charles Martel, civil war loomed, and Archbishop Boniface had to choose which prince to support.

Did Charlemagne’s free landowners suffer widespread impoverishment? David Bachrach reexamines the evidence behind one of the most influential theories about Carolingian society, military service, and…

About 790, Frankish King Charles (Charlemagne) had a proposition for Mercian King Offa: one of Offa’s daughters marry one of Charles’s sons. Charles likely saw this as a way to secure an alliance b…

Saint George was a popular figure in medieval Christianity.

Odilo, ruler of the Bavarians and my heroine’s love interest, has a murky background. That means a novelist must fabricate a lot of it, based on her best guesses.

The folk tales collected by the brothers Grimm deal with the most powerful motives of all of us: love, envy, revenge, greed, hunger. All in a few pages. Perhaps that is why they continue to fascina…

Most of what we know about Saint Ursula is from legend. Actually, legends, plural, with many fantastic elements. But I suspect there is truth buried within this story of courage. Virgins were marty…

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

Ah, for some reason I love the medieval ages! For the terrible within that era, there is also beauty, strength, and preservation of spirit. After having read several books over the years by Kim Ren…

In The Ashes of Heaven’s Pillar, my heroine’s 9-year-old daughter asks an interesting question about accepting an offer of baptism: “Do we have to shave our hair in that strange way?” The reply fro…

Archbishop Boniface knew Charles Martel’s failing health and the looming succession crisis had implications beyond Francia’s borders.

YouTube video by Randy Rendfeld

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

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

In 779, Sister Elisabeth ­decides to embark on a pilgrimage, leaving the safety of the abbey where she has spent most of her life. With her womanly courses passing, Elisabeth guesses she is 50 year…

Part of writing a novel is creating backstories for your characters, especially your protagonist. Even with historic early medieval characters, that backstory means guesswork and invention.

At the 2015 Historical Novel Society conference, I served on the panel “Midwifery: Magic or Medicine” with authors Judith Starkston, Lisa Yarde, and Sam Thomas. Our moderator was the gracious Diana…

Today’s team review is from Olga. Olga blogs here Rosie’s Book Review Team Olga has been reading Duchess of The New Dawn by Kim Renfield. This novel is historical fiction with emphasis …

Note: The following text is a transcription of the Stone Engraving of the parchment Declaration of Independence (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum). The spelling a...

A lifelong fascination with fairy tales and legends set Kim Rendfeld on her quest to write fiction. A retired communications professional, she has written four novels set in early medieval times. More...

Hi, Kim! Welcome back to Hook of a Book after all these years. And congratulations on your newest Dark Ages release, Duchess of the New Dawn, about a medieval times woman named Chiltrude. We enjoye…