Serious about Series: Retail Links to your favorite series by Laurel A. Rockefeller

If you love to read or love to write for that matter, you know that book series are all the rage. But how do you find all the books in the series you love?

Many, but not all retailers, collect or at least tag books that come from the same series. In my experience these pages are often incomplete – which is why this blog includes all the books from each series in specific posts so dedicated. But what if you don’t want to scroll through all of that here? Easy: browse this post and you will find links to each retailer’s page for each series. Know of any pages I haven’t found (yet)? Comment with those links and I will check them out!

The Peers of Beinan series

genres: science fiction, paranormal romance, social scifi,

Explore a civilization in peril as blood feuds, political corruption, and tyranny seek to rip apart Beinarian society. Strongly influenced by Frank Herbert’s “Dune” series, Gene Roddenbury’s “Star Trek,” Glen Larson’s “Battlestar Galactica,” JRR Tolkien, and Dorothy “DC” Fontana, The Peers of Beinan takes you to a far away galaxy that feels just like home. Social issues explored include climate change, pollution, abortion, terrorism, domestic violence, and many more.

Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords

The Legendary Women of World History

genres: non-fiction history, narrative history, historical fiction, biography, women’s history

Begun in response to a lack of basic historical literacy in western Pennsylvania, the Legendary Women of World History seeks to improve history literacy for readers of all ages. With more than 75% available in audio format, many titles are accessible to children as young as four years old (use parental discretion in deciding age appropriateness). The series spans antiquity through the early 17th century. Most books are translated into multiple languages including Welsh, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Italian.

Amazon, Audible (minus newer releases Mary Queen of the Scots and Margaret of Wessex), Smashwords, Kobo.

Legendary Women of World History Textbooks

genres: history, narrative history, textbook, social studies, world history, ancient history, women’s history

The Legendary Women of World History Textbooks presents the same core content as the original Legendary Women of World History biographies – but with the addition of study questions after every chapter. These questions are exactly the same sort of questions that were presented in my textbooks in junior high and high school and are designed to promote both home school and public school learning, and augment existing curriculae.

In audio format, only two textbook editions are available: Hypatia of Alexandria Student-Teacher in English and Aliénor d’Aquitaine (Eleanor of Aquitaine in French edition). For reasons unknown, Audible is not offering Alienor, but you can find it on Apple Audiobooks. On Alienor, the student questions appear at the end of the book.

Find the Legendary Women of World History Textbooks series pages at Amazon and Smashwords.

Life with Cockatiels

genres: pet birds, pet guides, cockatiels, budgerigars, parrots, biographies, nature, science

More than any other books, the Life with Cockatiels is the most personal. Grounded in over 40 years of daily experience living with parrots, these books share what works, what doesn’t, and how to achieve a long, happy, and healthy life with your birds. The series starts with “Preparing for My First Cockatiel” which breaks down exactly what you need to buy to prepare your home for what cockatiels need, along with scientific data helping you understand who and what cockatiels are. “Preparing for My Senior Cockatiel” centers on nutrition and changes that come as your bird ages and develops age-related challenges like sight loss, along with practical suggestions on how to make needed adjustments. “Mithril and Me” is a biography for all my birds starting with my first bird, Luke, whom I bought in the third grade, through all my budgerigars and cockatiels from the early 1980s to its publication date in 2021.

All of these are filled with photos, including personal snapshots, to help guide you into a long, happy life with your birds.

Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords, Audible

Life in America

genres: American history, modern history, American Revolution, Early Republic, political science, women’s history, patriarchy, women’s rights, poverty

The Life in America series is all things American history. Beginning with the flash fiction “A New Start In the Niobrara for Mr. and Mrs. O’Malley,” the series steps outside of Laurel A. Rockefeller’s medieval history comfort zone. American Poverty and American Patriarchy are topically arranged, beginning with essays whose problems are then addressed in part two of each book with analysis and data from such sources as Forbes, Inc., Feeding America, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the Bureau of Justice. The history of patriarchy and the resulting women’s rights movements are explored in depth with many surprises when it comes to women’s legal rights (including reproductive rights and abortion) in the United States. In Founding Mothers the lives of twelve women from diverse backgrounds are explored – both the famous and the largely forgotten. Music enters the series with Founding Mothers in a special appendix showcasing songs popular in colonial America and the Early Republic. Hear those songs sung in the audio edition.

Amazon, Smashwords

Notable Books Not in any series

Two of my books are not in series: the award-winning “His Red Eminence, Armand-Jean du Plessis de Richelieu,” and “The Arban and the Saman.” Both are historical in nature. Eminence is narrative history just like the Legendary Women of World History whereas Arban/Saman is a straight historical romance with some supernatural elements to it. Find links to these on this blog.

Find books and audiobooks by Laurel A. Rockefeller at your favorite retailer.

Amazon, Audible, Apple Books, Apple Audiobooks, Chirp, Everand, Barnes/Noble, Books A Million, BookBub, Good Reads, and YouTube.

Find books by Laurel A. Rockefeller on the series pages on this blog:

Peers of Beinan

Legendary Women of World History

Legendary Women of World History Textbooks

Legendary Women of World History and Peers of Beinan Dramas

Life in America

Life with Cockatiels

Audiobooks by Laurel A. Rockefeller

Legendary Women of World History Textbooks: Book Descriptions and Links

The Covid pandemic forced most schools to close in person and start online learning programs so that everyone could stay home under quarantine lock down. In response, I decided to offer “student-teacher” editions of the Legendary Women of World History biographies. I also adapted the historical novel “The Arban and the Saman” and the USA socio-economic analysis “American Poverty” to textbook format. Find series pages for the Legendary Women of World History textbooks at Amazon and Smashwords.

Here are all 15 textbooks with their descriptions and retail links.

All titles are written in English. Most titles are also translated into Italian. Some titles available in Spanish or Portuguese as well.

The Arban and the Saman

War and violence brought them together. Mysterious and ancient powers kept them together.

It is the year 1211 CE. Five years after being declared “khan,” Chinggis Khan and his invading hordes are sweeping across the north China plain, right into the nűzhen heartland. Their objective: conquest of the mighty Jin Empire.

Among those sent into Liaoning is a low-ranking officer (an arban) named Mongke Nichan, a spiritual man on a personal quest to find his soulmate and fulfill a prophesy long lingering in his heart.

But physical conquest and winning her love are completely different matters, especially coming from a man rightfully considered her enemy.

Powerful spiritual forces are at work in this wartime romance deeply seeped in Mongol, Jurchen, and Chinese religion and culture.

Student-Teacher Edition features study questions after every chapter.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and a retailer near you.

American Poverty

In this thought-provoking historical and economic analysis, Laurel A. Rockefeller takes on poverty culture head-on, exploring what it means to be poor in the United States. She also takes a look at how America’s closest, and much more economically successful, allies (Canada, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom) take care of their poor.

Student – Teacher edition adds questions to the front of each of the book’s three parts to guide the reading experience with focus on reading comprehension and critical thinking skills.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and a retailer near you.

Boudicca: Britain’s Queen of the Iceni

Why is The Morrígan’s raven crying? Only Britons with hearts for true liberty know! In 43 CE Roman conquest of Britannia seems all but certain — until a chance meeting between King Prasutagus of the Iceni and a runaway slave of royal decent from the Aedui tribe in Gaul changes the fate of the British islands forever. Rise up for liberty with the true story of Boudicca, Britain’s Queen of the Iceni and discover one of the most inspiring stories in history! Based on the accounts of Roman historian Tacitus and supplemented with archaeology presented by the BBC.

Student – Teacher Edition features study guide questions after every chapter.

Available at Apple, Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes/Noble and a retailer near you.

Catherine de Valois: French Princess, Tudor Matriarch

Best known as Henry V’s Agincourt bride from Shakespeare’s “Henry V,” Catherine de Valois was an extraordinary woman of faith, courage, and conviction in an age of politically powerful women.

A younger daughter to King Charles VI of France terrorized by his mental illness, Princess Catherine survived the ravages of his schizophrenia, a civil war at home, and King Henry’s war with France to become one of Renaissance England’s most fascinating and courageous queens.

Student-Teacher edition features study guide questions following every chapter plus challenging puzzles to practice reading comprehension, logic, and critical thinking skills.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and a retailer near you.

Mary Queen of the Scots: the Forgotten Reign

Queen Mary Stuart was one of the most beloved and controversial women in Scottish history. The granddaughter of King James IV and his wife Margaret Tudor, Queen Mary’s status as heiress-apparent to the English throne paired with the violence of the Scottish Reformation set the stage for one of the most dramatic and poorly understood lives of the 16th century.

Mary Queen of the Scots tells Mary’s true story, focusing primarily on her reign as queen of Scotland, celebrating her life more than her death, and showing us all why she was truly a woman ahead of her time.

Student – Teacher Edition features study questions after every chapter, plus a detailed timeline, and an extensive suggested reading list.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and at a retailer near you.

Queen Elizabeth Tudor: the Forgotten Reign

Queen Elizabeth is perhaps the most legendary and celebrated ruler in English history. Yet do you really know her as well as you think you do?

In this beautiful narrative biography you explore Elizabeth’s path from “Lady Elizabeth” to “Gloriana” through the lens of her relationship with Robert Dudley, a relationship far more contentious than most people believe. Politics and religion collide, provoking Elizabeth to console herself with her music, and a hard decision lays before her as plots against her life threatens her throne.

Take the journey to Gloriana and discover a side to Elizabeth you never knew existed.

Student – Teacher Edition features challenging puzzles and study guide questions after every chapter, plus the appendices with six medieval and Elizabethan songs, a detailed timeline, and an extensive suggested reading list.

This book continues “Mary Queen of the Scots.”

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and at a retailer near you.

Empress Wu Zetian

The most hated woman in Chinese history!

Born in 624 CE in Wenshui County in Shanxi province, very little was expected of the beautiful and bright Wu Zhao (reign title Wu Zetian) — except that she would be trouble to any man unlucky enough to marry her. The very opposite of a virtuous maiden by most interpretations of the Analects of Confucius, Wu Zhao was not only bright, but highly educated and equally ambitious.

Harshly judged by both contemporaries and generations of Chinese scholars since, the one thing everyone can agree upon about Empress Wu: the world is a vastly different place because she dared what no other woman of her time dreamed was possible. This is her true story, a truly legendary woman of world history.

Student – Teacher Edition features challenging study questions after every chapter, plus a detailed timeline, and an extensive suggested reading list.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and at a retailer near you.

Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd: the Warrior Princess of Deheubarth

Queen Elizabeth Tudor’s Heroic Welsh Foremother!

Born in 1097 in Aberffraw Castle, Princess Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd ap Cynan was always destined for great things. As daughter to one of Gwynedd’s greatest warriors she grew up strong and passionate — more than a match for her older brothers.

At sixteen Gwenllian’s life changed forever when she fell in love with Prince Gruffydd ap Rhys, the beleaguered heir to Rhys ap Tewdur of Deheubarth. Together husband and wife fought for and ruled southern Wales, challenging the Norman Conquest of Wales and proving once and for all the nobility and courage of the Welsh people, a courage that endures across the centuries and lives in the heart of every Welsh man, woman, and child.

Student – Teacher Edition features challenging puzzles and study guide questions after every chapter, Plus a detailed timeline, and an extensive suggested reading list.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and at a retailer near you.

Empress Matilda of England

The roaring lioness of England!

Born in 1102 to King Henry of England and Queen Edith Matilda of Scotland, Matilda’s uniquely royal Norman, Saxon, and Scottish heritage was meant to unify an England still divided by her grandfather’s conquest in 1066. When the 1120 White Ship Disaster made her the only surviving child of her parents, Matilda suddenly became heiress to the English throne in a time when the old Saxon Witan, not the king’s Will, still decided the succession.

Discover the true story of the first woman to claim the throne of England in her own right and be inspired!

Student – Teacher Edition features challenging puzzles and study guide questions after every chapter, plus a detailed timeline, and an extensive suggested reading list.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and at a retailer near you.

Hypatia of Alexandria

As the western world fell into darkness, she dared defend the light. Born in 355 CE in the aftermath of Constantine’s reign, Hypatia of Alexandria lived in a collapsing Roman Empire, a world where obedience to religious authorities trumped science, where reason and logic threatened the new world order. It was a world on the edge of the Dark Ages, a world deciding the question of science verses religion, freedom verses orthodoxy, tolerance verses hate. For over 40 years Hypatia stood between the dark ages and the light of classical philosophy, arts, and sciences. Though none of her books survived the aggressive book burnings of religious zealots, her legacy remains that of one of the greatest scientists of all time.

Student – Teacher Edition features challenging puzzles and study guide questions after every chapter, Plus a detailed timeline, and an extensive suggested reading list.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and at a retailer near you. Also available in audio edition in English (Apple , Audible).

Cleopatra VII: Egypt’s Last Pharaoh

The exciting true story of Egypt’s most famous queen! Now in student – teacher edition for secondary school social studies classes and home schools!

Cleopatra Thea Philopator refused to do what she was told. In an age where patriarchy denied full citizenship to even the most elite of Roman women, Cleopatra ruled her Egypt determined to keep it independent and free from Roman control — at any price necessary.

Demonized as a simple seductress by Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (the future Caesar Augustus) and his political allies, Cleopatra VII proved herself the equal to three of the most powerful men of the Roman world: Gaius Julius Caesar, Marcus Antonius, and Octavian Caesar.

Includes a detailed timeline, suggested reading list/bibliography, and a special Easter egg for science fiction fans.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and at a retailer near you.

Margaret of Wessex

The inspiring story of Margaret of Wessex, queen consort to Malcolm III Canmore of Alba comes to life in this special student-teacher edition designed for educational and home school use. Questions practicing reading comprehension, logic, and critical thinking skills pair with history learning to create a robust yet accessible addition to, or focal point for, social studies units and classes. Appendices at the end of the book provide key reference information, including a detailed timeline covering over 3000 years of Scotland’s history. Medieval units of time are both explained in the accompanying appendix and practiced in the narrative.

A must have addition to every secondary social studies course. For ages 12+.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and at a retailer near you.

Hildegard von Bingen

With the power of her pen she changed Christendom forever.

When Hildegard von Bingen succeeded Jutta von Sponheim as Magistra and prioress of Disibodenberg monastery she found herself unable to keep her visions secret any longer. What happened next led her to revolutionize not only monastic life for women, but the whole world too.

Student-Teacher edition features study questions after every chapter.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and at a retailer near you.

Katharina von Bora: First Lady of the Reformation

Born in 1499, Katharina started her education at first the convent at Brehna, then continued it in Kloster Nimbschen where she took vows as a nun at the age of sixteen and expected to live the whole of her life.

God, however, had other plans. On Easter Eve 1523 she escaped with eleven other nuns to Wittenberg, a move meant to be temporary until a more permanent home could be found for her. What happened next changed the world in this family story filled with music in the original German.

Student-Teacher Edition features challenging study questions after each chapter. Extensive appendices include a detailed timeline, detailed bibliography, plus information on medieval time and lyrics to Martin Luther’s most popular hymns in both English and German.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and at a retailer near you.

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Aliénor was the most sought after bride in all of Christendom – and not simply because she was beautiful. The eldest daughter of Duke William X of Aquitaine, she inherited his vast duchy at the age of just 15 and was crowned queen of the Franks that same year.

But love was not to be for the beautiful duchess, despite two marriages and giving birth to a total of ten children. Troubadours sang her praises and composed the first romantic love songs. Tales of King Arthur and his round table were first told in her honor. She transformed two emerging empires and made Aquitaine the most faithful continental ally to England. She was a legend in her time and ours. This is her remarkable true story.

Student-Teacher edition features study questions after every chapter

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, and at a retailer near you.

See also The Legendary Women of World History series.

Legendary Women of World History series: Book Descriptions and Links

It all began in March 2014. Women’s History Month in the United States. I casually polled people around me, asking them to name 10 women, living or dead, from across history. Fewer than 5% could do it. When I reduced the request to 5 women, fewer than 10% could. Initially upset at the lack of history literacy around me I decided to do something about it. Beginning with reading the account about Boudicca by Tacitus, I wrote and published Boudicca in less than 4 weeks. The Legendary Women of World History was born. Thirteen narrative biographies with three more collection-style volumes in progress in 2023 bring the accomplishments of history-making women easy to learn and understand.

Most books available in audio edition and translated to numerous languages, including two books in Welsh! Textbook and stage adaption editions also available. Find the Legendary Women of World History series page on Amazon, Audible (minus newer releases Margaret of Wessex and Mary Queen of the Scots), Kobo, and Smashwords.

The Legendary Women of World History series books are:

Boudicca: Britain’s Queen of the Iceni

Why is The Morrígan’s raven crying? Only Britons with hearts for true liberty know! In 43 CE Roman conquest of Britannia seems all but certain — until a chance meeting between King Prasutagus of the Iceni and a runaway slave of royal descent from the Aedui tribe in Gaul changes the fate of the British islands forever. Rise up for liberty with the true story of Boudicca: Britain’s Queen of the Iceni and discover one of the most inspiring stories in history! Tacitus meets modern archaeology in this exciting non-fiction tale of Celtic Britain!

Choose Boudicca in your choice of languages including (but not limited to) Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Welsh-English, and Welsh!

Available in English at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, Everand, and at a retailer near you. Also available in audio edition in English (Apple, Audible), Spanish (Apple, Audible), French (Apple, Audible), and German (Apple, Audible).

Catherine de Valois: French Princess, Tudor Matriarch

War made her queen of England. Her love for a Welshman made her immortal.

Best known as Henry V’s Agincourt bride from Shakespeare’s “Henry V,” Catherine de Valois was an extraordinary woman of faith, courage, and conviction in an age of politically powerful women.

A younger daughter to King Charles VI of France terrorized by his mental illness, Princess Catherine survived the ravages of his schizophrenia, a civil war at home, and King Henry’s war with France to become one of England’s most fascinating and courageous queens. Her children by her second marriage and their descendants changed the landscape of England and Scotland forever, forging together the United Kingdom.

Meet the real Catherine behind the Tudor and Stuart dynasties in this beautiful biography for the entire family.

Includes a War of the Roses family tree, detailed timeline, and detailed suggested reading list/bibliography.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, Everand, and at a retailer near you. Also available in audio edition in English (Apple, Audible), Spanish (Apple, Audible), French (Apple, Audible), and German (Apple, Audible).

Mary Queen of the Scots: the Forgotten Reign

Queen Mary Stuart was one of the most beloved and controversial women in Scottish history. The granddaughter of King James IV and his wife Margaret Tudor, Queen Mary’s status as heiress-apparent to Queen Elizabeth’s throne in England paired with the violence of the Scottish Reformation set the stage for one of the most dramatic and poorly understood lives of the 16th century. Mary Queen of the Scots tells Mary’s true story, focusing primarily on her reign as queen of Scotland, celebrating her life more than her death and showing us all why she was truly a woman ahead of her time. Features a detailed timeline, a list of Latin prayers with their English translations, and the lyrics to all four featured period songs performed in the book, including “Depairte, Depairte” (1545) written in Old Scot.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, Everand, and at a retailer near you. Also available in audio edition at your favorite retailer, including Audible, Apple, Chirp, and LibroFM. Spanish edition available in audio edition at Apple and Audible.

Queen Elizabeth Tudor: the Forgotten Reign

Queen Elizabeth Tudor is still known today as “Gloriana” after her small fleet of agile ships defeated the Spanish Armada’s 131 galleons in the English Channel on 6 August 1588.

“I am by your Council from you commanded to go to the Tower, a place more wanted for a false traitor than a true subject, which though I know I desire it not, yet in the face of all this realm it appears proved,” wrote Princess Elizabeth Tudor in her eleventh-hour letter to sister Queen Mary as guards waited to transport her to the prison at the Tower of London.

Queen Elizabeth is perhaps the most legendary and celebrated ruler in English history. Yet do you really know her as well as you think you do?

In this beautiful narrative biography you explore Elizabeth’s path from “Lady Elizabeth” to “Gloriana” through the lens of her relationship with Robert Dudley, a relationship far more contentious than most people believe. Politics and religion collide, provoking Elizabeth to console herself with her music, and a hard decision lays before her as plots against her life threatens her throne. Take the journey to Gloriana and discover a side to Elizabeth you never knew existed.

Features six medieval and Elizabethan songs, a detailed timeline, and an extensive suggested reading list. Continues “Mary Queen of the Scots.”

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, Everand, and at a retailer near you. Also available in audio edition in English (Apple, Audible), German (Apple, Audible).

Empress Wu Zetian

The most hated woman in Chinese history!

Travel back in time over one thousand years and meet the first and only female emperor of China. Born Wu Zhao and given the reign title “Zetian” just weeks before her death in 705 CE, Empress Wu was the unwanted daughter of Chancellor Wu Shihuo — too bright, too educated, and too politically focused to make a good wife according to contemporary interpretations of the Analects of Confucius.

Married off at age 14 as a low-ranking concubine to Emperor Taizong, Wu’s intelligence, beauty, and charm won her a place as his secretary and protégé, political experience that would empower her to transform the lives of countless billions.

Explore the life of Empress Wu and discover why the world is a vastly different place because she dared what no woman in China before or since ever dreamed of.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, Everand, and at a retailer near you. Also available in audio edition in English (Apple, Audible), French (Apple, Audible), Spanish (Apple, Audible), and German (Apple, Audible).

Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd: the Warrior Princess of Deheubarth

Queen Elizabeth Tudor’s Heroic Welsh Foremother!

Born in 1097 in Aberffraw Castle, Princess Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd ap Cynan was always destined for great things. As daughter to one of Gwynedd’s greatest warriors she grew up strong and passionate — more than a match for her older brothers.

At sixteen Gwenllian’s life changed forever when she fell in love with Prince Gruffydd ap Rhys, the beleaguered heir to Rhys ap Tewdur of Deheubarth. Together husband and wife fought for and ruled southern Wales, challenging the Norman Conquest of Wales and proving once and for all the nobility and courage of the Welsh people, a courage that endures across the centuries and lives in the heart of every Welsh man, woman, and child.

Includes an extensive timeline covering over 400 years of English and Welsh medieval history.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, Everand, and at a retailer near you.

Empress Matilda of England

The roaring lioness of England!

Born in 1102 to King Henry of England and Queen Matilda of Scotland, Matilda’s uniquely royal Norman, Saxon, and Scottish heritage was meant to unify an England still divided by her grandfather’s conquest in 1066. When the 1120 White Ship Disaster made her the only surviving child of her parents, Matilda suddenly became heiress to the English throne in a time when the old Saxon Witan, not the king’s Will, still decided the succession.

Discover the true story of the first woman to claim the throne of England in her own right and be inspired!

Includes Matilda’s family tree charts, a detailed timeline, and a suggested reading list so you can keep learning.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, Everand, and at a retailer near you. Audio edition available in English (Apple, Audible) and German (Apple, Audible).

Hypatia of Alexandria

As the western world fell into darkness, she dared defend the light.

Born in 355 CE in the aftermath of Constantine’s reign, Hypatia of Alexandria lived in a collapsing Roman Empire, a world where obedience to religious authorities trumped science, where reason and logic threatened the new world order. It was a world on the edge of the Dark Ages, a world deciding the question of science verses religion, freedom verses orthodoxy, tolerance verses hate.

For over 40 years Hypatia stood between the dark ages and the light of classical philosophy, arts, and sciences. Though none of her books survived the aggressive book burnings of religious zealots, her legacy remains that of one of the greatest scientists of all time.

This is her fascinating true story.

Includes bibliography, a detailed timeline, and latitude-longitude coordinates for major Roman Empire cities so you can explore the wonders of the heavens with Hypatia.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, Everand, and at a retailer near you. Also available in audio edition in English (Apple , Audible and Spanish (Apple, Audible).

Cleopatra VII: Egypt’s Last Pharaoh

The exciting true story of Egypt’s most famous queen!

Cleopatra Thea Philopator refused to do what she was told. In an age where patriarchy denied full citizenship to even the most elite of Roman women, Cleopatra ruled her Egypt determined to keep it independent and free from Roman control — at any price necessary. Demonized as a simple seductress by Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (the future Caesar Augustus) and his political allies, Cleopatra VII proved herself the equal to three of the most powerful men of the Roman world: Gaius Julius Caesar, Marcus Antonius, and Octavian Caesar.

Includes a detailed timeline, suggested reading list/bibliography, and a special Easter egg for Doctor Who fans.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, Everand, and at a retailer near you.

Margaret of Wessex

The 11th century was a dangerous time to be of the line unbroken of King Æthelred II Unread and his first queen, Æfgifu of York. Born in Hungary after King Canute III’s failed attempt to murder her father, Edward the Exile, Margaret found her life turned upside down by King Edward the Confessor’s discovery of her father’s survival — and the resulting recall of her family to England.

Now a political hostage only kept alive for as long as it served powerful men’s interests, Margaret and her family found King Máel Coluim mac Donnchadh Ceann Mhor (Malcolm III Canmore)’s invitation to his court in Dunfermline the long-awaited answer to her prayers. Scotland would never be the same again.

Includes two family tree charts, an expansive timeline covering over three thousand years of Pictish and medieval history, plus Roman Catholic prayers, and a bibliography so you can keep learning.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, Everand, and at a retailer near you.

Audio edition at Audible, Apple, Chirp, LibroFm, Barnes/Noble, Everand, Spotify, and an audio retailer near you.

Hildegard von Bingen

With the power of her pen she changed Christendom forever.

Hildegard von Bingen was never meant to be remembered by history. The tenth child of one of the Graf von Sponheim’s knights, she was given to Disibodenberg monastery partly out of gratitude to God, but also partly because her visions made her too odd to make a suitable wife.

When she succeeded Jutta von Sponheim as Magistra and prioress of Disibodenberg monastery she found herself unable to keep her visions secret any longer. What happened next led her to revolutionize not only monastic life for women, but the whole world too.

Meet medieval Europe’s most prolific author, the legendary Hildegard von Bingen.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, Everand, and at a retailer near you. Also available in audio edition at Apple and Audible.

Katharina von Bora: First Lady of the Reformation

The legendary life of Katharina von Bora Luther!

Born in 1499, Katharina started her education at first the convent at Brehna, then continued it in Kloster Nimbschen where she took vows as a nun at the age of sixteen and expected to live the whole of her life.

God, however, had other plans. On Easter Eve 1523 she escaped with eleven other nuns to Wittenberg, a move meant to be temporary until a more permanent home could be found for her. What happened next changed the world in this family story filled with music in the original German.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, Everand, and at a retailer near you. Also available in audio edition at Apple and Audible.

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Aliénor was the most sought after bride in all of Christendom – and not simply because she was beautiful. The eldest daughter of Duke William X of Aquitaine, she inherited his vast duchy at the age of just 15 and was crowned queen of the Franks that same year.

But love was not to be for the beautiful duchess, despite two marriages and giving birth to a total of ten children. Troubadours sang her praises and composed the first romantic love songs. Tales of King Arthur and his round table were first told in her honor. She transformed two emerging empires and made Aquitaine the most faithful continental ally to England. She was a legend in her time and ours.

This is her remarkable true story.

Available at Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes/Noble, Everand, and at a retailer near you.

It’s About Time: proper formatting of the Timelines in the Legendary Women of World History series

The Legendary Women of World History series is the best selling narrative biography series written by Laurel A. Rockefeller. With the exception of “Boudicca, Britain’s Queen of the Iceni,” each biography features a detailed timeline designed to help streamline the main narrative by keeping most of the dates out of the story.  The timelines are designed to be as easy to read as possible, offering the maximum of information with a quick scan of the page.

For that reason, the timelines do not use the standard date format.  In the USA, the standard date format is (including all possible variables):

• Day of the week
• Month
• Date
• Year
• Time of day.

Listing historical events this way however would be confusing and make it very difficult to locate a specific event.  For that reason, I use the following structure and organization in each timeline:

• Year usually followed by BCE (Before the Common Era — aka “BC”) or CE (Common Era — aka “AD”)
• Season (if known) OR
• Day of the month (if known) AND
• Month.

Events occurring in the same year are organized from the most general to the most specific in chronological order.  For example:

• 1619; King Louis XIII and Queen Anne of Austria finally consummate their marriage four years after their wedding.
• 1619, 10^th February; Christine Marie of France marries Victor Amadeus of Savoy.
• 1619, 22^nd February; Marie de Medici escapes Blois and establishes her new court in Angoulême. Charles d’Albert de Luynes begins working with Bishop Richelieu on a diplomatic solution to the Medici problem.
• 1619, spring-summer; Bishop Richelieu arrives in Angoulême to negotiate with Marie de Medici in person.
• 1619, 8^th July; the marquis of Thémines, captain of Queen Marie de Medici’s guards challenges Seigneur Henri de Richelieu to a duel, killing Richelieu. The family debt from both François and Henri du Plessis passes to Armand Richelieu to discharge and repay.
• 1619, 10^th August; thanks to careful negotiations by Bishop Richelieu, Queen Marie de Medici and King Louis XIII sign the Treaty of Angoulême. Du Luynes assigns Richelieu to de Medici’s court to contain and control her.

As you can see from this example from “His Red Eminence,” the year 1619 was a busy year filled with events we both know happened sometime that year but no more specific than the year, one where we know within a six-month span approximately when in the year it happened, and several where we know the exact date.

Though other countries structure their dates differently than in the United States, it is very important for each translated edition to follow the same structure as I present in the English in order to preserve this organization of events and keep it as readable as possible.