# Kim Rendfeld 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 at kimrendfeld.com. Page: Feed: --- ## [Portraying the Duke of Bavaria When You Can’t Know All the Facts](https://kimrendfeld.substack.com/p/portraying-the-duke-of-bavaria-when) _2026-08-11 · Kim Rendfeld_ 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. ## [Creating an Early Medieval Heroine’s Childhood](https://kimrendfeld.substack.com/p/creating-an-early-medieval-heroines) _2026-07-14 · Kim Rendfeld_ 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. ## [Release day for ‘Duchess of the New Dawn’](https://kimrendfeld.substack.com/p/release-day-for-duchess-of-the-new) _2026-06-16 · Kim Rendfeld_ My latest novel, starring the Frankish princess Chiltrude, comes out today, June 16. Find out why she inspired me. ## [Portraying Charles Martel as a difficult dad](https://kimrendfeld.substack.com/p/portraying-charles-martel-as-a-difficult) _2026-06-09 · Kim Rendfeld_ Charles was a hero to 8th century Franks, but people who stood in his way conveniently died. What is a novelist to do when he is the heroine’s father? ## [A princess without a crown](https://kimrendfeld.substack.com/p/a-princess-without-a-crown) _2026-05-12 · Kim Rendfeld_ Chiltrude’s father, Charles Martel, was Francia's mayor of the palace, but he, not that guy on the throne, was really in charge. So, what did that make her? ## [Was a Dark Ages noblewoman better off as a queen or an abbess?](https://kimrendfeld.substack.com/p/was-a-dark-ages-noblewoman-better) _2026-04-14 · Kim Rendfeld_ A high-ranking woman didn’t have any choice in whether she’s be a wife or nun, but either way, she could wield influence. ## [How Women’s History Affects Fiction in the Dark Ages](https://kimrendfeld.substack.com/p/how-womens-history-affects-fiction) _2026-03-10 · Kim Rendfeld_ If you're looking for gutsy heroines, consider early medieval times