Laurel A. Rockefeller's Blog, page 15

Great Expectations: Soulmates and Romance

Soulmates are a popular topic in American culture. The notion that there is one perfect romantic match for everyone and that once you find that soulmate you will get married and live happily every after. The criteria for being a soulmate is based on more material and value compatibility over spirituality of course. If, after the fullness of time, one or the other partner evolves in a different direction and the relationship fails, the match is rebranded. Maybe they were not soulmates after al...

Erzählbiografien auf Deutsch: Buchbeschreibungen und Einzelhandelslinks

In den Vereinigten Staaten wird Deutsch oft als eine Sprache außer Acht gelassen, die von den Millionen Amerikanern, die deutsche Vorfahren haben, abgesehen von ihrer Herkunftssprache, stammt, darunter auch ich.

Aber Deutschland und die deutsche Geschichte sind tatsächlich von entscheidender Bedeutung für die Welt, mit Beiträgen, die weit über die Vorstellungskraft des typischen Amerikaners hinausgehen.

Deutsch ist eine von vier Sprachen, die bei Audible und anderen großen Hörbuchhändlern ...

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 ...

News from Spain. Excerpt from Eleanor of Aquitaine: a Play in Four Acts

Alienor d’Aquitaine is one of the most famous women in medieval history. The well-educated daughter of Duke William IX of Aquitaine, her father’s death made her the most eligible heiress in medieval Europe.

In this scene Eleanor learns of her father’s death.

Act I, Scene I

1137. April. Fields outside of Bordeaux, Aquitaine. ELEANOR is hunting with FALCONER near a beautiful lake. BIRD SONG chirps, quacks, and otherwise fills our ears melodiously.  Eleanor feeds her peregrine, Belle, ...

The Death of Princes. Excerpt from Empress Matilda of England: a Play in Five Acts

Empress Matilda of England was one of the most influential of the Angevins in medieval England. Yet few Americans have heard of her. Sent from London to live in the Kaiser’s court in Germany, she grew up in Mainz and fell in love with her intended, Kaiser Heinrich V.

In this scene from the play, Matilda spends one last moment with the Kaiser she grew to love.

ACT III, SCENE III

1125 23 May. Utrecht, Friesland. Kaiser Heinrich’s apartment. KAISER HEINRICH lays in bed atten...

Eleanor Marries Henry Plantagenet. Excerpt from Eleanor of Aquitaine: a Play in Four Acts

Alienor d’Aquitaine is one of the most famous women in medieval history. The well-educated daughter of Duke William IX of Aquitaine, her father’s death made her the most eligible heiress in medieval Europe.

In this scene, Eleanor weds Prince Henry Plantagenet, son of Empress Matilda of England and her second husband, Geoffrey Plantagenet.

Act III, Scene III

1152, 18th May. Bordeaux, Aquitaine. Cathédrale-Primatiale Saint-André. ELEANOR and HENRY PLANTAGENET stand in front of ARCHBI...

This is not over! Excerpt from chapter four of Boudicca: Britain’s Queen of the Iceni

March, 2014. As women’s history month commenced and I famously queried those around me, asking them to name 10 women from history – which they failed to do, I responded to my anger and frustration by writing. The book: Boudicca: Britain’s Queen of the Iceni. Little did I guess that month that I was creating a new career for myself as a biographical historian. Ten years after initial publication, Boudicca remains a reader favorite and my most popular title in digital, paperback, and audio formats...

Spring Flowers Bloom in Johnstown

After writing about some of the beautiful places in New York City, I thought I would take a stroll through my “neck of the woods” as Al Roker puts it and take a few photos of the flowers and quiet places just a few blocks from my current apartment.

Central Park Johnstown

Essentially Johnstown’s town center square, Central Park is lush with flowers at this time of year. These photos are likely the last for the park as it is: plans are in the works to completely renovate the sp...

Off the Beaten Path: Must-Visit Favorite Places in Brooklyn

I love New York City. I especially love Brooklyn, New York. From 2000 to 2011 I lived in first northern New Jersey (where my beloved Mithril was hatched), then midwood Brooklyn. Along the way I discovered places I never knew about when I was tourist back in the 1990s coming with my boyfriend to visit his family living in the area. Most of these places tourists never hear about. Here are my top picks for going off the beaten path when in Brooklyn.

The Quaker Parakeets at Brooklyn Colle...

News from London. Excerpt from Mary Queen of the Scots: a Play in Three Acts

The death of King Edward VI of England was a pivotal moment for both the Tudor dynasty in England and the Stewart/Stuart dynasty in Scotland. In this scene from “Mary Queen of the Scots: A Play in Three Acts” Queen Mary learns of the death of her English cousin. The song in this scene is a famous Scottish song from 1545 written and sung in Auld Scots.

Act I, Scene I

1553. Louvre Palace, Paris. Queen Mary’s private apartment. YOUNG MARY sits and plays her lute near a window overlo...