A descendant of queens, writing their stories
Kristi Ross, FSAScot | Historical Researcher | Author of the Stewart Queens Series
I never set out to uncover a royal lineage. I was simply putting clothes into a dresser drawer in my father’s Florida home when an old identification card slipped into view. It was an American Expeditionary Forces ID from the 1920s bearing the name of my great‑grandfather: Oliver Cromwell.
The name had always been a family heirloom, but seeing it there, ink faded by time and travel, sparked a curiosity that quickly became a seven‑century journey across the Atlantic.
I am descended from the Scottish Royal House of Stewart, the English House of Plantagenet, and the ancient O’Brien High Kings of Ireland, a line carried forward through Princess Lafracoth Ua Briain, great‑granddaughter of Brian Boru.
My ancestry became more than a discovery. It became a responsibility to restore the voices of the women who shaped these dynasties.
That revelation transformed a lifelong fascination with history into a professional mission. I would bridge the gap between genealogical charts and the living, breathing women who once wore the crown.
Where lineage, history, and storytelling converge
The Science of Uncovering Sovereignty
What drives a queen?
To answer that, I moved beyond dates and chronicles to uncover the human drama beneath every political maneuver. My research blends scientific verification with psychological depth, ensuring each narrative is grounded in authentic truth.
Genetic Verification & Lineage Mapping
Using modern genetic markers, I traced and confirmed ancestral links to the Cromwell, Beaufort, Stewart, and O’Brien lines. This scientific anchor ensures the lineage behind my work is as accurate as the stories it inspires.
Archival Immersion
I worked extensively with primary sources such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland and those of England, the Acts of the Parliament for both realms, the Scotichronicon, and many others. I searched not only for facts, but for the emotional fingerprints left behind. But lineage alone wasn’t the revelation. It was the silence surrounding the women within it.
The Mission: Recovering Forgotten Voices
As I traced my lineage, I was struck by a profound silence. Kings fill the chronicles. Battles dominate the records. But the queens, the ones whose marriages forged alliances, whose counsel shaped kingdoms, whose sacrifices secrued dynasties, were often reduced to footnotes.
I found this erasure unacceptable.
Through my partnership with Sapere Books, I am committed to bringing these women out of the shadows and restoring their rightful place in history. You can explore each queen's story on the Books page.
Click the photo to see the family tree details.
Life Beyond the Page
I live on a quiet lake in Central Florida, where I spend my days researching, writing, practicing Yin Yoga, and enjoying time with my daughters and my little white dog.
Sapere Books Sign New Scottish Queens Series
“Working with Sapere Books is a perfect match, as their commitment to historical fiction and their passion for bringing forgotten stories to light resonates deeply with me. These women had little control over their destinies, yet their strength and adaptability are fascinating. It drives me to tell the world their stories so that their legacies are remembered.” READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE
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Get To Know The Forgotten Queens
Conversations with the Queens, is a FREE companion to my upcoming novels. It’s a blend of history, imagination, and the emotional truth these women carried.
Whether you’re drawn to forgotten women, Scottish history, or simply a good story, I hope these conversations stay with you the way they’ve stayed with me.