When fearless and resourceful frontier women settled in Tampa Bay, they paved the way for dauntless suffragettes and the evolution of the modern woman. Bay area suffragettes Eleanor Collier McWilliams Chamberlain, Elizabeth Robins, Julia Harrison Norris, and Elizabeth Askew fought tirelessly for the 19th Amendment and contributed to the evolving institutions of the 20th century that began to give women a voice--the woman's club, garden club, and welfare league. Covering the gamut from the Rosie Riveter types in the embodiment of prize-winning welder Margaret Clark Miller to the courageous female athletes such as Olympians Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Brooke Bennett and the first women council members and mayors of Tampa Bay area towns, perspectives were evolving. From the plight of women farm workers, Depression-era factory labor, and the changing world of women's work, Trailblazing Women of Tampa Bay offers a glimpse into the lives of female war heroes, entrepreneurs, and risk takers. Madonna Jervis Wise is a lifelong educator, having served as an administrator in three large Florida school districts. Wise's first college degree was in history, and her most endeared area of research continues to be local history and genealogy. Wise volunteers with Tampa Bay area libraries and museums and does several presentations annually. Publications have included curriculum, 11 previous books, and regular columns for local newspapers.

When fearless and resourceful frontier women settled in Tampa Bay, they paved the way for dauntless suffragettes and the evolution of the modern woman. Bay area suffragettes Eleanor Collier McWilliams Chamberlain, Elizabeth Robins, Julia Harrison Norris, and Elizabeth Askew fought tirelessly for the 19th Amendment and contributed to the evolving institutions of the 20th century that began to give women a voice--the woman's club, garden club, and welfare league. Covering the gamut from the Rosie Riveter types in the embodiment of prize-winning welder Margaret Clark Miller to the courageous female athletes such as Olympians Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Brooke Bennett and the first women council members and mayors of Tampa Bay area towns, perspectives were evolving. From the plight of women farm workers, Depression-era factory labor, and the changing world of women's work, Trailblazing Women of Tampa Bay offers a glimpse into the lives of female war heroes, entrepreneurs, and risk takers.

Florida has a long and unique history of being a testing ground for female pilots who broke new ground in aviation. From the early 1900s when women performed daring stunts in the air to the World War II era when they served as WASP pilots to the modern times when they flew military jets, commercial planes, and Space Shuttles, Florida hasbeen a key place for female aviator history. These stories from Florida will highlight 14 of women who made history with their flying skills;and left their mark in the Sunshine State.The remarkable journeys of these trailblazing female aviators are told in a captivating and informative manner.

Watching women take home gold medals and sparkling trophies from sporting competitions was not always as commonplace as it is in today's society. Like in many aspects of our culture, women throughout history struggled against prejudice and dealt with condescending male counterparts before reaching their place in the spotlight of athletics. Before Venus Williams volleyed her way to her fourth Grand Slam, Lucy Diggs Slowe proved African-American women could win titles alongside men. Before Danica Patrick raced past the finish line in the Indy Japan 300, Odette Siko helped to pave the racetrack for women in auto-racing. And Madge Syers was breaking rules and changing the course of figure skating history long before Michelle Kwan spiraled onto the ice. Their names may have been forgotten in history, outshined by men like Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, and Muhammed Ali, but the legacies of women in sports live on today through their predecessors. The athletic women of history have stories filled with dramatic struggles, game-changing firsts, and historic victories. They deserve to be told.

Philosophy defines the dynamic and hard-fought life of Betty Pembroke Heldreich who believed that anything exciting was worth trying at least once. When her airplane went down, the young pilot got back up. Wave Woman is a charming and intimate biography, a love letter from a daughter to her progressive mother who broke glass ceilings with simple curiosity and desire. Betty trained to swim in the 1936 Olympic Games. She eloped on a hunch and learned the tough lessons of love. With an entrepreneurial creativity and a drive for self-sufficiency, Betty found meaning as a sculptor, a dental hygienist, a jeweler, a fisherwoman, a potter and a poet. ? In Hawaii, the thrill of big waves crashing at Makaha Beach inspired the 41-year-old mother to pick up a surfboard, conquer her fears and compete as a champion! ? Wave Woman speaks clearly to all women-and men-searching for self-confidence, fulfillment and true happiness."Morph together Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo, Emily Dickinson and Esther Williams and you have Betty Pembroke Heldreich Winstedt-a 20th-century Wonder Woman."-Ben Marcus, former editor of Surfer Magazine"Wave Woman Betty Heldreich is the kind of person I admire-women and men who are one hundred percent, authentically themselves. I am inspired by her positive resilience and passion for life."-Carissa Moore, pro surfer and Women's World Tour Champion