Blog
Now Accepting Applications: Remote Publishing Internship for Fall 2026
History Through Fiction is now accepting applications for its Fall 2026 Remote Publishing Internship. This hands-on opportunity offers aspiring publishing professionals experience in editing, marketing, design, and author support—along with direct mentorship and a closer look at how story-driven historical fiction moves from manuscript to publication.
Best New Historical Fiction - June 2026
June is bringing an extraordinary lineup of historical fiction, from windswept Irish coastlines and dangerous nineteenth-century sea voyages to Gothic horrors in the American South and stories of resilience in early Los Angeles. Whether you love immersive literary fiction, page-turning mysteries, or emotionally rich historical epics, this month’s releases offer unforgettable journeys through the past. In our latest roundup, we highlight five of the most anticipated new historical novels arriving in June 2026—each filled with vivid settings, compelling characters, and stories that linger long after the final page.
More Than a Panel: Why What’s New in Historical Fiction Matters
What’s New in Historical Fiction began as an effort to expand History Through Fiction’s reach, but it has become something more lasting: a space where authors can celebrate years of work, readers can discover new stories, and the historical fiction community can gather around craft, conversation, and connection.
Setting the Scene: The Amazon Rainforest
In this essay, Brynn Barineau explores the Amazon rainforest not as mere backdrop but as a living force behind Jungle of Ashes. From Fordlandia’s doomed ambitions to the forest’s staggering scale, danger, and beauty, she reveals why this setting shapes every emotional and historical dimension of the novel.
The Hubris of Henry Ford in Jungle of Ashes
Brynn Barineau reflects on the real history behind Jungle of Ashes, tracing Henry Ford’s rise from industrial legend to the failed Amazonian dream of Fordlandia. The essay explores ambition, control, and cultural blindness, showing how the tragedy of Fordlandia shaped the novel’s world, themes, and emotional stakes.
Two New Historical Novels to Watch: Exalted Objects and Circus of the Vanishing Elephant
One novel leads us into a struggling 1974 circus, where an elephant vanishes and freedom becomes the deepest question in the story. The other enters nineteenth-century New Hampshire, where railroads, ambition, artistry, and family loyalty collide.
Our new blog post reveals the covers of Circus of the Vanishing Elephant and Exalted Objects, shares what makes each book compelling, and explains how to preorder early through History Through Fiction.
History Through Fiction Short Story Contest 2026
The History Through Fiction Short Story Contest is back for its fourth year.
From June 15 through August 15, historical fiction writers will have the chance to submit stories for publication, feedback, and cash prizes—including a $250 grand prize. Shortlisted stories will be published in the next paperback anthology.
Researcher's rest journal: Reading, and more reading
Intern Ian Tan shares another rest journal about reading for leisure, and finishing the cozy fantasy book he got over Christmas. Aware that some people may wonder what this has to do with history, he reminds readers that when writing historical fiction, capturing accurate history is only half the secret. A story has to feel real, human, inviting, and for that, one must understand the craft and heart of writing. This can be done mostly by actually sitting down to write, but also by reading generously
Best New Historical Fiction - May 2026
From royal courts in Europe to Depression-era Mississippi, from the siege of Malta to the jungles of Brazil, May 2026 offers historical fiction readers an extraordinary range of stories to discover. This month’s most exciting new releases explore resilience, ambition, revolution, forbidden love, and the lives of women and men caught in moments of profound change. If you’re looking for your next unforgettable read, our list of the Best New Historical Fiction for May 2026 is the perfect place to begin.
The Real Figures Behind the Fiction: Four Memorable Lives in Historical Novels
One of the great pleasures of historical fiction is the moment you realize that a character—or at times even a creature—did not begin entirely in the novelist’s imagination. Behind the plot, behind the emotional arc, behind the carefully built world, there is often a real life waiting to be rediscovered.
Book & Author Spotlight: A Candle Snuffed by Diane Green
In A Candle Snuffed, Diane Green crafts a story that begins with ambition but ends in moral reckoning. Her protagonist, Lacey Fletcher, is not immediately likable—she is driven, calculating, and intent on proving herself. Yet it is precisely this sharp-edged beginning that makes her transformation so compelling.
What unfolds is more than a supernatural mystery. It is a confrontation with the silences of history—those forgotten voices that linger just beyond the archival record. As Lacey is drawn deeper into the truth behind Agent 355 and the Culper Spy Ring, she is forced to reckon not only with the past, but with herself.
Green’s novel reminds us that history is not merely something to be studied—it is something to be witnessed, honored, and, when necessary, reclaimed.
Researcher's rest journal: Back to old roots
Ian shares about returning to a couple of old story concepts that he once put away for now, and finding renewed animation in exploring them again. As this prompted him to research for these old ideas once again, he coyly reveals some of his search history, and ponders the idea of sharing the premise one day… once he has something tangible. Ian asks HTF blog readers if anyone has recently resurfaced any old ideas of theirs, encouraging them to try it if they haven’t before. The reinvigorated joy might just be worth it!
Book & Author Spotlight: Beyond the Heavenly Kingdom by Dr. Steven Leibo
What happens when history isn’t confined to one nation—but stretched across cultures, continents, and competing identities?
In Beyond the Heavenly Kingdom, author Steven A. Leibo crafts a sweeping narrative that follows one family’s journey from post–Civil War China to a rapidly changing United States. Through the eyes of journalist Jason Brandt and his wife Black Jade, readers encounter a world shaped by migration, prejudice, opportunity, and transformation.
Blending real historical figures with fictional lives, this novel explores not only the physical journey between East and West, but the emotional and cultural tensions that come with it. Mark Twain, political leaders, and everyday citizens all intersect in a story that feels both expansive and deeply personal.
Read more about how Beyond the Heavenly Kingdom illuminates the complexities of identity, belonging, and global history.
Researcher's rest journal: Observing the Sabbath
This week, Ian Tan shares about returning to a rusty practice: Observing the Sabbath. Open about how slow-going and uneventful it was, he bares the question of how many of us observe spiritual or faith-based ways to relax and recharge, and encourages everyone to recognize the richness within the history of religion, and the role it has played in shaping our cultures, our economies, our arts, our lives.
When History Determines the Story: William III and the Limits of Historical Fiction
How much freedom does a historical novelist really have? In this insightful guest post, Carole Penfield explores how major historical events—like William III’s 1688 invasion of England—don’t simply shape the backdrop of a novel, but actively determine what characters can and cannot do. Through the lens of her upcoming Midwife Chronicles installment, she reflects on the fascinating tension between storytelling and historical truth.
A researcher's rest journal: At your own pace
Ian muses on the recently passed Writing Conference by History Through Fiction, lamenting that he could not be present physically. He looks forward to slowly accessing the trove of incredible resources and presentations recorded by HTF, but counsels against wanting to consume them at great speed to one’s detriment. Taking things slow and measuredly goes with the spirit of rest for a busy, busy researcher
HTF PUBLISHING SIGNS AUTHOR BARBARA MARSHAK; WILL PUBLISH THE LAST FUGITIVE ON JANUARY 12, 2027
HTF Publishing is thrilled to announce the signing of award-winning author Barbara Marshak for her sixth novel, The Last Fugitive. Inspired by a real-life story of accountability, redemption, and the choices that shape our lives, this chilling mystery-thriller explores how far someone will go to face the past—and at what cost.
Discover more about Marshak, her inspiration, and what to expect from this highly anticipated release
Best New Historical Fiction - April 2026
Discover five standout April 2026 historical novels—from Revolutionary intrigue to prison librarians and haunted literary summers—in this month’s History Through Fiction picks.
Book & Author Spotlight: Under Two Flags by Janis Robinson Daly
Discover a remarkable new work of historical fiction in our latest Book & Author Spotlight. In Under Two Flags, Janis Robinson Daly brings to life the extraordinary true-inspired story of an American opera student trapped in Berlin during World War I, where art, patriotism, and survival collide in unexpected ways. Read on for our spotlight on the novel and an insightful conversation with Daly about courage, loyalty, and the women history nearly forgot.