Colin Mustful is the founder and editor of History Through Fiction, an independent press dedicated to publishing historical narratives rooted in factual events and compelling characters. A celebrated author and historian whose novel Reclaiming Mni Sota won the Midwest Book Award, Mustful has penned five historical novels that delve into the complex eras of settler-colonialism and Native American displacement. Combining his interests in history and writing, Mustful holds an MA in history and an MFA in creative writing. Residing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, believes deeply in the power of understanding history to shape a just and sustainable future.

Robin Henry holds an MLS (Library Science) and MA in Humanities. She is a librarian, adjunct professor of Humanities and Library Science and an independent scholar and book coach, specializing in Historical Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, and Literary Fan Fiction. She is an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach. Find out more about Certified Book Coaches. She has over 20 years of experience working with books and authors, as a reviewer, book award committee member, writing teacher and coach.

Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Charles Bush earned degrees from Harvard College and the University of California, Berkeley, both in history. But faced with a dismal job market for professional historians, he switched directions, attended the University of Chicago Law School, and became a lawyer.

In the early 2000s Bush phased out his law practice to focus on writing fiction. He mined his legal career for his first two novels: What Went Wrong with Oscar Toll? and Houseboat Wars. With his latest, The Boy with the Jade, he returns to his first love—history.

New York Times best-selling author and soap opera insider, Alina Adams, was born in the Soviet Union and immigrated with her parents to the U.S. at age seven, where she learned English by watching American soap operas at their home in San Francisco.

Alina’s childhood and immigration experience was the inspiration for her historical fiction novels, “The Nesting Dolls” (2020) and  “My Mother’s Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region” (2022). Her soap-opera watching was the impetus behind Go On Pretending (2025). But, don’t worry, the USSR makes an appearance there, too!

Jillian Forsberg is a historian and author with a master’s degree in public history from Wichita State University. Her fascination with overlooked stories and hidden histories led to her debut novel, The Rhino Keeper. With a deep passion for 18th-century Europe, she brings to life the forgotten artisans, courtiers, and survivors of a dazzling yet dangerous past. When she’s not writing, Jillian enjoys antique-hunting, gardening, and reading every label at a museum. She lives in Wichita, Kansas, with her husband, child, and pets. The Porcelain Menagerie is her second novel.
Photo Credit: Kay + Bee