Announcing Season 8 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast
Announcing Season 8 of History Through Fiction: The Podcast, hosted by the founder of History Through Fiction Colin Mustful! This season is packed with engaging stories and fascinating insights from a diverse group of authors. Highlights include Costanza Cosati's exploration of ancient civilizations in Babylonia and Sarah Penner's intriguing mystery, The Amalfi Curse. We'll also have episodes from four History Through Fiction authors, C.W. Towarnicki, Jillian Forsberg, Alina Adams, and J. E. Weiner. From historical narratives to thrilling mysteries, each episode promises to captivate and inspire. Join us as we explore new perspectives and delve into the rich tapestry of history through fiction. Tune in weekly beginning February 10 for a season filled with compelling storytelling and thought-provoking discussions.
February 10 - Charlotte Whitney, A Tiny Piece of Blue
Award-winning author Charlotte Whitney grew up on a farm in Michigan and spent much of her career working at the University of Michigan, including the prestigious Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts Program. Researching, writing, and revising--she enjoys it all. Living in Arizona with her husband and two Labrador retrievers, she enjoys hiking, bicycling, and yoga. Guilty pleasures: tiramisu, Netflix, and staring dreamily into space.
February 17 - Jillian Forsberg, The Rhino Keeper (Audiobook)
Jillian Forsberg is a historian and author with a master’s degree in public history from Wichita State University. Her research on little-known historical events led her to discover the true story behind her first novel, The Rhino Keeper. In addition to being the former editor for Wichita State’s The Fairmont Folio, Jillian is an essayist whose articles have been published in academic journals. With a passion for 18th-century history, Jillian can also be found gardening, exploring antique malls, or reading every label at a museum. Vintage dresses are Jillian's clothing of choice, except when she's at the zoo. She lives in Wichita, Kansas, with her husband, child, and pets. Her second novel, The Porcelain Menagerie, is forthcoming from History Through Fiction on October 21, 2025.
February 24 - N.J. Mastro, Solitary Walker
N.J. Mastro is a passionate advocate for strong women, channeling her admiration into historical fiction. Her debut novel, Solitary Walker, was published in February 2025 by Black Rose Writing. A former educator with a rich background in educational leadership, Mastro also authors the blog Herstory Revisited, celebrating remarkable women in history. She lives in South Carolina with her husband, cherishing the joy of storytelling and the support of her writing community.
March 3 - Hilary Coyne, An End of Troubles
Hilary Coyne is a Scottish writer of short stories and flash fiction and an independent coach, consultant and facilitator. She was a finalist in the 2023 Edinburgh Short Story Award and longlisted in the Historical Writers Association Short Story Competition. She writes across several genres including contemporary literary, speculative and folklore, and historical fiction. Alongside short fiction she is currently working on a novel centred around an ancient yew tree in 19th century and present day Oxford (England) where she lives. Her published writing can be found via https://www.hilarycoyne.com
March 10 - Costanza Casati, Babylonia
COSTANZA CASATI was born in Texas in 1995, grew up in a village in Northern Italy and lived in the UK for five years. Before moving to London, she attended a classical Liceo in Italy, where she studied Ancient Greek and Ancient Greek literature for five years. Costanza is a graduate of the prestigious Warwick Writing MA program where she earned a distinction, and currently works as a freelance journalist and screenwriter.
March 17 - J. E. Weiner, The Wretched and Undone
J. E. Weiner is a writer and novelist based in Northern California. Her debut novel, The Wretched and Undone, a Southern Gothic tale set in the Texas Hill Country and inspired by real people and actual events, is forthcoming from HTF Publishing in March 2025. Her previous work has appeared in the literary journals Madcap Review, Five Minutes, and HerStry, as well as the recent grit lit anthology Red-Headed Writing (Cowboy Jamboree Press, 2024). Weiner is a founding member of the Pacific Coast Writers Collective, and while living and writing in blissful exile on the West Coast, her heart remains bound to her childhood home, the Great State of Texas.
March 24 - Margaret Pinard, Orla Rafferty Seeks Her Fortune
Margaret Pinard has spent her first few decades traveling the globe in search of adventures to incorporate into her writing, including living in the lands of the Celts, the cities of European fashion, and several dolce far niente Mediterranean cultures. Her five novels include the REMNANTS trilogy, historical novels about a family emigrating from Scotland to Nova Scotia in the 1820s; MEMORY'S HOSTAGE, a historical mystery; and DULCI'S LEGACY, a YA mystery. She resides in Portland, OR.
March 31 - Shara Moon, Let Us March On
SHARA MOON is a first-generation Haitian American writer and amateur historian who enjoys exploring black world history then writing about it. An alumna of the University of Central Florida and the City College of New York, she is a former writing instructor who now writes about unsung women and their forgotten stories. Her novel LET US MARCH ON, published by William Morrow/Harper Collins, is her historical fiction debut.
April 7 - C.W. Towarnicki, Notes from a Deserter
C. W. Towarnicki is a father, writer, and educator living in Perkiomenville, PA. He holds an MFA from Arcadia University where he began drafting his first novel following a research subject, William Henry Howe, who left a neighboring property to enlist in the Civil War. He writes historical fiction short stories as well as nonfiction articles in the field of education. His work appears in Education Weekly, Sundial Magazine, Fly Culture Magazine and others. He is currently working on his second novel which is set to focus on the Pennsylvania Lumber Era of the late 1800s. He and his wife are founders of a Learner-Driven School called Seeds Academy in Green Lane, PA.
April 14 - Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, and Chris Crabtree, Hold Strong
Robert Dugoni is a bestselling author known for the Tracy Crosswhite and Charles Jenkins series, with books sold in over twenty-five countries. Jeff Langholz, PhD, is an award-winning teacher and writer featured in major media outlets, with adventures across five continents. Chris Crabtree teaches English at Costa Rica International Academy, living with his wife and dogs in rural Costa Rica.
April 21 - Sarah Penner, The Amalfi Curse
Sarah Penner is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary and The London Séance Society. Her books have been translated into more than forty languages and her debut, The Lost Apothecary, has sold over one million copies worldwide. A graduate of the University of Kansas, Sarah spent thirteen years in corporate finance and now writes full-time. In her free time, Sarah enjoys hiking, yoga, and cooking. She also sits on the Board of Directors at her local animal shelter, Friends of Strays. Sarah and her husband, Marc, live in Florida.
April 28 - Billie Hanson-Dupree, Still Kicking
Billie Hanson-Dupree completed her first novel, Still Kicking (to be published by Tuleburg Press in early 2025) set in the San Joaquin Valley of California where she was born and raised. She relocated to the Bay Area to attend San Francisco State University (BA English) and frequently returns to her hometown, Merced, to visit family and attend reunions. She co-authored a biography of her grandmother Lucy Hanson, A Little Piece of Leather Well Put Together and had a poem published in Spectrum 18. She is currently completing her second novel Some Greens for My Blues set in post-WWII Oakland, California.
Cover Image and Pre-Order Link is Forthcoming
May 5 - Alina Adams, author of Go On Pretending, with Kyra Davis Lurie, author of The Great Mann
Alina Adams and Kyra Davis Lurie are both New York Times bestselling authors with diverse writing backgrounds. Adams, originally from Odessa, USSR, immigrated to the U.S. at age seven and became known for her soap-opera tie-ins, mysteries, and historical novels like My Mother’s Secret and Go On Pretending. She lives in New York City with her family. Lurie, a screenwriter and author of the Sophie Katz and Just One Night series, has her works published in nine languages. Her debut historical fiction, The Great Mann, releases in June 2025. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband and their dog, Potus.
