HISTORICAL HAPPY HOUR

Aimie K. Runyan is a multipublished and bestselling author of historical fiction. She has been nominated for a Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer of the Year award and two Colorado Book Awards. She lives in Colorado with her wonderful husband and two (usually) adorable children.

Alka Joshi is the internationally bestselling author of the Jaipur Trilogy: The Henna Artist, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur and The Perfumist of Paris. Her debut novel, The Henna Artist, immediately became a New York Times bestseller and a Reese Witherspoon Pick. It has been translated into 29 languages and is currently in development at Netflix as a tv series. Joshi was

Allison Pataki is the New York Times bestselling author of The Traitor’s Wife, The Accidental Empress, Sisi, The Queen’s Fortune, and The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post, as well as the nonfiction memoir Beauty in the Broken Places and two childrens’ books (with Marya Myers), Nelly Takes New York and Poppy Takes Paris. Allison’s novels

Alyson Richman is the USA Today bestselling and #1 international bestselling author of several historical novels including The Velvet Hours, The Garden of Letters, and The Lost Wife, which is currently in development for a major motion picture.  Alyson graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in art history and Japanese studies.  She herself is an accomplished

Amy Mason Doan is the bestselling author of LADY SUNSHINE, THE SUMMER LIST and SUMMER HOURS. Amy grew up in Danville, California and now lives in Portland, Oregon with her family. Before turning to fiction, Amy worked as a reporter & editor for The Oregonian, San Francisco Chronicle, Wired, Forbes, and other publications. Amy has an M.A. in Journalism from

Ariel Lawhon is a critically acclaimed, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. She is the author of THE WIFE THE MAID AND THE MISTRESS, FLIGHT OF DREAMS, I WAS ANASTASIA and CODE NAME HELENE. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been Library Reads, Indie Next, One

Avery Cunningham is a resident of Memphis, TN, and a graduate of DePaul University’s Master of Arts Writing & Publishing program. She grew up surrounded by exceptional African-Americans who strived to uplift their communities while also maintaining a tenuous hold on prosperity in a starkly segregated environment. She aspires to tell the stories of complex

Beatriz Williams is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of nineteen novels, including four in collaboration with Karen White and Lauren Willig. A graduate of Stanford University with an MBA in finance from Columbia University, Williams lives near the Connecticut shore with her husband and four children.

Brooke Lea Foster is an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post Magazine, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe Magazine, and People, among others. An alumna of The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, she is the author of three nonfiction books and the novels Summer Darlings, On Gin

From Indiana, Chris Crabtree attended the Indianapolis high school named after one of Hold Strong’s most heroic characters. His personal connection to the story also includes time spent in The Philippines, where the story starts. Chris served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone, West Africa, where he and Jeff forged their decades-long

President & founder of @club.red.read.eat.drink best international #bookclub evah!

Crystal King is the author of IN THE GARDEN OF MONSTERS, THE CHEF’S SECRET, and FEAST OF SORROW, which was long-listed for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize and was a Must Read for the MassBook Awards. She is an author, culinary enthusiast, and marketing expert. Her writing is fueled by a love of

Danielle Mahfood is the coauthor of The Last Season. She received a B.A. in Economics from Yale University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. She and coauthor Jenny Judson met in high school, where they shared a mutual love of historical fiction and romance novels. Instead of passing notes in class, they would write

Diana lives in the Greater Los Angeles area with her husband and a small menagerie. A writer and reader of historical fiction, while Diana’s first book is forthcoming, you can find out more on her website. Diana is also a board member with the Women’s National Book Association, Los Angeles Chapter. In those rare moments

Since 2006, Donna Jones Alward has enchanted readers with stories of happy endings and homecomings that have won awards and been translated into over a dozen languages. She’s worked as an administrative assistant, teaching assistant, in retail and as a stay-at-home-mom, but is now happy to be a full-time writer. Her historical fiction tales blend

A native New Englander, Elise Hooper spent several years writing for television and online news outlets before getting a MA and teaching high-school literature and history. Her debut novel The Other Alcott was a nominee for the 2017 Washington Book Award. Three more novels—Learning to See, Fast Girls, and Angels of the Pacific—followed, all centered

Elyssa Friedland is the author of five novels and a picture book. She attended Yale University and is a graduate of Columbia Law School. She worked as an associate at a major firm before turning to writing full-time. She teaches an undergraduate course at Yale called Contemporary Novel Writing. Her work has been published in

Emily Bleeker is a Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of seven novels. Combined, her books have reached over two million readers and counting. When she’s not writing or mom-ing, Emily performs on the house team of a local improv group in suburban Chicago where she lives with her husband, kids and kitten

Emily Critchley has an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck, University of London. She currently lives in Hertfordshire in the UK.

Erika Robuck is the national bestselling author of historical fiction including SISTERS OF NIGHT AND FOG, THE INVISIBLE WOMAN, and HEMINGWAY’S GIRL. Her articles have appeared in Writer Unboxed, Crime Reads, and Writer’s Digest, and she has been named a Maryland Writer’s Association Notable Writer of 2024. A boating enthusiast, amateur historian, and teacher, she

Fiona Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of seven historical fiction novels set in iconic New York City buildings, including THE SPECTACULAR, THE MAGNOLIA PALACE, THE ADDRESS, and THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE, which was a Good Morning America book club pick. Her novels have been chosen as “One Book, One Community” reads

Gill Paul is the bestselling author of twelve historical novels, many of them describing real women she thinks have been marginalized or misjudged by historians. They include A BEAUTIFUL RIVAL, about the bitter rivalry between cosmetic titans Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein; THE MANHATTAN GIRLS, about Dorothy Parker and three friends navigating life, love and

G.R. Macallister is the author of the Five Queendoms series, beginning with Scorpica, which Publishers Weekly called “a must-read for fans of Game of Thrones and Priory of the Orange Tree.” She also writes bestselling historical fiction under the name Greer Macallister. Her novels have been named Indie Next, LibraryReads, and Amazon Best Book of

Heather Webb is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of nine historical novels, including her up and coming Queens of London set to release in 2024, and her most recent novels, The Next Ship Home and Strangers in the Night. In 2015, Rodin’s Lover was a Goodread’s Top Pick, and in 2018, Last Christmas in Paris won the Women’s Fiction Writers Association STAR Award. Meet Me

Helen Simonson was born in England and spent her teenage years in a small village in East Sussex. A graduate of the London School of Economics, she lives in the United States and is a dual citizen and proud New Yorker. Married, with two sons, she is the New York Times bestselling author of Major

Jane Healey is the bestselling author of several books of historical fiction and the host of Historical Happy Hour, a live interview and podcast featuring premiere historical fiction authors and their latest novels. “One of my favorite things as a writer is to talk to other writers. That’s why I am so excited to launch

Jane Yang’s family migrated from Vietnam to Australia when she was seven; she spent her childhood living in a Chinese-Vietnamese enclave. Due to her family’s limited means, extracurricular activities were not affordable; instead, Jane amused herself by binging Cantonese period dramas (rented from a video store that imported them from Hong Kong) and reading lots

Janie Chang writes historical fiction, often with a personal connection, drawing from a family history with 36 generations of recorded genealogy. She grew up listening to stories about life in a small Chinese town in the years before the Second World War and tales of ancestors who encountered dragons, ghosts, and immortals.

Professor Langholz is dedicated to the sustainability of natural resources, exploring how fisheries, forests, and wildlife can be used responsibly while being preserved for the future. His teaching and research are informed by global experience with organizations like the IUCN, EPA, and consultancies across five continents, as well as his award-winning scholarship featured in over

Jennifer Ryan is the author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, The Spies of Shilling Lane, The Kitchen Front, and The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle. Her novels have been featured in The New York Times Book Review, People, NPR.org, among other outlets. She was previously a nonfiction book editor. Originally from Kent and then London, she

Jennifer S. Brown’s debut novel, Modern Girls, was a USA Today bestseller, a Massachusetts Book Award “Must Read,” and a 2016 Goodreads Choice semifinalist for Historical Fiction. Her writing has been published in Fiction Southeast, McSweeney’s, and the Bellevue Literary Review, among other places. She teaches writing, both in-person in the Boston area and online

Jenny Judson met Danielle Mahfood in high school. Both share a mutual love of historical fiction and romance novels. Instead of passing notes in class, Jenny and Danielle would write short excerpts from imaginary novels that featured themselves and their classmates as characters caught up in tales of romance and adventure. Many years later, after

Jillian Cantor has a BA from Penn State University and an MFA from the University of Arizona. She is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of 11 novels for teens and adults which have been chosen for Indie Next, Library Reads, Amazon Best of the Month and have been translated into 13 languages, including, most recently

Jo Piazza is a bestselling author, podcast creator and award-winning journalist. Jo is the national and international bestselling author of The Sicilian Inheritance, We Are Not Like Them, You Were Always Mine, Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win, The Knockoff and How to Be Married. Her work has been published in ten languages in twelve countries

Joy Jordan-Lake is a #1 Amazon bestselling author of thirteen books, including the forthcoming ECHOES OF US (Oct. 2024), a dual-timeline novel set on St. Simons Island during WWII and the present day. Her other notable works include A BEND OF LIGHT, A TANGLED MERCY (Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choice), UNDER A GILDED MOON (selected

Julie Gerstenblatt holds a doctorate in education in Curriculum and Instruction from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her essays have appeared in The Huffington Post, Grown&Flown, and Cognoscenti, among others. When not writing, Julie is a college essay coach, as well as a producer and on-air host for A Mighty Blaze. A native New Yorker, Julie

Karissa Chen is a Fulbright fellow, Kundiman Fiction fellow, and a VONA/Voices fellow whose fiction and essays have appeared in The Atlantic, Eater, The Cut, NBC News THINK!, Longreads, PEN America, Catapult, Gulf Coast, and Guernica, among others. She was awarded an artist fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts as well

Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of southern California, she attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning

Kate Thompson was born in London and worked as a journalist for twenty years on women’s magazines and national newspapers. She now lives in Sunbury with her husband, two sons and two rescue dogs. After ghostwriting five memoirs, Kate moved into fiction. Kate’s first non-fiction social history documenting the forgotten histories of East End matriarchy,

Kimberly Brock is the bestselling author of The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Townsend Prize for Fiction, and The River Witch, recipient of the Georgia Author of the Year Award. She is the founder of Tinderbox Writers Workshop and has served as a guest lecturer for many regional and

Kris Waldherr’s books for adults and children include The Lost History of Dreams, Bad Princess, Doomed Queens, and The Book of Goddesses. The Lost History of Dreams received a Kirkus starred review and was called “an unexpected delight” by Booklist. The New Yorker praised Doomed Queens as “utterly satisfying” and “deliciously perverse.” The Book of

Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster, The Nightingale, which was named Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People’s Choice award for best fiction in the same year.  Additionally, it was a selection of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club in

Kristina McMorris is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of two novellas and seven historical novels, including the million-copy bestsellerSold on a Monday and her latest releases: The Ways We Hide, an instant international bestseller named one of Target’s top five books of 2022, and the collaborative When We

Lauren Willig is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty works of historical fiction, including Band of Sisters, The Summer Country, The English Wife, the RITA Award-winning Pink Carnation series, and four novels co-written with Beatriz Williams and Karen White. Her books have been translated into over twenty languages, picked for Book of the Month Club,

Libbie Grant is an American author of historical and literary fiction.Under her pen name, Olivia Hawker, she is a Washington Post bestseller and a finalist for the Washington State Book Award and the Willa Literary Award for Historical Fiction. She lives in the San Juan Islands with her husband Paul.

Lisa Barr is the New York Times bestselling author of Woman on Fire, The Unbreakables, and the award-winning historical thriller Fugitive Colors. She has served as an editor for the Jerusalem Post, managing editor of Today’s Chicago Woman and Moment magazine, and as an editor and reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. She has appeared on

Lynda Cohen Loigman grew up in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. She received a B.A. in English and American Literature from Harvard College and a law degree from Columbia Law School. Her debut novel, The Two-Family House, was a USA Today bestseller and a nominee for the Goodreads 2016 Choice Awards in Historical Fiction. Her second novel, The

Madeline Martin is a New York Times and International Bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance. She lives in sunny Florida with her two daughters (known collectively as the minions), one incredibly spoiled cat and a man so wonderful he’s been dubbed Mr. Awesome. She is a die-hard history lover who will happily lose herself in

Marjan Kamali is an acclaimed author celebrated for her upcoming work, The Lion Women of Tehran (July 2024), as well as bestsellers The Stationery Shop and Together Tea, the latter being a finalist for the Massachusetts Book Award. Awarded a 2022 National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship, her novels have been translated into

Mark Sullivan is the acclaimed author of eighteen novels, including the #1 New York Times bestselling Private series, which he writes with James Patterson. Mark has received numerous awards for his writing, including the WHSmith Fresh Talent Award, and his works have been named a New York Times Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Best Book

Martha Hall Kelly is the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls, Lost Roses, and Sunflower Sisters. With more than two million copies of her books sold and her books translated in fifty countries, Martha lives in Connecticut and New York City.

Melanie Benjamin is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling historical novels The Swans of Fifth Avenue, about Truman Capote and his society swans, The Aviator’s Wife, a novel about Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and Mistress of the Ritz, based on the true story of the American woman who ran the Ritz

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall St. Journal bestseller, M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us

Natasha Lester is a multi-award-winning and New York Times best-selling author of internationally acclaimed novels including The Paris Seamstress, The Paris Orphan, and The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard. Her forthcoming book, The Mademoiselle Alliance—based on WWII French Resistance leader Marie-Madeleine Fourcade—will be released in April 2025. A former L’Oreal marketing executive, Natasha now lives in

Nicola Harrison is the author of three historical fiction novels,  Montauk, The Show Girl, and  Hotel Laguna. Born and raised in England, she moved with her family to Southern California when she was 14. She is a graduate of UCLA and received her MFA from Stony Brook University. Prior to writing novels she worked as a fashion journalist

Pam is the author of several novels, including her most recent The Woman With The Blue Star, as well as The Lost Girls of Paris and The Orphan’s Tale, both instant New York Times bestsellers. 

Patti Callahan Henry is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of several novels, including Surviving Savannah and Becoming Mrs. Lewis. She is the recipient of the Christy Award, the Harper Lee Award for Alabama’s Distinguished Writer of the Year, and the Alabama Library Association Book of the Year Award. She is the

Paulette Kennedy is the international bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil, which received an HNS Editor’s Choice Award in 2021. Originally from the Ozarks, Paulette Kennedy now lives in a quiet suburb of Los Angeles with her family and a menagerie of rescue pets. When she isn’t writing, she

Named in 2015 as a top ten historical romance novelist in Publisher’s Weekly, Piper Huguley is the author of the Reconstruction era “Home to Milford College” series. She is a 2013 & 2014 Golden Heart finalist for two novels in the “Migrations of the Heart” series about the Bledsoe sisters and set in the early

Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty novels, including The Venice Sketchbook, The Victory Garden, The Tuscan Child, and the World War II-based In Farleigh Field, the winner of the Left Coast Crime Award for Best Historical Mystery Novel and the Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel. Bowen’s work

Robert Dugoni is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and #1 Amazon bestselling author, known for the Tracy Crosswhite police series and several other thrillers, legal dramas, and stand-alone novels. His books have reached over 9 million readers worldwide, been translated into more than 30 languages, and optioned for film and television. A multi-award-winning

Ronald H. Balson is the author of Once We Were Brothers, Saving Sophie, Karolina’s Twins, The Trust and The Girl From Berlin. Ron is an attorney practicing with the firm of Stone, Pogrund and Korey in Chicago. The demands of his trial practice have taken him into courts across the United States and into international

Samantha Woodruff, a Wesleyan University history graduate with an MBA from NYU Stern, spent years in senior leadership roles at MTV Networks and Nickelodeon before transitioning to writing. After teaching yoga and writing humor columns, she discovered her passion for historical fiction at Sarah Lawrence College. Her debut novel, The Lobotomist’s Wife, was an Amazon

Sara Goodman Confino is the bestselling author of Don’t Forget to Write, She’s Up to No Good, and For the Love of Friends. She teaches high school journalism and creative writing in Montgomery County, Maryland, where she lives with her husband, two sons, and two miniature schnauzers, Sandy and Gracie. When she’s not writing or

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

Shaunna J. Edwards has a BA in literature from Harvard College and a JD from NYU School of Law. A former corporate lawyer, she now works in diversity, equity and inclusion. She is a native Louisianian, raised in New Orleans, and currently lives in Harlem with her husband.

Soraya Lane graduated with a law degree before realizing that law wasn’t the career for her and that her future was in writing. She is the author of historical and contemporary women’s fiction, and her novel Wives of War was an Amazon Charts bestseller. Soraya lives on a small farm in her native New Zealand

Suzanne Nelson is the award-winning author of dozens of middle grade novels, including “You’re Bacon Me Crazy,” which was adapted into a romantic comedy movie for the Hallmark Channel. Her YA novel, Serendipity’s Footsteps, was a Sydney Taylor Honor Book. She has written articles about parenting for The Washington Post, and teaches writing workshops for adults and

Tosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of The Line Between, The Progeny, Firstborn, Iscariot, The Legend of Sheba, Demon: A Memoir, Havah: The Story of Eve, and the Books of Mortals series with New York Times bestseller Ted Dekker. She is the recipient of three International Book Awards, Killer Nashville’s Silver

Tracey Enerson Wood is a retired registered nurse and published playwright whose family is steeped in military tradition. She is the national and international bestselling author of The Engineer’s Wife, The War Nurse, and The President’s Wife. She lives near Tampa, Florida.

Weina Dai Randel is the Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author of four novels, Night Angels, The Last Rose of Shanghai, The Moon in the Palace and The Empress of Bright Moon, a historical duology about Wu Zetian, China’s only female emperor. Weina is the winner of the RWA  RITA® Award, a National Jewish Book Awards finalist, and a