Day Camp:
Uniquely Historical Fiction

In March of 2020, Alka Joshi burst onto the worldwide novel scene with a book which only she could have written. Now she continues delivering heartfelt and stirring historical fiction, making her a must-read. Hear her inspiring journey as she urges historical fiction writers to bring their authentic selves to their work/stories. 

*5-minute break afterwards

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 Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick. It has been translated into 28 languages and is currently in development at Netflix as an episodic series. Her most recent book Six Days in Bombay (April 2025), is a sweeping novel of identity and self-discovery that takes readers from Bombay to Prague, Florence, Paris and London, to uncover the mystery behind a famous painter’s death.

Success hits at different times and in different ways, and is often defined by the moment. But most writers do not know when it will come, if ever. In this panel, multi-published authors with striking, varied levels of success discuss the writing life and pushing through, regardless of what the future holds.

Allison Epstein holds an MFA in fiction from Northwestern University and is the author of three historical novels. Her most recent novel, Fagin the Thief, received the 2026 National Jewish Book Award for Fiction and the American Library Association’s Sophy Brody medal, and was a finalist for the 2026 Edgar Award for Best Novel. A Michigan native, she now lives in Chicago, where she enjoys good theater, bad puns, and fancy jackets.

Since 2006, New York Times bestseller Donna Jones Alward has enchanted readers with stories of happy endings and homecomings that have won several 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 always knew her degree in English Literature would pay off, as she is now happy to be a full-time writer. Her new historical fiction tales blend her love of history with characters who step beyond their biggest fears to claim the lives they desire.

Donna currently lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband and two cats. You can often find her near the water, either kayaking on the lake or walking the sandy beaches to refill her creative well.

For thirty years, Patrick Larsimont worked with some of the most globally recognised and creatively lauded advertising agencies. Before that he served in Military Intelligence.

Always fascinated by history, particularly military history, and spurred on by lockdown, he took to writing. He is now the author of nine traditionally published novels. Seven are part of the best-selling Jox McNabb WW2 Aviation series, telling the story of a Scottish schoolboy who earns his wings in his country’s hour of need.

He has written two stand-alone novels, a ghost story set in a military cemetery and another about past lives, due for publication end 2026. He has also collaborated with seven other historical fiction authors on a short story anthology about Dunkirk.

In October 2026, Patrick will launch a new WW2 historical fiction series with Boldwood Books, telling the story of the 1st Special Service Force which came to be known as ‘The Devil’s Brigade.’

Visit his website here.

Attendees enjoy their craft room of choice as they meet and discuss with other attendees.  

Blended genre novels reach wide audiences with their extra pizzazz. These multi-published authors discuss how their books uniquely blend historical fiction with additional elements to reach readers. (Fantasy | Mystery-Plus | Time Travel) (Adult | New Adult | Middle School)

Olesya Salnikova Gilmore is the author of The Witch and the Tsar and The Haunting of Moscow House. Originally from Moscow, she was raised in the US and graduated from Pepperdine University with a BA in English/political science, and from Northwestern School of Law with a JD. She practiced litigation at a large law firm in Chicago for several years before pursuing her dream of becoming an author. She writes speculative gothic suspense and other dark fiction. She also loves exploring Eastern European history and folklore. Her work has appeared in LitHub, Tor.com, CrimeReads, Writer’s Digest, and Washington Independent Review of Books, among others. She lives in a wooded, lakeside suburb of Chicago with her husband and two daughters.

Rita Woods was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. She received a BS in Microbiology from Purdue University before graduating from Howard University College of Medicine. She completed her training at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska and serves as Medical Director of a Maximum Security Men's prison. Rita Woods has served as a member for American Writer’s Program (AWP) and as a mentor for Cinnamon Girls, an organization dedicated to encouraging creative writing in high school girls of color. Rita writes historical novels with a strong seasoning of magical realism. She loves coffee, cats, mind bending movies and cemeteries. She lives in suburban Chicago with her family, where she also serves as Trustee on her local library board.

Kate Khavari is the USA Today bestselling author of fiction ranging from historical mysteries to high fantasy epics. She has her parents to thank for her fascination for historical mysteries, as she spent the majority of her childhood memorizing Sherlock Holmes’s and Poirot’s greatest quips. She lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas with her husband, children, and a lovely garden that contains absolutely no poisonous plants.

Andrew Varga is the author of the award-winning Jump in Time series of young adult time-travel historical fiction novels. The seven book series spans almost two thousand years of history, from Ancient Greece to medieval France. He lives in the greater Toronto area with his wife and kids and their mini-zoo of two dogs, two cats, a turtle, and fish. When he is not writing, editing, or doing research, he reads history books, jams on guitar, or plays whatever sport that gets him away from a computer screen. You can find him at www.andrewvargaauthor.com.

Historical fiction uniquely spotlights important historical events for modern readers. But good books aren’t born  — or published — overnight. This dual-author team discusses the ins and outs of writing the historical fiction long game.

Stephanie Dray is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of historical women’s fiction. Her award-winning work has been translated into many languages and tops lists for the most anticipated reads of the year. Now she lives in Maryland with her husband, cats, and history books.

A Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today Bestseller, Laura Kamoie [Kuh-MOY, she/her] has always been fascinated by the people, stories, and physical presence of the past, which led her to a lifetime of historical and archaeological study and training. She holds a doctoral degree in early American history from The College of William and Mary, published two non-fiction books on early America, and most recently held the position of Associate Professor of History at the U.S. Naval Academy before transitioning to a full-time career writing genre fiction as the New York Times bestselling author, Laura Kaye. Writing historical fiction allows her the exciting opportunity to combine her love of history with her passion for storytelling. Laura lives among the colonial charm of Annapolis, Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and monster German shepherd, Schuyler. Laura is now working on a solo historical novel and planning her next novel about a Founding Mother with her co-author, Stephanie Dray.

Attendees enjoy their genre room of choice as they meet and discuss with other attendees.

*5-minute break afterwards  

Once upon a time, a group of innovative authors came together with an idea for crowd-source funding a special publication of each of their gothic retellings. Hear them describe this wildly successful project, from what worked to what they’ll change next time.

Kris Waldherr is an award-winning and bestselling author, designer, and artist. Unnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women was a Historical Novels Review Editor’s Choice that Foreword Reviews praised as “an atmospheric, reimagined classic." Her debut novel The Lost History of Dreams (Atria/S&S) was awarded a Kirkus star and named a CrimeReads best book of the year. She is also the creator of The Goddess Tarot, which has over a quarter of a million copies in print, and the author of Tarot for Storytellers: A Modern Guide for Writers and Other Creatives. Waldherr is also the publishing force behind Muse Publications, which has published over a dozen books since 2022 including the Once Upon a Gothic book series. Muse has led five successful Kickstarters campaigns, all which were awarded Kickstarter's coveted Campaigns We Love banner.

Paulette Kennedy is the author of The Artist of Blackberry Grange (2025), The Devil and Mrs. Davenport (2024), The Witch of Tin Mountain (2023), and Parting the Veil (2021), which received the HNS Review Editor’s Choice Award. Her work has been featured in People Magazine, The Mary Sue, and BookBub. Originally from the Missouri Ozarks, where as a young girl she could often be found wandering through the gravestones in her neighborhood cemetery, Paulette’s affinity for fog-covered landscapes and haunted heroines only grew, inspiring her to become a writer. She now lives with her family and a menagerie of rescue pets in sunny Southern California, where sometimes, on the very best days, the mountains are wreathed in gothic fog. You can connect with her on Instagram at @pkennedywrites or her website: www.paulettekennedy.com

Born in Chicago and a graduate of the University of Michigan, Nancy Bilyeau moved to New York City to work in the magazine business as a writer and editor.  After working for publications ranging from Rolling Stone to Good Housekeeping, she turned to fiction. She wrote the Joanna Stafford trilogy, a trio of thrillers set in Henry VIII’s England, for Touchstone/Simon & Schuster. For her Genevieve Planché novels—The Blue, The Fugitive Colours, and The Versailles Formula—she drew on her heritage to create a Huguenot heroine. Nancy is a direct descendant of Pierre Billiou, a French Huguenot who immigrated to what was then New Amsterdam (later New York City) in 1661. Nancy’s ancestor, Isaac, was born on the boat crossing the Atlantic. Pierre’s stone house is the third oldest house in New York State.

Heather Webb is the USA Today and international bestselling author of eleven historical novels, including her most recently published, The Hope Keeper, Queens of London, The Next Ship Home, and Christmas with the Queen. In 2015, Rodin’s Lover was a Goodreads' Top Pick, and in 2018, Last Christmas in Paris won the Women’s Fiction Writers Association STAR Award. Meet Me in Monaco, was selected as a finalist for the 2020 Goldsboro RNA award in the UK, as well as the 2019 Digital Book World’s Fiction prize. Three Words for Goodbye was a Prima Magazine’s 2022 Book of the Year. To date, Heather’s books have been translated to twenty languages. She lives in New England with her family and two mischievous cats. www.heatherwebbauthor.com

Life can be challenging, and living through historical times is difficult. These authors and coaches have tips, tricks, and even meditation practices for writer wellness, with the end-goal of writing regardless of circumstances.

Jenny Quinlan, aka Jenny Q, is an independent editor and book coach specializing in historical fiction and romance. As the founder of Historical Editorial, she has helped hundreds of authors achieve their publishing goals. She earned a degree in history from Virginia Tech and an editing certification from the University of California San Diego. Jenny’s nonfiction debut, The Writer’s Little Book of Self-Confidence, was published in 2025. Jenny served as chair for the 2021, 2023, and 2025 Historical Novel Society North America conferences. She lives on a farm in Virginia with her family and a spoiled-rotten German Shepherd. Visit jenny at www.jennyquinlan.com.

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 Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick. It has been translated into 28 languages and is currently in development at Netflix as an episodic series. Her most recent book Six Days in Bombay (April 2025), is a sweeping novel of identity and self-discovery that takes readers from Bombay to Prague, Florence, Paris and London, to uncover the mystery behind a famous painter’s death.

Gabriella Saab is an acclaimed author of historical fiction. Her first two novels, The Last Checkmate and Daughters of Victory, have been published in multiple languages and various countries. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor of business administration in marketing and lives in her hometown in Alabama. You can find her at gabriellasaab.com or on Substack here.

April Dávila is an award winning, traditionally published novelist and an experienced writing coach who specializes in helping writers get out of their own way. Her unique approach combines the practical tools of novel writing with the transformative power of mindfulness, empowering writers to quiet their inner critics and make meaningful progress on their work. A passionate advocate for creative expression, April guides aspiring authors in overcoming blocks and building sustainable writing habits. Her first nonfiction book, Sit Write Here: 6 Mindfulness Practices to Help You Write More and Suffer Less, is forthcoming from St. Martin’s Press.

The First Witch of Boston was a top 10 Amazon Kindle Romance Best Seller of 2025. Hear the author and agent discuss how this debut was born, from the moment it was pitched at an HNS conference through publication.

Andrea Catalano has been pursuing her dream of writing historical fiction ever since she read Little Women in the fourth grade. She majored in History in college and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Suffolk University. She went on to receive a MPhil in Historical Studies from University of Cambridge, UK, with her dissertation titled Seeking and Following the Indentured Servant in the Massachusetts Bay Colony 1630-1700. She has worked in various jobs including middle school history teacher, substitute teacher, online content editor, bar tender, Outward Bound admissions advisor, and perfumer’s apprentice, all while continuing to develop her writing craft. While living in Denver for nine years, she was an active member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. A Boston native, Andrea currently lives in Texas with her husband, two children, two fluffy cats, and many, many books.

Danielle Egan-Miller, literary agent and president of Browne & Miller Literary Associates, has sold hundreds of books during her agenting career, with an emphasis on popular adult fiction including historical and women’s historical fiction. Her roster includes many New York Times bestselling authors and numerous prize- and award-winning writers including winners of the Canadian Governor General’s Award, the Edgar Award, the Anthony Award, the Colorado Book Award, the Minnesota Book Award, the Western Spur Award, the Willa Award, the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, the RITA Award, the Christy Award, and more. She is a member of the AALA and The Author’s Guild. Visit www.browneandmiller.com for more info.

Carrie Callaghan is the author of the historical novels A Light of Her Own and Salt the Snow. Her short stories have been published in multiple literary journals, and she is a senior editor with the Washington Independent Review of Books. She lives in Maryland with her family and four ridiculous cats. She loves seasons of all kinds, history, and tea.

April Dávila is an award winning, traditionally published novelist and an experienced writing coach who specializes in helping writers get out of their own way. Her unique approach combines the practical tools of novel writing with the transformative power of mindfulness, empowering writers to quiet their inner critics and make meaningful progress on their work. A passionate advocate for creative expression, April guides aspiring authors in overcoming blocks and building sustainable writing habits. Her first nonfiction book, Sit Write Here: 6 Mindfulness Practices to Help You Write More and Suffer Less, is forthcoming from St. Martin’s Press.