The First Round Judges
The First Round Judges are reviewers for Historical Novels Review magazine. They will read through the entries and create a shortlist for each category.
Elizabeth Crachiolo holds a PhD in literature, specialising in early modern England. She has published on views of the natural world during that period. An avid historical fiction reader, she is a reviewer for the Historical Novels Review, and this is her second year serving as a judge for the First Chapters Competition. She is at work on her first novel, which is set in the seventeenth century..
Amanda Cockrell is a historical novelist whose latest is Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?, a novel of the Hollywood blacklist (December 2025). As Damion Hunter she also writes Roman era historical adventure. She is the former director of the Children’s Literature graduate program at Hollins University and writes reviews for Historical Novels Review and The Hollins Critic.
Judy Gregory is a freelance plain English writer and editor who lives in Brisbane, Australia. She is working on historical fiction set in rural Wales in the mid-twentieth century, based on a family story.
V.E.H. Masters writes historical fiction set during the turmoil of the Reformation in Europe. Her books are regularly on the Amazon bestseller lists and she’s the winner of the Barbara Hammond Trophy.
Marlie Parker Wasserman writes historical crime fiction, after a career on the other side of the desk in publishing. She is the author of The Murderess Must Die, Path of Peril, Inferno on Fifth, and the forthcoming First Daughter. Marlie lives with her husband in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Triangle Chapter of Sisters in Crime. https://www.marliewasserman.com
marliewasserman.com
Rosemary Hayes has written over fifty books for children and young adults, many of which have won or been shortlisted for awards and several translated into different languages. She now writes historical fiction for adults. 'The King's Command' is the story of a Huguenot family fleeing Louis XIV's France. 'Traitor's Game' and 'The King's Agent' are the first two books in the Soldier Spy trilogy, set during the Napoleonic Wars. Rosemary has worked in publishing, been a reader for a well known authors' advisory service and runs creative writing workshops for both children and adults.
Angela I. Moody is a historical fiction author and editor. She lives in Vermont with her husband, Jim. Angela also works as the Assistant Director for the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum in Burlington, VT. With a degree in American History and Literature, Angela has written two novels of historical fiction, one set in the Civil War and the second in the American Revolution. She is currently at work researching for a third to take place in the years that founded the State of Vermont.
B.J. Sedlock recently retired from full-time librarianship and is now the part-time archivist at Defiance College in Ohio. She has been a reviewer for the HNS since 2003, and has written articles on historical research resources for the HNS website since 2013. She plays bassoon in several local music ensembles.
Kathryn Bashaar is a reviewer for HNS, and the author of the novel The Saint’s Mistress. Her short stories have been published is several anthologies and literary journals, and her essays have appeared in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Civil War Times. She lives in Pittsburgh with her family, where she recently started a memoir-writing group at her church, and blogs about books and Pittsburgh history.
Karen Bordonaro is a librarian emeritus who has written three nonfiction books, taught university writing classes, and judged library research writing contests. She is currently a public library trustee, an historical documents volunteer transcriber, and a book review writer for three publications.
Melissa Bissonette writes fiction set in the 16th and 17th centuries. She is a professor of English literature and theater at St. John Fisher University in Rochester NY. In both her scholarship and her fiction, she is fascinated by the intersections of law, theater, gender, and fiction.
Beth Kanell lives in northeastern Vermont, USA, among rivers, rocks, and a lot of writers. She writes YA-crossover (that is, for teen and adult readers) historical novels, with her most recent three focused on women in the 1850s in Vermont, as well as feature articles, short stories, and book reviews. For decades she has been a crime fiction reviewer and for 17 years co-owned a mystery bookshop. Her widely published poems seek comfortable seats in small, well-lit places.
A.K. Kulshreshth’s short stories are published in eight countries (in litmags including Asia Literary Review and Wasafiri). He is a member of Cernunnos (www.cernunnosbooks.com), a fiction collective dedicated to taking lesser known voices across borders. Cernunnos partnered with a Hindi Litmag, Kathadesh , to run a short story contest in Hindi. The first volume of winning entries was translated and published in 2017. Cernunnos has published translations of a rare Hindi novella (Katora Bhar Khoon), the classic Chitralekha (published in Hindi in 1934), and the first ever translation of Vaishali Ki Nagarvadhu (Hindi, 1948-49, shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize, Translation, 2024). His first novel manuscript, Lying Eyes, was longlisted for the Epigram Fiction Prize 2022. Published by Balestier Press, the novel was selected as an Editors' Choice by The Historical Novels Review.
Valerie Fletcher Adolph has enjoyed being a reviewer for HNS for some 20 years. She has also published non-fiction books and half a dozen historical novels as well as award-winning short stories and poetry.
Bonnie Kelso graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and worked as an exhibit designer for the Smithsonian Institution. She is the author and illustrator of five books for children and won the 2021 SCBWI Karen Cushman Award for her historical fiction chapter book manuscript. Bonnie is represented by Liz Nealon at Great Dog Literary.
Elizabeth Caulfield Felt teaches Children’s Literature and composition classes at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. She writes novels for both children and adults and has been reviewing books for the Historical Novels Society for close to fifteen years.
Nate Mancuso is a Florida-based attorney and fiction writer, whose short stories have been published in numerous literary magazines including Disturb the Universe, Synchronized Chaos, A Thin Slice of Anxiety and Mobius Blvd. Nate is currently working on his first collection of short stories and a historical fiction novel about a Polish resistance fighter set during the Warsaw Uprising in World War II. Nate is also a reader for Anxiety Press and a book reviewer for Historical Novels Review.
Clarissa Harwood holds a PhD in Nineteenth-century British Literature and is the author of three historical novels. Publishers Weekly called her first novel, Impossible Saints, “a rich debut. . . . With insight and sensitivity, Harwood explores century-old social mores and challenges that still echo loudly today.” Her second novel, Bear No Malice, won the Editor’s Choice award from the Historical Novel Society; Kirkus Reviews called it “a smart and highly civilized tale about love, temptation, and second chances.” Clarissa is a learning coach and former university instructor who loves to explain the difference between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses. She lives in the beautiful Gatineau Hills of Quebec with her husband and four lively cats.
Helen Johnson lives in Yorkshire, UK, a region known by residents as God's Own Country. She has spent a quarter of a century roving its Dales and Moors, writing about the people, places, and heritage. She became intrigued by Yorkshire's past, and the generations of people who created its unique character. After daydreaming about what those people's lives might have been like, she began a mission to bring them back to life, through the medium of historical fiction. She has an especial interest in the Harrying of the North, William the Conqueror's 11th century genocide. Yes, genocide. In England.
Helen has published many hundreds of articles, reviews and short stories, and now seeks a publisher for her novels. She is a member of many organisations. Amongst others, she is a reviewer for the Historical Novel Society, a beta reader for The History Quill, and a workshop leader for Promoting Yorkshire Authors.
Shauna McIntyre is a freelance editor at Creative Roots Editorial and a former academic researcher and writer in the social sciences. As a member of the Historical Novel Society, she has reviewed over 30 books for the Historical Novel Review magazine and writes online features for the HNS website. Her monthly Substack newsletter, Creative Roots Letters, offers inspiration, resources, and personal anecdotes for those writing historical fiction and family history. She is currently working on a novel about female prairie homesteaders. When she is not editing, writing, or reading, she can usually be found rambling through the countryside looking to fill her curiosity cabinet and notebook.
Erica Obey: There are three places that you can find Erica when she’s not writing: Pottering in her garden; out on the trail looking for birds; or taking Trivia Night far too seriously at a local establishment. She is the author of six mystery novels set in the Hudson Valley, including the award-winning The Curse of the Braddock Brides. Her Watson & Doyle stories have been widely published, most notably in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and on several episodes of the Mysteries to Die For podcast. Erica is the Past President of the NY chapter of Mystery Writers of America, and a frequent reviewer and judge. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and published academic work on female folklorists before she decided she’d rather be writing the stories herself.
Deborah Cay Wilding holds degrees in English Literature and Library Science. She's the author of an award-winning historical novel and writes book reviews for HNS.
Cindy Vallar is a freelance editor specialising in historical fiction, the editor of Pirates and Privateers, and a historical novelist. For fourteen years, she penned the editing column 'The Red Pencil' for Historical Novels Review. She is also a retired librarian.
https:/www.cindyvallar.com
Joanne F. Vickers has a doctorate in nineteenth-century American literature from The Ohio State University. She is the co-author of two books on mid-life and has published articles on writing in the academic and business worlds.
Karen Warren writes reviews both for the HNS and for her own website. She is also a travel writer and has published two books. Shadow of the Dome is a historical novel and Secret Bath is an unusual guide to the city of Bath.
Genetta Adair has written fiction and non-fiction for children and adults in magazines and newspapers. Her writing often connects history with the present. She previously served the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) as Midsouth Regional Advisor and as co-coordinator for the Midsouth Fall Conference. Adair is a member of SCBWI, HNS, the Women's National Book Association, and is a literacy coach at a Title 1 elementary school. She writes reviews for Historical Novels Review from her home in Tennessee with her loyal Labrador Retriever by her side (while frequently tossing a ball down the hall).
Christina Nellas Acosta is managing editor of the journal 19th-Century Music (University of California Press), and a freelance editor for Oxford University Press. She has written book reviews for the Historical Novel Society, Copperfield Review Quarterly, Open Letters Reviews, and the Jane Austen Society of North America News (2024). A devoted Austen reader, she is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the National Book Critics Circle.
Constance Emmett was born in Brooklyn, New York, where her mother's family landed after leaving Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her family’s stories inspired novels Heroine of Her Own Life (2019 Next Chapter) and its sequel, Everything Will Be All Right (2022 Next Chapter). Constance is at work on the third book in the series and has recently completed a novel set in Revolutionary War era New York, also inspired by an ancestor. She reviews regularly for the Historical Novels Review.
Martha Hoffman is an historian by training, with a specialty in medieval and early modern Europe, especially Spain. She has worked in the publishing world for over 20 years, as a literary agent, editor, and managing editor, and currently runs a small press. She has reviewed for the Historical Novel Review for several years.
Williamaye Jones writes emotionally layered fiction about women who refuse to stay silent. Her work spans from the shadowed courts of Renaissance Italy to contemporary stories of personal reinvention, exploring themes of betrayal, legacy, and identity. A longtime publishing professional and founder of the 5P Novel Method, she is also a book reviewer for the Historical Novel Society and a frequent speaker on writing and publishing.
Kris McDermott is a Professor of English at Central Michigan University and a reviewer for HNR. She has written books about Renaissance drama and entries for historical novelists Elizabeth Wein and M.T. Anderson for The Dictionary of Literary Biography.
Catherine Mathis has a 3-book contract from Histria Books for a series set in 14th century Portugal. Inês: The Queens of Portugal Trilogy launches on Nov. 04, 2025. Inês was selected by Library Journal for their annual list of coming historical fiction to watch for during the July 2025-June 2026 period. The novel won a first place award in the Chanticleer International Book Awards competition in the Chaucer category. The novels Leonor and Philippa will be published in 2026 and 2027. Catherine is a member of the HNS Mid-South Chapter and reviews books for HNS.
Janice Ottersberg is a reviews editor for Historical Novel Review magazine and a reviewer since 2016 of nearly 200 reviews. She has also written a handful of articles for the magazine. She is a life-long lover of historical fiction and lives in Arizona with her husband and three fur babies.
Frances Stephenson is a reviewer for the Historical Novels Review. For the past twenty years, she has worked as a high school teacher of American History and Advanced Placement European History. She holds a Bachelor and a Masters Degrees in education, as well as a law degree. Currently, she is at work on her first biographical historical fiction novel set in the American Revolution.
Waheed Rabbani was born in India, close to Delhi, and was introduced to Victorian and other English novels, at a very young age, in his father’s library. Most of the large number of volumes had been purchased by his father at ‘garage sales’ held, by departing British civil service officers, in the last days of the Raj.
Waheed attended St. Patrick’s High School in Karachi, Pakistan. He graduated from Loughborough University, Leicestershire, England, and received a master’s degree from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. While an engineer by profession, Waheed’s other love is reading and writing English literature, which led him to obtain a Certificate in Creative Writing from McMaster University and start on his fiction writing journey. Waheed is also a reviewer for the HNR and now settled on the shores of Lake Ontario in the historic town of Grimsby, Canada.
Kristen McQuinn holds a BA and an MA from Arizona State University in English literature with a concentration on medieval holy women’s writing. She has published work ranging from the writings of holy women to tea in literature to Star Trek. Kristen currently contributes to the Historical Novel Review and Discovering Diamonds.
Deb Stratas is the author of a four-book WWII historical fiction series following the brave Kingston sisters in WWII London. Wartime Christmas with the Kingstons was shortlisted in the 2024 HNS First Chapters Competition. She is a member of the Writers' Union of Canada and a reviewer for the Historical Novel Society.
Alana White writes historical crime set in 15th century Renaissance Florence. The most recent title (2022) is The Hearts of All on Fire, with the next book on the way. A former member of the Historical Novel Society Board of Directors, she has been an HNS book reviewer for many years. Currently, she is the HNS Midsouth Chapter Lead. She lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee.
Linnea Tanner is an award-winning and Amazon International Best-Selling author of four books in the historical fantasy series, Curse of Clansmen and Kings, set in ancient Rome and Britain, and a short story, ‘Two Faces of Janus’, set in Augustus Caesar’s imperial court. She will be attending the HNS 2026 conference.
Louise Tree holds a PhD in literary history with research interests in women’s history and the print culture of the eighteenth century. She has been a reviewer and occasional feature writer for HNS for four years. She is interested in the ways in which we imagine the past, so most of her stories are set there. She has taught history, philosophy and creative writing at universities and colleges. She lives in a village by the sea with her husband, two clever dogs and a ginger cat. She is currently working on a novel about a female saboteur.
Kelly Urgan is a London-based editor and proofreader for both publishers and independent authors. She specialises in historical and fantasy fiction. She reviews books for the HNS and writes on a variety of subjects, including art, history and travel.
Website: https://www.editegrity.com/
Suzanne Uttaro Samuels is the author of Seeds of the Pomegranate, forthcoming from Sibylline Press in September 2025. A reviewer for the Historical Novels Review, her fiction appears in the Historical Novel Society's first anthology, Desert of Dreams, as well as Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women and its upcoming sequel, Batches and Brews. Her stories and essays have also been published in literary magazines and other anthologies.
Larry Zuckerman, a former editor at Historical Novels Review, reviewed historical fiction on his weekly blog, Novelhistorian, for ten years. As a historian, he broke into print with The Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World, followed by The Rape of Belgium, about that country's invasion and occupation during the First World War. Larry's first historical novel was Lonely Are the Brave, about a First World War hero turned at-home father. His second was To Save a Life, about Russian Jewish immigrants in early 1900s New York (October 2025).
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