About the author

Peggy Joque Williams is the author of Courting the Sun, as well as co-author of two mystery novels, On the Road to Death’s Door and On the Road to Where the Bells Toll, written under the penname M. J. Williams. A retired elementary school teacher, Peggy received degrees from Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her fascination with genealogy and her French-Canadian ancestry inspires her historical fiction. She lives with her family in Madison, Wisconsin.

Rebecca Batley is an archaeologist and historian, with a particular interest in women’s history. Her work can be found in numerous publications including New Scientist, Gay and Lesbian Review and AHM. She regularly writes for Ancient Origins and has worked for, amongst others, MOLA and Wessex Archaeology.

Liisa Kovala is a Finnish Canadian author and Author Accelerator certified fiction and memoir book coach. Her debut novel, Sisu’s Winter War (Latitude 46, 2022), received a Literary Creation Project Grant from the Ontario Arts Council (OAC). Liisa’s first book, Surviving Stutthof: My Father’s Memories Behind the Death Gate (Latitude 46, 2017) was shortlisted for a Northern Lit Award and published in Finland under the title Stutthofin selviytyjä (Docendo, 2020).

Liisa is a member of the The Writers’ Union of Canada, the Canadian Authors Association, Historical Novel Society, and past president of the Sudbury Writers’ Guild. She earned a graduate certificate in Creative Writing with distinction from Humber School for Writers and a Creative Writing Certificate from the University of Toronto.  

Liisa’s work is inspired by her Finnish heritage and the northern landscape she calls home. A nearly empty nester of two adult children, she lives in Sudbury, Ontario with her husband and puppy Emmy. 

Visit Liisa at liisakovala.com and liisakovalabookcoach.com.

Subscribe to Liisa’s weekly Substack newsletter Women Writing featuring women creating time and space to write.

Sarah Freethy worked as a producer and script consultant in television before turning her hand to fiction. The Porcelain Maker is her debut novel. She lives in Hampshire, England with her family.

The Porcelain Maker is a story of love, betrayal and art, set across Europe from the 1920s Weimar Republic, to dark and glittering 1930s Berlin and war torn Munich. Two lovers caught at the crossroads of history. A daughter’s search for the truth

When Max, a Jewish architect, is sent to the Dachau concentration camp, where his talent for making exquisite porcelain figurines provides a tenuous lifeline. Avant-garde artist and Max’s partner, Bettina, has no idea where he’s been taken but, when she learns of his fate, she’s determined to rescue him whatever the cost.

A lifetime later, Bettina’s daughter, Clara, sets out to unravel the mystery of her identity. As she weaves together the fabric of her past, she discovers the terrible answers her mother wanted hidden forever.

An exploration of the power of art to shape our relationships, our society and our future.

Carmella Lowkis grew up in Wiltshire and has a degree in English literature and Creative Writing from the University of Warwick. After graduating, she worked in libraries, before moving into book marketing. Carmella lives in North London with her fiancée.

She can be found online on Instagram, X and Threads.

Spitting Gold is her first novel. Her second novel, A Slow and Secret Poison, is publishing in early 2026.