The Hottie Historian Collective

The Hottie Historians are a collective of historians and members of prestigious organizations such as Women Writing the West and the Western Writers of America. Authors in this collective have won numerous literary awards and made breakthroughs in historical and women’s studies. Books prominently feature women in the Wild West, Civil War, World Wars, Politics, Labor, Science and Medicine.

Come visit us at our next event:

The Tucson Festival of Books, March 15 & 16, 2025

The University of Arizona, Tucson Campus at 1200 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85721. Festival hours of operation (during festival weekend) are 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM both days. Please visit the official FAQ page for more info.

Scheduled Appearances:

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Check out some of the books by featured “hotties” in the collective.

Lynn Downey

Bio: Historian, Novelist & Archivist. Lynn specializes in writing about the West and her work has appeared in notable publications such as California History, True West, the Journal of Arizona History and more. She is a member of Western Writers of America, the Society of California Archivists, and has served in the past as the president of Women Writing the West.

Learn more/Author official: https://lynndowney.com/about/
Follow: (Social media links coming soon)

Jane Little Botkin

Bio: National award-winning author and former Vice-President of the Western Writers of America, Jane Little Botkin melds personal narratives of American families with compelling stories of western women. Her books have won numerous awards in biography, western historical nonfiction, and women’s studies, including two Spur Awards, two Caroline Bancroft History Prizes, the Barbara Sudler Award for best book about the American West by a woman, Women Writing the West’s Willa Literary Award biography finalist, High Plains Nonfiction Book Award Finalist, Foreword Indies Bronze Award in women’s studies, Sarton Book Award finalist in women’s studies, and Independent Publisher Book Awards’ Bronze Medal for Best Regional Nonfiction.

Her current writing project is The Breath of a Buffalo, a biography of Mary Ann (Molly) Goodnight, tentatively scheduled for release in 2026.

Learn more/Author official: https://janelittlebotkin.com/
Follow: (Social media links coming soon)

Heidi Osselaer

Bio: Heidi Osselaer, PhD, taught history at Arizona State University for over twenty years and is the director of the Arizona History Convention. She has published articles in the Journal of Arizona History, Journal of the West, Arizona Woman Magazine, and True West Magazine. She was a producer and historical consultant for two documentaries: “Power’s War” and “Route 66 Women: The Untold Story of the Mother Road,” and is a past winner of the Sharlot Hall Award for her significant contributions to Arizona History. 

Past Books:
Winning Their Place: Arizona Women in Politics, 1883-1950 (University of Arizona Press) winner Southwest Books of the Year; Arizona Book Publishing Association Glyph Awards
Arizona’s Deadliest Gunfight: Draft Resistance and Tragedy at the Power Cabin, 1918 (University of Oklahoma Press)  winner Southwest Books of the year; New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards

Speaker info: https://www.netrootsnation.org/profile/heidi-osselaer/
Follow: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064759667754

Janelle Molony

Bio: Janelle Molony, M.S.L. is an avid family historian who features incredible women from her own past. Molony is a member of the Western Writers of America, Western Association of Women Historians and the Oregon-California Trails Association. She is the host of the interview series, “Women of Wyoming: Then & Now,” a special project of the Wyoming Historical Society and of the State Parks & Cultural Resources. Her lively storytelling and vibrant video content has earned her the official nickname as the “Hottie Historian.” Molony encourages young women to find ways to connect to the past in their own families, local areas or state and to consider satisfying careers and hobbies in humanities, history, and writing. Her writing has won numerous literary awards and acclaim.

Her current writing project is On the Southern Side, an annotated and illustrated edition of Civil War Era diaries from an Alabama seamstress who supported the Confederacy… and paid a heavy price for her patriotism.

Learn more/Author official: http://www.janellemolony.com
Follow: Facebook, Instagram & YouTube