The Space Girls team is back for the fourth Self-Published Sci-Fi competition! I’m excited to welcome back Kerry and Nancy again this year, and introducing Misti, Tina, and Tianna to the team!
This year’s contest has 188 books allocated randomly between six teams, and we have now begun the difficult task of finding a winner!
Learn more about each team member below, and make sure you follow them to see their reviews and follow along with the contest.
Claire (team lead)
Hi, I’m Claire! I live in Sudbury in Suffolk, UK.
I enjoy reading all types of fiction, especially sci-fi, fantasy and horror, but my favourite genre is post-apocalyptic and dystopian. This is my third time judging for SPSFC and my second time leading a team. I’m also a panellist for the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award 2024, which also celebrates indie authors.
Other than reading, I am a big fan of pinball — my partner and I have 15 pinball machines between us, and we play in and organise tournaments across the UK. I also enjoy indoor cycling, going to the cinema, going to gigs and journalling, and my hair changes colour on a regular basis.
Kerry
Kia Ora, I’m Kerry and I reside in the capital city of Aotearoa New Zealand.
I’ve been an avid reader for 50 years and my favourite loves are Fantasy and Sci-fi (or a combo of them both). I’m now in my 5th year as a judge for SPFBO and this will be my 3rd time as a judge for SPSFC. I’m extremely passionate about SP/Indie books and these days they make up about 80% of my reading material. When I’m not reading I am a loud advocate, ally and peer supporter of people living with disabilities, sex workers, drug addicts and the LGBTQI+ community.
Nancy
Hi! I’m Nancy Foster, a Mexican-American indie author that mainly writes fantasy stories in English. I grew up in Mexico City and have been living the past 15ish years in a rural village because the food is good and the people are nice.
This is my second year as a judge and thanks to the competition, I have met plenty of lovely new authors and read tons of books. I mainly volunteered because it looked like fun and to help give the competition a bigger boost in popularity. When I am on vacation, I like to travel to very far-flung parts of the world. I hope to once again have a great time and to offer more books the visibility they deserve. 🙂
Tianna
Hi, I’m Tianna. I live in Kent, UK.
I mostly read fantasy but also love some non-fiction especially anything animal related.
This is my first year as a judge in any sort of writing or reading competition, so this is very new to me, however I’m very excited to get involved and read all these amazing books.
I’m very passionate about indie/self published books and often are searching for new books in the fantasy genre and joining ARC groups.
Apart from reading I enjoy cross stitch, colour by numbers books and many other creative activities. I also have a book blog that desperately needs updating 😂.
X/Twitter | Instagram | Storygraph | Blog
Tina
Hi, I’m Tina. I’m from Ontario, Canada.
This is my second time being a judge in the competition. My own novel, What Branches Grow, was a semi-finalist in the first year of the SPSFC. I review books on Instagram, BookTube, and Goodreads, a good percentage of them being Advance Reader Copies (mainly from NetGalley). I review primarily sci-fi and fantasy, but I also enjoy historical fiction, horror (in particular, folk horror), lit fic, and the odd romance (though I’m very picky about the tropes).
When it comes to the competition, while I go into all novels with an open mind and attempt to be objective, my preferences lean towards the first contact trope, (exhaustively detailed) alien cultures, a plot that’s a little on the weirder side, LGBTQAI+, and I never say no to alien-human romance. Given I’m an editor, I’m also particularly conscious of things that disrupt the narration flow (such as head-hopping, passive voice, etc.).
Outside of reading, I enjoy writing, boating, paddle-boarding, Trivia, paint by number, hanging with my daughters and partner, video games, cooking, and travel.
YouTube | Instagram | Goodreads
Misti
Hello there, I’m Misti!
First time judging but lifelong reader of various genres with fantasy being my favourite. I am also a freelance editor looking to become a professional editor someday. Currently, I am in the middle of writing a historical fiction novel with a bit of supernatural elements thrown in that will hopefully be published.
Outside of writing and editing, I am a mother, sewist, pop culture geek, semi-gamer, and whatever else tickles my fancy for the moment. My reviews can be found mostly on Goodreads as that’s where I keep track of how much I’m reading.
Meet the other teams
- Find out about Athena’s team, the Peripheral Prospectors
- Meet Jay and the team over at Tar Vol on
- Meet the new SFF Insiders team
Stay tuned to find out what books we will be reading in our initial allocation!