The Book “Image Maker” written by Chris Flanders has been declared winner of the Literary Titan Book Award. 

Story is set in 1860, just a year after Drake’s first oil well, which follows photographer John Mather, who risks life and limb to capture the emerging oilfields on glass negatives. Alongside him, General Charles Miller and former cavalryman Patrick Boyle navigate ambition, scandal, and industry growth, offering readers a captivating look at the people who fuelled America’s first oil boom. Through their eyes and those of their families, the book brings to life the challenges and drama of an era that powered the world’s machinery and early automobiles. 

Chris Flanders, a retired Nurse Practitioner with a love for history, especially of Western New York State, draws on her passion for historical fiction to craft immersive stories. When she’s not writing, she enjoys gardening, volunteering, birding, flying as a pilot, and spending time with her family.