Red Roses is due to be released on 31 October 2021 and stay tuned for the cover reveal which will take place on 23 September 2021 to see the very first glimpse of the stunning cover drawn by Emma Haines who also provided illustrations for her first novel. Autumn has hit rock bottom; her fear of rejection has stopped her making any progress in life and after a chance meeting with a stranger on a beach she makes a bold decision to chase her dreams. What she doesn’t realise is that she has just made the decision that will lead to her death. Following the last three years of her life as she navigates the highs and lows of trying to find her place in this world.  Red Roses is an uplifting tragedy that shows the beauty to be found in life through love and friendship but also the destructive force of obsession and jealousy. Red Roses is the second novel by Katie Ward, her first The Pretender was awarded a prestigious BRAG Medallion Award in April 2019. This novel is a modern interpretation of the classic tragedy made famous by the likes of William Shakespeare, Charlotte Bronte and Wilkie Collins. Katie has a love of classic fiction and aims to encapsulate these elements in work in order to allow her readers to enjoy these aspects in a modern way.    

Self-publishing a book has never been easier but did you ever realise just how many of our most famous authors have self-published their work? This video will count down five famous authors that most people would never have realised did and give you an insight into why they chose to take that route even when they had publishing deals. 

In April 2019, my debut novel was awarded the coveted BRAG Medallion award by Indie BRAG which aims to highlight the very best in self-published fiction. As well as being a way to recognise fiction of exceptional quality, the BRAG Medallion also created a database of award-winning books all who proudly display the golden medallion label which signals to the reader that this book is not only worth their time but also their money. It provides quality assurance for readers wanting to find the best self-published titles. The volume of entries to the BRAG Medallion programme is so high that they have been forced to have dedicated windows for submissions to enable them to deal with all the books they receive. Of all the books they review, only 20-25% will be awarded the BRAG Medallion. BRAG stands for the Book Readers Appreciation Group and is if you like a global book club where avid readers sign up to read and review books against the strict criteria. Only those books who receive an extremely high score from 10 worldwide readers are eligible to receive a reward. The marking criteria is rigorous with no part of the book being overlooked, the quality of each of the following is considered: ContentTitlePlotCharactersDialogueWriting styleCopy-EditingFormattingCover The Pretender scored extremely highly in all of the above categories with the judges commenting that “this was a delightful, light read.” By achieving this award and having read the amazing reviews left by my readers, it is clear that this is a book that has managed to really capture the hearts of my audience which I love!     

Ask any aspiring writer and they will tell you all you need to know about the prestigious “Writer’s and Artists’ Handbook”. It’s a treasure trove of untapped opportunity for many authors dreaming of publication with its definitive listings of all those who can help you achieve success. So, last year, after coming across a request from Bloomsbury for case studies to be included in the new Writer’s and Artists’ Guide to Self-Publishing I was thrilled. Looking back over my own experience, I highlighted a few issues I encountered that I wish I’d known how to avoid, typed them up and sent them off. To be able to contribute to a new version of a book that had been such a big part of my early writing career was so exciting. However, with the buzz of Christmas and the emergence of a global health crisis, my submission was quickly forgotten. That was until I received an email in April advising that my case study had been selected for publication and was currently on sale. Unlike the elusive professionals in the publishing industry who new authors always think hold the magic key to their success, in the self-publishing sector you are your own fairy godmother. The success you gain is slow and based on the things you do, which of course you never know as most authors don’t have experience in these areas. So, to have a definitive guide that can help you through the process is such a milestone for the self-publishing industry. To have been able to use the pitfalls I experienced in my own journey to help other authors avoid them is fantastic because it turns what felt very negative at the time into something positive. That the collective advice given in the guide will be able to make this journey that little bit easier for anyone who chooses to undertake it in the future.​