Katherine D. Graham | Updates

Sign Up To Receive A Free Physical Starfire Express Ticket In May

Katherine D. Graham — Wed, 6 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It is with much celebration and the grandest excitement that I finally get to invite you to sign up to receive a free physical Starfire Express ticket in May!

For those of you who are new here, warmest of welcomes! Starfire Express is a portal/adventure fantasy novel with mythological beings, a celebration train tour turned rebellion, and a dragon VS fae feud with universal implications. This series has been in the works for the past few years, and much to my current readers' anticipation, is finally preparing to hit bookstore shelves.

An announcement this grand deserves proper celebration, and thus I have opened up an invitation request form HERE that will close on May 10th, 2026.

Everyone who takes the time to sign up to receive a free physical Starfire Express celebration ticket in May on this form by 11:59pm on May 10th will receive a custom invitation addressed to them, with details of the first book's release that NO ONE ELSE HAS heard yet.

If you've always wanted a magical invitation especially for you, this is your chance to be welcomed into the highest society within the Trellanan universe.

Don't forget to tag me in any social media posts you share when your invitation arrives! Let's spread the word about this celebration far and wide.

-Katherine

(These tickets are physical tickets with exclusive book-related details. The Starfire Express is a fictional train, and the ticket has no financial value/cannot be redeemed for a real train tour.)

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Sign Up To Receive A Free Physical Starfire Express Ticket In May

Katherine D. Graham — Wed, 6 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It is with much celebration and the grandest excitement that I finally get to invite you to sign up to receive a free physical Starfire Express ticket in May!

An announcement this grand deserves proper celebration, and thus I have opened up an invitation request form HERE that will close on May 10th, 2026.

If you've always wanted a magical invitation especially for you, this is your chance to be welcomed into the highest society within the Trellanan universe.

Don't forget to tag me in any social media posts you share when your invitation arrives! Let's spread the word about this celebration far and wide.

-Katherine

(These tickets are physical tickets with exclusive book-related details. The Starfire Express is a fictional train, and the ticket has no financial value/cannot be redeemed for a real train tour.)

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May 2026 Fantasy Book Giveaway

Katherine D. Graham — Sun, 3 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Have you seen the May 2026 fantasy book giveaway yet? If not, take a look here!

I've teamed up with other fantasy authors to sponsor a prize pack of 25 ebooks and an eReader for a random winner after the giveaway ends on June 30th.

Many of us are also giving out free stories to everyone (whether you win or not) if you sign up for our newsletters during the giveaway, so take a look at all the cool books in the prize pack and check out their authors.

I've even added some to my reading list!

Happy reading, and happy May!

-Katherine

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Katherine D. Graham's April 2026 Writing Roundup

Katherine D. Graham — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

With the month having flown by, it's time for Katherine D. Graham's April 2026 writing roundup!

This month has been a big month for Starfire Express!

-I unveiled the character art I commissioned of main characters June & Hunter

-I shared some exciting news about the cover illustration (which has now been commissioned for later in 2026)

-I announced that pre-orders will be opening soon

-And I've been ploughing through the edits that will help the story shine

In other more general news:

-My new newsletter is up and running here on the site

-It's been a pleasure to reconnect with so many of you after so long away!

-I was honored to teach a new workshop for AutoCrit about writing dreams and flashbacks

-Pneumonia didn't keep me from reading (and recommending) a few new books by other authors

-And I've come back to my socials (Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for now)

Writing can be a lonely journey if authors aren't careful, but YOU make it a joy to write and a privelege to publish! I can't wait to see where May takes us next.

Let me know in comments what your reading round-up looks like for April (or your writing roundup, if you're also a fellow writer).

-Katherine

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Starfire Express Update: The Cover Has Been Commissioned!

Katherine D. Graham — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It's time for a Starfire Express Update: the cover has been commissioned!

I am beyond excited to announce that I have signed with and secured the cover commission with my DREAM illustrator! I can't say much quite yet about the details, but the work is set to start in the summer of 2026 (so VERY soon!).

This means you can look for a pre-order announcement in the coming weeks with a temporary working cover and the release date.

Thank you all for your patience as this project came to life! I cannot wait to share it with you.

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Starfire Express Update: The Cover Has Been Commissioned!

Katherine D. Graham — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It's time for a Starfire Express Update: the cover has been commissioned!

This means you can look for a pre-order announcement in the coming weeks with a temporary working cover and the release date.

Thank you all for your patience as this project came to life! I cannot wait to share it with you.

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Do Writers Take Sick Days? Take A Peek Behind The Veil Of Full-Time Author Life

Katherine D. Graham — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It started out as sinuses, I thought. Maybe a sinus infection at the worst. It's spring where I live in the US right now, and I didn't think much of the sniffles.

Or the earaches.

Or the cough...

Until the cough sank into my chest, exhaustion crept in, and before I knew it, a case of bronchitis had turned into pneumonia.

Do writers take sick days? When you are technically a self-employed business, is there room for a day off to rest and recover?

The honest truth is yes, we writers are human, and sometimes we, too, have to take 'sick days'. They're not paid. Many of us try to minimize them. But at some point if you do not rest and recover, you'll only break yourself down more, and the result could be even more unpaid time with no writing.

But being sick in bed doesn't always deter us from writing. Sometimes, being down for the count on other things gives me nothing but time to draft or edit (if I'm fever-free; feverish editing is NOT something I'd recommend).

If you're a writer yourself, remember that we can't scoop buckets of creativity out of a dry creative well.

Our minds may dream beyond the clouds, but the physical form anchoring them to this earth demands rest and attention, too, sometimes.

I send you all the best wishes for health and happiness! Let's rally for the words we treasure.

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If You Liked The Fae King's Assassin, Try These Indie Books

Katherine D. Graham — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

If you liked The Fae King's Assassin, try these indie books!

These 5-sar fantasy reads bring all the dark romantasy, powerful FMCs trained well and self-sufficient, and men they're supposed to, well, you know, and delivers some spectacular storytelling along the way.

1.) Daindreth's Assassin by Elisabeth Wheatley (Blurb from the Book's Detail Page Below)

Born to be a sorceress. Cursed to be an assassin. Chosen to be his empress.

Magic has two immutable rules—every spell requires a sacrifice and every curse can be broken.

Amira Brindonu is a sorceress turned assassin, bound in a curse that forces her to obey her father, even to the point of high treason. When he orders her to kill the future emperor, she fails, but discovers a secret that could bring the whole of the empire to its knees.

The archduke is stricken by a curse that could sentence him and his people to damnation, but Amira could be the only key to breaking it. In a desperate last-ditch effort, the archduke takes Amira prisoner and makes a pact to protect her from her curse if she will help free him of his own.

As time begins to run out, Amira soon learns that there are enemies that blades can’t touch and there are fates worse than death. Caught in a web of sorcery, intrigue, and her growing feelings for the archduke, the assassin must decide just how much she is willing to give to save the only man she’s ever loved.

Every curse can be broken, but can two cursed people save each other?

2.) Bow Before the Elf Queen by J.M. Kearl (Blurb from the Book's Detail Page Below)

In hiding all her life, Layala prepares for the day the wicked High Elf King Thane will come to steal her— his powerful mate. She trains to take her revenge for the wrongful execution of her parents, who died for her freedom.

Now that day has come, forcing her to come face-to-face with what she’s hidden from: a dangerous, dark-haired, warrior king determined to marry her.

After she’s shoved into a black carriage pulled by six ominous steeds, Layala makes plans to take her captors’ lives and free herself...

...but Thane has a secret that makes it impossible for Layala to slay him. She has an even darker truth that makes loving her forbidden, no matter how much Thane wants to touch.

Have you read any of these books? If so, let me know what you thought in the comments! If you have other dark romantasy with skilled FMCs who feel stabby toward the love interest, share that with me as well.

(This is NOT a sponsored post. I do not receive any compensation for clicks on the links shared on this page.)

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Who Are The Main Characters In Starfire Express?

Katherine D. Graham — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

With all the excitement on my socials lately about this duology, you may be wondering, "Who are the main characters in Starfire Express?"

I'm glad you asked!

Meet Hunter and June:

*Character Art Commissioned In 2021 From An Artist Who No Longer Illustrates & Wishes To Remain Anonymous*

June is an ordinary university student on holiday celebrating the end of her final year. When she boards the wrong train, she finds herself the lone human on a train full of monsters and mythological/fairytale creatures in the midst of a Celebration Tour. Not permitted to remain onboard without a sponsor, she finds herself beholden to the Chief of the Not-So-Secret Police: Hunter.

Hunter is a wolf, the son of the most prominent wolf ever to serve the royalty in the Central City. He is known across dimensions as the epitome of justice, and despite his charm, good looks, and kindness, has chosen to remain single so as to not distract him from his sworn duty to protect the Dragon Overlords as their Chief of Police.

Hunter believes June to be Fae (half-human, half-fairy), from the moment he meets her, but her smell is nothing but normal human.

No human can board the mystical Starfire Express, though, so there must be more to her than she seems.

Never one for secrets, he steps in as her sponsor for the tour and doesn't plan to leave her side until he finds out who--and what--she really is.

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A Glimpse Inside My Characters' Heads: The Starfire Express Edition

Katherine D. Graham — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It's time for a glimpse inside my characters' heads: the Starfire Express edition!

'The Godmother', Elisa Farrington III, is the villain in the Starfire Express Series universe. June Farrington is her daughter, and--as fate would have it--the unwitting heroine of the duology.

When I wrote The Godmother, the prequel novella for the Starfire Express Series, I chose to write it all in Elisa's head because I am obsessed with good villains. And the foundation to all good villains, in my opinion, is to see them as people first, and villains second.

Every villain has a story. Many times that story is tragic, even relatable. If the story was framed ever so slightly from their view, they'd be the hero, right? The misguided means to try to achieve their ends, or a misguided end resulting from unresolved pain, unforgiven wrongs, or a painfully realistic view of the inevitable future, sends them spiraling out of control.

When you take a glimpse inside my characters' heads: the Starfire Express edition centers on the stigma The Godmother carries, and tries to justify the rumors and blame June is saddled with as a result.

But June is just a human, raised in a human world, and is unable to get truths or backstory from her mother, who doesn't care if her daughter understands (and, quite frankly, doesn't think June is capable of understanding). The strain on their relationship starts early on, with Elisa as the single mom who is often absent in her daughter's life. Then what little connection they do have collapses under the weight of new revelations, June entering adulthood, and the pressing arrival of duty VS family.

To make a choice June feels comfortable with, she needs answers her mom won't give her, and that others are too jaded to share objectively.

So what's she to do?

You'll have to read Starfire Express when it comes out to see!

For now, come meet Elisa in The Godmother, which is available now.

-Katherine

Starfire Express is a Dark Fantasy book series by USA Today Bestselling Author Katherine D. Graham about a human woman swept into a world of monsters and caught up in a centuries-old feud between dragons and fairies. The Godmother is a prequel novella to the primary Starfire Express dark fantasy duology, told from the point of view of the villain in the series. The Godmother is available to read now.

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Heart of Darkness: The Villain POV Writing Workshop I'm Teaching For AutoCrit In March 2026

Katherine D. Graham — Mon, 9 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Hey there everybody!

Anybody who's read my books or my book reviews knows that I LOVE a good villain. And no, I'm not just talking about a villain who is evil for evil's sake. This love has paved the way for Heart of Darkness: the villain POV workshop I'm teaching for AutoCrit in March 2026.

I want to read (and write!) about villains who are so real, whose plights are so viscerally relatable and raw, that we (yes, even me as the author) wonder if we're cheering for the right side.

Because a heartbreaking villain is one that makes readers care. They're villains that are memorably 'human'. They're the reason stories haunt us long after they end, in many cases: their message, their sacrifice for their cause, and the warning that we could potentially become them if we're not careful.

So when AutoCrit gave me the opportunity to teach a 2-hour workshop devoted to crafting a well-written villain POV, I was beyond excited and honored.

If you're a writer who also loves villains and is contemplating villain POVs for your books, I would LOVE to see you there! You do not have to be an AutoCrit member to sign up, but this is a paid course that you can purchase HERE.

*No, this is NOT an affiliate link. I do not get any financial kick-backs from you clicking or signing up through that link, but I would love the pleasure of your company in the workshop! *

Live Session Date/Time:

Tuesday, March 10th 2026

12:00-2:00pm Eastern US Time

The session will be recorded and a replay will be provided to all registered participants.

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