Karen Howard grew up roaming the Malvern Hills and sampling the delights of Wiltshire. Despite her early love of literature and history, she chose a scientific path, pursuing a career in environmental chemistry. She travelled widely and began to write creative fiction. In 2014 she self-published her first novel, The Gimmel Ring. In 2022, she was awarded an invaluable Cinnamon Pencil creative writing mentorship. The Search, the first book of The Identity Thieves trilogy, was shortlisted for the Cinnamon Press Literature Award 2023 and New Voices 2025. The second in the series, The Choice, has been drafted and she is now working on the concluding novel. Since retiring in 2021, Karen devotes most of her time to writing, walking and travelling. She lives in Shropshire with her husband and Border Collie. You can visit Karen on her website: karen-howard.com
