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Mawson, the big hearted, soul searching teddy bear, is here to help. One of this bright world’s few writer-bears, he ponders about how to be one’s best especially when feeling a little lost, a little sad. A modest bear of generous proportions, distinctive in his white fur coat and bow tie, he’s always confident deep in his inner-most stuffing, that things are going to be All Right. Today we're chatting with Mawson’s guardian Mark O'Dwyer as part of our month-long featured author promo. What drew you (and Mawson) to create your heartwarming teddy bear books?  I was looking for a gentle little book to...

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Ann Harth writes fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. Strong, interesting female characters creep into most of her books, and many arrive with a sense of humour. Before becoming a writer, mentor and developmental editor in Far North Queensland, Ann studied psychology, waited tables, bar-tended, picked strawberries, worked as a clown and punched keys on various tills. She also spent ten years working with children with special needs. Ann taught writing for the Australian College of Journalism for eight years before taking the leap into freelance work. Ann is the Far North Queensland representative for The Society of Children’s...

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Carolyn Denman is a writer with a passion for introducing young adults to the intriguing world of speculative fiction. Living on a small farm just outside Melbourne – and likely to remain there happily until the human race is permitted back into the Garden of Eden – she holds a Bachelor of Science degree and currently works part time for a finance company. She has completed five novels and numerous short stories and is currently working on a science-fiction romance series. What drew you to write about the Garden of Eden as the focus of your fantasy series? My niece once mentioned...

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Clare Rhoden is a writer, blogger, and book reviewer. Inspired by politics, culture, and history, she writes thoughtful stories about characters with heart and soul. From immersive world-building in science fiction and fantasy, to well-researched details in historical novels, her books pivot on hope and love in the darkest of times. Clare lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and their very clever spoodle. Clare's books include a dystopian/sci-fi trilogy titled The Chronicles of the Pale, and a historical fiction book predominantly set in WWI – The Stars in the Night What moved you to write The Stars in the Night after...

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This is pretty exciting. Today we signed a new (to us) author, Gillian Polack. She has seven books already under her belt, and next year we'll be adding two more. Join us as we get to know this prolific Canberra author. Gillian has a rich past full of interesting events. Her interests generally revolve towards writing. She has been and probably is all at once a food historian, a Medievalist, a book reviewer, an editor, a teacher, a researcher, and an adviser. In your forthcoming novel Chocolate Redemption, the protagonist, Priscilla, is a writer. Her main character, Aelis, is real...

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Michelle Saftich resides in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband and two children. She holds a Bachelor of Business/Communications Degree, majoring in journalism, from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). For the past twenty years, she has worked in communications, including print journalism, sub-editing, communications management and media relations. In 1999, she was named National Winner for Best News Story in the ASNA (Australian Suburban Newspaper Awards). Born and raised in Brisbane, she spent ten years living in Sydney; and two years in Osaka, Japan, where she taught English. Her first two books - Port of No Return and Wanderers No...

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Erin-Claire Barrow is an author and illustrator originally from the Adelaide Hills in South Australia. She paints in watercolours to create whimsical scenes, storybook illustrations, and bring to life the strange creatures of fairy tales and folklore. Erin-Claire is always on the lookout for ways to combine her passions for art and equality, and is particularly interested in how art can be used to raise awareness of social justice issues. In 2018, she spoke at TEDx Canberra on retelling fairy tales for our diverse, modern society to challenge stereotypes and encourage young people (and especially young women) to see themselves...

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Shelley Russell Nolan is an avid reader who began writing her own stories at sixteen. Her first completed manuscript featured brain-eating aliens and a butt-kicking teenage heroine. Since then she has spent her time creating fantasy worlds where death is only the beginning and even freaks can fall in love. A member of Queensland Writers Centre and the Regional Writers Reference Group, Shelley regularly attends workshops and writers festivals to meet other writers and readers. Born in New Zealand, moving to Australia with her family when she was seven, Shelley currently lives in Central Queensland, Australia, with her husband and...

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Cindy lived in a small town on the Black Sea coast of Turkey for two years where she taught English. This was the beginning of a life-long interest in Middle Eastern culture and language. Born in the UK, she emigrated to Australia in 1975 with her family. She’s been an English language teacher, freelance travel writer and tour guide, in both Turkey and Sydney. What drew you to write about Muslim people, in a time when they aren't very popular? When I started writing my first novel The Afghan Wife nearly ten years ago, the demonisation of Muslims was gaining momentum. And then...

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Rebecca Burns is an award-winning writer of short stories, over thirty of which have been published online or in print. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2011, winner of the Fowey Festival of Words and Music Short Story Competition in 2013 (and runner-up in 2014), and has been profiled as part of the University of Leicester’s “Grassroutes Project”—a project that showcases the 50 best transcultural writers in the county. Rebecca, you've written two books about New Zealand history. What drew you to write about this country and period? This is an area of history that I find fascinating and I...

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