Thrills and Chills

Nikki Mottram uses her background in child protection in her crime fiction. She has a psychology degree from the University of QLD and has worked in London and Australia in positions promoting and protecting children at risk of harm. She grew up and resides in Toowoomba, and brings to her work an understanding of rural communities, their customs and their secrets.

Hades, Candice Fox’s first novel, won the Ned Kelly Award for in 2014 from the Australian Crime Writers Association and since then she has won two more Neddies. She is a multi-time NYT best selling author with a novel adapted for screen and several others optioned for adaptation. In 2015 Candice began collaborating with James Patterson. Their nine books together have all been massive bestsellers across the world. Bankstown born and bred, Candice lives in Sydney.

Dinuka McKenzie is an Australian writer. Her debut crime fiction manuscript The Torrent won the 2020 Banjo Prize for fiction and was published by HarperCollins Australia in February 2022. Her then unpublished manuscript Taken was longlisted for the 2020 Richell Prize and is out in 2023. Dinuka’s short fiction Skin Deep appears in the Dark Deeds Down Under crime and thriller anthology published by Clan Destine Press in 2022. When not writing, Dinuka can be found behind the scenes at the Writers’ Unleashed Festival. She lives in Southern Sydney on Dharawal Country with her husband, two kids and their pet chicken.

Ashley Kalagian Blunt is the author of Dark Mode, a psychological thriller. Her earlier books are How to Be Australian, a memoir, and My Name Is Revenge, a thriller and collected essays, which was a finalist in the 2018 Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award. Her writing appears widely in Australian publications. She co-hosts James and Ashley Stay at Home, a podcast about writing, creativity and health, and teaches creative writing.

Cass Moriarty’s novels include Parting Words (UQP 2017) and The Promise Seed (UQP 2015), longlisted for the 2017 Dublin International Literary Award, and shortlisted for both the 2016 Queensland Literary Awards (People’s Choice Award) and the 2013 QLA (Emerging Author category). The Saturday Paper has published her short fiction and her creative non-fiction. Her work explores the silences and secrets in families. She is a book reviewer and critic, a writing mentor, an Australia Council recipient, a Queensland Literary Awards judge, and she presents workshops and hosts literary conversations. Cass is a staunch supporter of Australian authors and believes in the power of a supportive literary community.