Thrills and Chills

Nikki Mottram is the author of Crows Nest (UQP, 2023). She has a psychology degree from The University of Queensland and has worked in London and Australia protecting and promoting the welfare of children at risk of harm. She uses her background in child protection in her crime fiction. She has been shortlisted for the Fish Short Story Prize and the Hal Porter Short Story Competition and was a recipient of the Katharine Susannah Pritchard Writer’s Centre Fellowship. She grew up and resides in Toowoomba and brings to her work an understanding of rural communities.

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 and the author of the Detective Kate Miles crime series published in Australia and the UK. She is the winner of the 2020 HarperCollins Australia Banjo Prize. Her writing has been shortlisted for the Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards, the Bad Sydney Crime Danger Awards, longlisted for the Richell Prize, and highly commended in the Australian Crime Writers Association, Louie Award. Her short fiction has appeared in the 2022 Dark Deeds Down Under crime and thriller anthology. Dinuka 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.