Bestseller Dianne Blacklock has forged a writing career finding the romantic drama of everyday conflict. With nine books on shelves to date and more to follow, Di continues to steal from contemporary life to build a series of complicated heroines facing the familiar challenges of love, family and career. In conversation, Di shares the need for conflict to drive story; the discovery of reading; how family informs a world view; and the sheer Englishness of Enid Blyton.

Bram Connolly served 15 years with Australia's Special Forces, including two tours of the Badlands of Afghanistan, before using his unique frontline experience to forge a new career as an action author. Bram's debut novel The Fighting Season carving itself onto the bestseller list and reclaiming shelf space for a new Australian military action hero. In conversation Bram discusses the need to write strong intelligent women; the rigours of Special Forces selection; the blending of fact & fiction from his own battles; and why his leading man is too busy to stop for sex.

2017 Stella Prize winner Heather Rose crafted her best-selling The Museum of Modern Love from the real-life  durational performance of Marina Abramović at the New York Museum of Modern Art. Inspired by Marina's devotion to her art and trance-like transformations, Heather has also drawn from own experiences of endurance and creative expression to tell a complex fictional account of love in modern society.

By 2006 Middle Eastern Organised Crime dominated South West Sydney. The drive-bys, drug deals and public gun battles between warring families signalling a new generation of criminals. In his book 'The Squad', award-winning journalist and author Yoni Bashan details the exploits of Middle Eastern Organised Crime's gang leaders and the elite police squad (MEOCS) forged to take them down. In conversation, Yoni tells how a criminal mastermind ran a drug empire and ordered executions while locked in solitary confinement; the prolific flipping of witnesses; the need for public violence; and the sacrifices of the men and women tasked with breaking the cultural cycle. This is crime as tradecraft, superbly told.

Will Kostakis has published three hugely popular YA novels to date, reinventing himself on each occasion. Proactively engaging with his audience of teenagers facing an uncertain future, Will talks about his media-darling rise, humbling fall and literary resurrection; coming out mid press tour; the value of a tortured teen diary; the debate between gay, too gay and not gay enough; and the power of teachers in shaping the identity of young people. With a self-deprecating wit and laugh capable of blowing the doors off, Will Kostakis is carving an important niche in the YA market. His latest book The Sidekicks is available in stores and currently set to conquer the United States.

International bestselling author Tony Park talks of a life shared between Australia and Africa; running from lions in your underwear; using writing to address post traumatic stress disorder; how stable government drives major social change;  and what it's like to write while serving in Afghanistan with the Australian Army. Tony is the author of 13 bestselling action adventure novels set across the wilds of the African continent, capturing the majesty and terror of a unique world of eco-terrorism, poachers, oil pirates and assassins. He's been labelled Australia's answer to Wilbur Smith and is also the author of five non-fiction works to date. Cruelly, he chose to kill the host of this podcast in one of his books... and it didn't affect his sales.

Maria Lewis burst onto the bestseller list with her first novel Who's Afraid. Bold, blunt and tattooed with pop culture, Maria talks about serial killer bedtime stories; the representation of violence against women; the commercial risks of keeping her own name; punching celebrities; her experiences with murder in real life; and the rise of the Merman! ..."I'm never gonna see a Merman." Who's Afraid is the first in a five book series, with the sequel Who's Afraid Too recently released and selling faster than Maria can speak. The urban fantasy series is also loved by action filmmaker Lexi Alexander and hopefully destined for screen greatness very soon.