Aleesah Darlison

I grew up in a tiny village on the mid-north coast of NSW.

We always had loads of animals about the place: horses, donkeys, cows, dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, ducks and even a pet rosella named Joe. Those were the tame ones, anyway.

Because my dad owned a property up in the mountains amidst deep forest, we also had a lot to do with animals that weren't so tame: dingoes, goannas, snakes, eels, echidnas, wallabies and much more. 

Animals have always been a part of my life. That's why they feature in so many of my stories. Humans are luckier than we realise to have such amazing creatures sharing the world with us. 

After I finished school, I moved to Sydney to go to university (there weren't any unis where I lived in the country). When I finished my degree, I worked for about ten years in corporate marketing. I also lived and worked for a while overseas.

Although I was always writing in the background from the age of 16, I never got the  chance to make it a full-time occupation until a few years ago. And I'm so glad I did! I've learnt so much, had the chance to write some fun and interesting stories and made some wonderful friends. Now I can't imagine myself doing anything else.

When I'm not writing, I'm usually looking after my three children who are a constant source of amusement, inspiration and energy-deprivation. I also have two dogs who are pretty much the same.