Samara Thorn
Samara Thorn is an historical romance writer who cycled in and out of burnout for years until she realised what was actually causing it. She’s happier and more fulfilled, now. She is also a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach with Becca Syme’s Better-Faster Academy and works with writers to help them align their writing, marketing and careers to their natural talents, both inside and outside of burnout.
Steff Green
Legally-blind since birth, Steff never lets others’ misconceptions about her disability stop her from living her dream life. Under her pen name Steffanie Holmes she is a USA TODAY bestselling author of paranormal and gothic romance. As Steff Green, she writes weird fiction for adults and kids and guides to help writers live their dreams. Steff is an acclaimed speaker, publishing coach, and heavy metal maiden from New Zealand with a love for medieval sword fighting, hiking the wilds of the world, and eating all the roast potatoes.
Catherine Bilson
Catherine Bilson has published over 50 books in multiple genres across 4 pen names, and last year won a Romance Writers of Australia RuBY. Also a professional audiobook narrator, she lives in Queensland, Australia, with her husband of 23 years and their two sons, as well as a pair of rescue cats and a ridiculous husky.
Joanne Tracey
Sunshine-Coast-based Joanne Tracey is the author of fifteen novels across three genres – contemporary romance, women’s fiction and cosy crime – all set in locations you’ll want to visit. Having previously juggled writing with a corporate career in the finance industry, Jo has switched gears and is now focusing on her writing. Jo also maintains an astrology website – jotracey.com.au – and has written feature articles for publications such as Wellbeing magazine, Good Health and astrology.com as well as contributed to annual horoscope publications. When not writing, Jo loves baking, reading, long walks along the beach, posting too many photos of sunrises on Instagram and dreaming of the next destination and the next story. Her life goals (apart from being a world-famous author) are to be an extra on Midsomer Murders (perhaps a dog walker in Badger’s Drift) to cook her way through Nigella’s books – yes, all of them – and to encourage others to tell their stories.
Melissa Gayan
Melissa Guyan has been writing for over 20 years and published since 2011. With a background in education, she started learning the craft of writing when she was a teacher and testing out her books on any of her students that wanted to give them a try. Her first pen name, Melissa Pearl, writes a variety of romance genres from YA paranormal romance to sizzling new adult contemporary romance. She also writes YA sports romance under the name Jordan Ford, co-authors sweet small-town romance with Maggie Dallen under the name Sophia Quinn and her new pen name – Katy Archer – writes college sports romance filled with found family banter, smoking hot athletes and steamy romance.
Joanne Austen Brown
Joanne Austen Brown writes historical Romance, Murder mysteries and Time Travel Romances. She has a murder mystery series called the Always series and a time travel series called Come with Me. First published in 2020 she has become a very popular writer both in Australia and the US. She loves to write. She has 6 novels, 3 novellas, and a short story under her belt now. She is happily married with 2 grown up sons. And with 4 granddaughters and two kitty cats there is never a dull moment in her home.
AK Mulford
A.K. Mulford is an internationally best-selling fantasy romance author with books published in twelve languages worldwide. Both traditionally and self-published, Mulford loves writing adventurous and feel-good tales with lovable and diverse characters. They also write cozy and spicy romantic comedies under the pen name Ali K. Mulford. A US and NZ citizen, A.K. now lives on the Sunshine Coast of Australia with their partner, kids, trouble-maker cats, and a very patient dog.
Jackie Ashenden
Jackie Ashenden is the Publisher’s Weekly bestselling and critically acclaimed author of over seventy books (and counting). She lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, two kids, one cat and one dog. When she’s not torturing alpha males and their kick-ass heroines, she can be found drinking gin and tonics, reading anything she can lay her hands on, knitting yet another sweater, baking pavlova, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband
Iola Goulton
Iola Goulton is the empty-nest mother of two who lives with her husband in Wellington, New Zealand, and writes contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi connection. She works full-time in human resources, wrangling spreadsheets by day and words by night. Find Iola at iolagoulton.com.
Gaja Kolodziej
Dr Gaja Kołodziej is a Polish novelist residing in New Zealand. She writes Young Adult, New Adult, women’s fiction, cosy mystery and romance genres, and her books are available as paperbacks, ebooks and audiobooks. She has a master’s degree in psychology and a doctoral degree in creative writing, and has been teaching fiction writing for over ten years. To encapsulate both her writing and pedagogical experiences, she wrote a series of creative writing textbooks that together create a unique course of fiction writing. Gaja is a member of Polish Writers’ Association, European Association of Creative Writing Programmes, and Romance Writers of New Zealand.
Lucille Henry
Lucille is an intuitive healing facilitator who, for over two decades, has worked successfully with people from all walks of life, including business executives, artists, spiritual teachers, coaches, and many more. Guiding her clients through the emotional obstacles that block their path forward, she teaches them how to connect to a stronger sense of self. With a background in scientific research, a PhD in Biochemistry, and ten years as a research fellow, Lucille brings a practical and common-sense approach to the healing techniques she now teaches. Lucille is the author of the Diamond Card Healing system.
Dixie Maria Colton
Dixie Maria Carlton is the founder of Indie Experts Publishing, and has been writing and speaking professionally around the world about self-publishing for NF/F authors since 2006. She’s written 24 books of her own, including paranormal and historical novels, short stories, and many best-selling marketing and business books. She’s also guided and supported approximately 300 books (many award winners and best sellers) since 2003 through her unique hands-on coaching and publishing development processes. Dixie is also highly skilled in the areas of collaborative and ghost writing, foreign rights, Amazon, Ingram Spark (is a registered IS Expert) and has exhibited at several international book fairs, A Kiwi who lives and works globally now, she is passionate about educating and empowering authors to achieve outstanding results with the ‘business end’ of being an author. Presenting in Bali at the Global Speakers Federation bi-annual summit (Authorship, AI, and Amazon), she attracted the attention of mega-best selling author Allan Pease who moved from the rear of the room to the second row within 5 minutes, and has publicly endorsed Dixie as being ‘someone who really knows what she’s talking about’.
Daniel Watterson
Daniel joined Copyright Licensing in 2024 as their Contracts and Policy Manager. Daniel works across CLNZ’s projects, providing advocacy, negotiation, and contract support, ensuring good policy and legal compliance, and reviewing and developing policy to address modern legal and practical challenges and changes (like the impact of AI on creative rights). Before joining CLNZ, Daniel was a former Barrister & Solicitor at a top-tier commercial law firm, and a Crown Prosecutor. He is the founder of W.E.L., which provides accessible legal services to the film & television industries, often advising screen writers, crew, and performers. As a senior legal advisor and well-regarded stage and screen actor, Daniel blends his legal expertise with his lived-industry experience – passionately advocating for real legal solutions to real industry issues.
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