Karen Hughes is a writer, editor, workshop facilitator, PhD student, and web designer based in the Hunter Valley. She is the author of four books in the Kalika Magic series for kids aged 9+, which are all listed on the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge. She is the director of Hunter Valley Writers, and delivers author talks, school visits, and creative writing workshops all over NSW. Her latest book is The Howling Sands (2017). She is currently writing a speculative fiction novel for adults as the creative component of her PhD in English at the University of Newcastle.