McConnochie, Mardi: - Mardi McConnochie's novels for young readers include the Green Earth Book Award-winning The Flooded Earth, The Castle in the Sea, Dangerous Games, and Melissa, Queen of Evil, which won an Aurealis Award, Australia's premiere award for speculative fiction. She is also the author of four adult novels: Coldwater, which was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writer's Prize First Novel Award (Pacific region), The Snow Queen, Fivestar, and The Voyagers. Mardi's TV scriptwriting credits include 'Home and Away, ' 'McLeod's Daughters, ' 'Always Greener, ' and 'Pacific Drive.' She lives in Sydney, Australia, with her partner, author James Bradley, and their two daughters.