Maureen McCarthy is the ninth of ten children and grew up on a farm near Yea in Victoria. After working for a while as an art teacher, Maureen became a full-time writer. Her novels for young adults include The Convent, Somebody's Crying, Rose By Any Other Name and her much loved bestseller Queen Kat, Carmel and St Jude Get a Life, which was made into a highly successful 4-part mini-series for ABC TV. Her books for children include Careful What You Wish For and Flash Jack.