Vanessa Barneveld lives in a 19th-century house in inner-city Sydney, Australia, with a 21st-century husband, three eccentric cats, and one ghost—all of whom inspire her spirited novels. In addition to writing, she produces closed captions for deaf TV viewers and audio descriptions for people with low vision. And, yes, that means she gets to watch TV all day long. Vanessa is also a keen volunteer at a community radio station, co-presenting a regular on-air show.