Samantha Wheeler lives in Brisbane with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, a cat and a horse. After a varied career involving dairy farmers and teaching, Samantha took up writing in 2009. Her first children’s book, Smooch & Rose, was shortlisted for the 2014 Queensland Literary Awards. Her second book, Spud & Charli, was imagined while riding her horse through the bush. Mister Cassowary began as a science project for one of her students. After discovering how few of these magnificent birds remained in the wild, the project soon developed into her third book.