M. A. Thomas was raised in rural Queensland, and after finishing secondary school, armed with a passion for connecting with people, she moved south to pursue a career in emergency services. Therapeutic journal writing has been ingrained deeply in the soul of this author and her debut series The Girl Diaries is intended to encourage middle school readers to seek self awareness through the printed medium. Giving back to the community is a priority for Thomas and further information about her writing life and narrative practice workshops can be found over on www.authormathomas.com.au.