I am Simon James (S.J.) Thiessen. I live in Hobart, Tasmania with my wife Jane, and have four children. I started writing Aether to fulfill a lifelong dream of writing a novel. My writing was a hobby, a distraction from my work as an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, author of business books and podcaster – which is why Aether took so long to write!

As I wrote, I realised I didn’t really want to write a novel. I wanted to be a novelist and so the DI Stratton series will continue to expand.

My stories are inspired by a love of mysteries and overlaid with themes I am passionate about: Tasmania, dyslexia, triathlon, inclusiveness and equity, and a healthy dose of anti-establishment-ism.

Like DI Terry Stratton, I am an enthusiastic, rather than talented, triathlete and have represented Australia twelve times in age group world championships in Beijing, Auckland, Chicago, Cozumel (Mexico), Adelaide and Montreal.

My favourite authors include Ian Rankin whose evocative description of Edinburgh makes me feel I have lived there despite never (yet) visiting, and Reginald Hill for his wonderful characters and intriguing plots. I hope the influence of both is apparent in my writing.