Em Bailey was born in Melbourne, Australia and used to work as a new-media designer for a children’s television production house. Now she is a full-time author. The Special Ones is her second novel for teenagers. Her first novel, Shift, won the teens' choice Gold Inky Award in Australia and was shortlisted for a number of other awards, including CBCA Book of the Year for Older Readers and the Aurealis YA Fiction Award. When she’s not writing, Em is generally getting lost, losing things, reading, hanging out with her friends and family, and listening to podcasts. Although her books veer to the creepy, Em is a wimp when it comes to scary stuff and always locks her doors at night.