Karen Brooks is an Australian author, columnist, social commentator and academic. Brooks was born Sydney, New South Wales, and now lives in Hobart, Tasmania, with her partner and two children. As well as her fantasy novels for children and young adults, written under both Karen Brooks and Karen R. Brooks, she has also published short stories and non-fiction works. Her most recent fantasy trilogy is The Curse of the Bond Riders. Brooks was a member of the "Brains Trust" on the ABC TV quiz show, The Einstein Factor and she was listed in the inaugural edition Who's Who of Australian Women (2007). Her non-fiction book, 'Consuming Innocence: Popular Culture And Our Children' (2008), examined the complex relationship that children have with popular culture and addressed the roles that both popul