ASHLEY KALAGIAN BLUNT
Get to know Australia’s new thriller writer who’s set to make a big name for herself this year!
Tell us a little bit about Ashley…
I’m originally from Canada, and lived and worked in South Korea, Peru and Mexico before moving to Australia in 2011. I fell in love with Sydney and have been here ever since. My first publication happened when I was seven. A story I’d written for my grade one class became part of the Young Saskatchewan Writers school district anthology. I’m obsessed with true crime and crime fiction, and will fall asleep listening to podcasts about serial killers. Weird, I know.
Describe your book in one sentence...
Dark Mode is a psychological thriller that explores the intersection of violence and misogyny online and in real life through the story of a Sydney garden centre owner, whose discovery of a murdered woman near her home makes her a suspect.
What sparked your writing journey?
I’ve always been a huge fan of crime and thriller authors, including JP Pomare, Candice Fox, Tana French, Karin Slaughter and John Sandford. In 2017, I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, and spent months homebound, listening to hundreds of hours of true crime podcasts. I also watched 430 episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, in order. At that point, I had to admit I might be a bit obsessed with crime narratives.
Name one book from your childhood that had an impact on you and why...
The Nancy Drew/ Hardy Boys crossover! I loved both series (had a big crush on Frank, of course – I always went for the smart one), and it was so exciting to see these characters that
I adored step into each other’s worlds. I learned a lot from the Nancy Drew series especially, and still wedge a chair under the doorknob of any hotel room I sleep alone in, thanks to her!
Of all famous authors – living or dead – who would you invite to dinner? Why?
I would love to sit down with Karin Slaughter and ask detailed questions about how she writes such sharp prose and intricate plots so quickly. I mean honestly, does she have several clones of herself handcuffed to typewriters?!
What’s one piece of advice you would give to aspiring writers?
Many aspiring and emerging writers have a key question buzzing in their minds – “Can I do this? Should I keep going, or am I wasting my time?” I asked it all the time during my long tenure as an aspiring writer, and I kept sending my work to tutors and mentors, hoping someone could give me a definitive answer. It turns out it’s not a matter of whether or not you can do it. It’s just a matter of how long it might take, and if you can stick with it long enough. And no one can answer that but you.