Hels Ryan is a writer, storyteller, strategic communications and engagement specialist, and former print and broadcast journalist. She has an undying love of animals, particularly dogs but all animals, and travel. She especially likes mixing with people from other cultures and nations because she learns so much from them. During her time as a journalist in both New Zealand and Australia, she has worked as a political commentator, health and education specialist reporter and even covered fashion. Her particular love, however, was championing social justice and fairness and she finds it distressing that the stories she covered in the early 2000s about the poor conditions and pay for nursing, are being repeated still today.

She is also passionate about her awesome son, Jared, and Wellington where she now lives.

The Boy with a Suitcase is her first published novel.