Gabe Chong was born and raised in the diverse East-West pluralism of Singapore. The proud father of two able, inspiring daughters, he lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland, with his wife, Addie, outnumbered by the trio. But loving it.

An architect, history enthusiast, and army officer in his youth, he enjoys inventive pursuits and scripts stories circling the World War II era. With a designer’s creative bent, he delves into the past setting, highlighting its core elements and animates his characters by blending their values, customs, and fares into a richly crafted plot. He explores their ethnic likenesses and distinctions. Quirks too. All the while, he draws on his awareness of the arts.

Creating narratives rendering the charm and allure - and warts - of bygone days delights him. Where his tales span across the seas, they remain centred on Asia, a region he holds dear, and on Australia, a land to which he feels bound. They persist in captivating him.

Books on his dad’s bookshelf, like John Vader’s factual Spitfire and the classic works of Dickens, Maugham, Fitzgerald, and Clavell, were the seeds of his passion. His library grew to embrace nonfiction, alongside war, spy, crime, and romance novels. They feature leading lights such as Ludlum, Follett, and Harris, besides Lesley Downer, Mark Sullivan, and Lisa See. Likewise, Kristin Hannah, Tan Twan Eng, and Kate Quinn. Their influences shape his writing in plot and world-building.

Outside his den, he relishes travel, hikes, skiing, and capturing moments on his DSLR, not least prowling for authentic street food, craft coffee, and chocolate. Scrumptious, salubrious, rich and dark.

Embark on a journey with Gabe….