Phelan's first novel, Fox Hunt, was published in his native Australia in 2006. It was here that readers first met investigative journalist Lachlan Fox, heroically confronting challenges on the bridge between the Cold War and the age of neo-terrorism. Phelan has said that Fox Hunt exists as homage to both past and contemporary social and political issues. Whatever the case, fans wasted no time in making it understood that Phelan had hit the right notes: Fox Hunt was received with great acclaim and enjoyed multiple printings.

Phelan's second novel, Patriot Act, furthered the adventures of Lachlan Fox. Released in 2007, it was set mainly in New York city and France and features Fox investigating a series of murders in Europe that are linked to a pending hack on the NSA's computers. By the end of Patriot Act, Fox is dark and angry, preparing us for the more moody feel of this year's Blood Oil.

Blood Oil is Phelan's third novel. The author says it focuses on "an oil crisis worse than we could ever imagine," one that includes "terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Nigeria, then finally in the United States" at which point gas prices are driven "through the roof. For reporter Lachlan Fox," Phelan says, "it's about much more than this -- he's lost a friend to these terrorists and he wants revenge. Through this journey he not only finds out the truth behind all these attacks, it's a journey of identity for himself."

While Phelan continues to maintain a home in Melbourne, he finds himself spending an increasing amount of time in New York, something the author himself sees as a natural progression. Phelan's protagonist "Aussie ex-soldier/spy turned investigative reporter" Lachlan Fox lives in New York because "it's probably the greatest city in the world. I can write well from Lachlan's point of view there as it's like writing about my point of view as an ex-pat living there. And Australians are very much like Americans anyway -- we just aren't allowed to own guns and don't have a bill of rights."

But back to the aforementioned world domination: something the 29-year-old author seems to have well in hand. "My goal was to be published by 25 and I signed and delivered my manuscript by then. Now I just need to dominate the world by 30... that Dan Brown guy has had a good run, move over already!"

Contributing editor Linda L. Richards is also the editor of January Magazine and a contributor to The Rap Sheet.  Her fifth novel, DEATH WAS IN THE PICTURE, will be published St. Martin's Minotaur/Thomas Dunne January 2009.