Years of working as a counsellor and youth worker inspired the Tasmanian author to pen his debut thriller novel The Bluffs.

Mr Perry is set to share his story and talk about the novel during a Port Macquarie Hastings Library Service live online chat on Saturday, October 10, from 2pm.

"Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a writer," he said.

At the age of 16, he turned his attention towards writing a book and a novel-length manuscript was the result.

Mr Perry averaged a manuscript a year for a decade until he wrote The Bluffs which was picked up by Penguin Random House.

The Australian crime novel explores what happens when a group of four teenage girls go missing - from the ramifications on their families, their friends and their community, to the secrets which emerge.

The Bluffs is unflinching in its portrayal of mental illness, the cycle of addiction and generational trauma.

It is about the evil things good-natured people do in a claustrophobic Tasmanian town and is described as Mean Girls meets Picnic at Hanging Rock.

The coronavirus pandemic robbed Mr Perry of an author tour but he has taken part in online events.

"I have really enjoyed the interviews and enjoyed strangers having really insightful questions about my book," he said.

"I am happiest when I am writing," he said. "To be able to do that [write] and get paid for it, I'm living the dream."

Mr Perry divides his time between his job in men's rehabilitation and writing.

People must register on the library's website at: https://mnclibrary.org.au/event/kyle-perry-live-online/ to join the live online chat.