The Authors:

Meagan and Mark were inspired by their two children, Maverick and Mazy, to begin crafting Children's Picture Books. Each story is created with a unique problem in mind so that children will begin discussing obstacles and problem- solving. The writing process involves both Meagan and Mark brainstorming ideas or talking about events that took place in one of their lives, or the lives of one of their children. Once the story has been established, Mark brings it to life with his vivid illustrations.

While collaboration comes easily for them now, both Meagan and Mark faced challenges of their own growing up. Meagan had great difficulties with reading comprehension and Mark was diagnosed with dyslexia in the second grade.

• Meagan is an elementary school teacher who received her Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education in 2004 from University of South Florida (USF). Currently, she is the Supervisor of a free tutoring program for low- income children in select Pinellas County schools in Florida. Because of her struggle with reading as a child, she vowed to become a teacher who would make learning fun for all kids — even those who despised reading. She is excited to travel around to various schools and share her new book with students of all ages.
  
  
• Mark is currently a Police Officer in a small community near Tampa, Florida. After graduating high school, he enrolled in International Academy of Design and Technology in hopes of pursuing a career as an animator for Disney. He quickly realized that he was very talented in sketching portraits and decided to try to become a criminal sketch artist for local law enforcement agencies. Mark enrolled in St. Petersburg College and graduated in 2005. His path in life led him to become a police officer in 2006. He has accomplished several feats, some of which often seemed impossible to him. His mission in life is to show children that ANYTHING is possible when you put your mind to it. Determination is key, and there really are NO excuses in life for not succeeding at something you want to accomplish.

Together, Meagan and Mark now share a love for children's literature and see the value in reading because they believe that placing a book in a child's hands empowers them to explore several genres without leaving the comfort of their home, and also allows them to learn about endless- new subjects and places. After all, there is no better place for children to be than in the well worn pages of their favorite story.