Melissa Morse

Melissa Morse is a children’s book writer and illustrator living in the Pacific Northwest with her amazing husband and two wonderful children. She writes for her kids. To put smiles on their faces, as they do for her.

Morse is a former TV news reporter and anchor. Her work has won awards for fiction short stories, been published in a national magazine, and rode over the airwaves of network affiliates in the Northwest.

Her first book, Sometimes the Moon is a story about the power of a mother’s love. With sweet and gentle rhymes, Sometimes the Moon makes a delightful bedtime story. Her second book is a whimsical tale about a young girl discovering a new day. It’s Threesday (and it’s the greatest day there ever was!).

To read more, please visit her website (http://www.melissamorse.com). She hopes her books may add a little sweetness to your story times.

Salina Yoon

Salina Yoon was born as Yoon, Ah in Busan, Korea. She came to the United States in 1976 at age 4, which was when she was given her current name, "Salina." Salina is an author, illustrator and format designer of nearly two hundred innovative novelty books for young children, specializing in formats that are unique and interactive. Many of her books have flaps, tabs, die-cuts and wheels.

Recently, Salina created a character named Penguin for a picture books series. Some of the book titles are Penguin and Pinecone, Penguin in Love, and Penguin on Vacation.

This dot was inspired by TAP TO PLAY book (releasing Oct/2014, by HarperCollins)

Learn more about Salina on her website.

Aileen Stewart

"May Your World Always Be Full of Color and Texture!"

Aileen Stewart resides in Shelby, Ohio with her husband, daughter, and crazy cats. She is a fun early grade children's author, a blogger, a public Speaker, a children's writing workshop host, freelance magazine author, and a stay at home mom. Besides being a reading enthusiast, a writing enthusiast, and recipe creator; she loves to put puzzles together, quilt, take pictures, garden, travel, Geocache, and bird-watch. She is a library volunteer at her local library where she is in charge of the children's display case, and she volunteers at her daughter's school.

Learn more about Aileen on her website. 

Sage Blackwood

Sage Blackwood was born in Chicago and grew up in New York State. She graduated from Antioch College and the University at Albany, and taught ESL for many years. Her first fantasy novel, JINX, was selected as a Best Book of 2013 by Kirkus, Booklist, School Library Journal, and Amazon. (Source)

Booklist 2013 Editor's Choice Chicago Public Library 2014 "Best of the Best" 2013 Cybils shortlist Kirkus Best Books of 2013 An Amazon Best Book of the Year 2013 #3 on Indie Next List Horn Book "Recommended Fantasy Books" 2013 Panda Book Awards shortlist (China) A School Library Journal Best Book of 2013

Learn more about Sage Blackwood on her website.

Erin Dealey

As a high school theater teacher, Erin Dealey wrote scripts for her school assemblies because she couldn’t find any good skits for 35+ kids, and they weren’t supposed to do much Christmas stuff at the winter assembly…. Erin writes, "One day I picked up a cheesy YA novel one of my drama students had left on stage and thought, I can do that.

As it turns out, children’s books are a lot like theater. My background in theater allows me to create strong characters and I can hear the dialog in my head. The idea for my first picture book, Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox popped into my head while I was writing the YA."

Learn more about Erin on her website.

Drew Daywalt

Ever since his childhood in one of Ohio’s most haunted houses, writer director Drew Daywalt has been writing escapist fantasy and building worlds of his own. With a degree in Creative Writing, and a concentration in Children’s Literature from Emerson College in Boston, Daywalt set off to Hollywood where he spent years writing for Disney and Universal on such beloved shows as Timon & Pumba, Buzz Lightyear, and Woody Woodpecker, and where his animated series The Wacky World of Tex Avery garnered an Emmy nomination. 

His first trip into live action landed him studio screenwriting and feature film directing work with such Hollywood luminaries as Quentin Tarrantino,  Lawrence Bender, Tony Scott, Brett Ratner and Jerry Bruckheimer. 

With an eye toward picture book writing, Daywalt’s first book THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT, debuted on the New York Times Best Seller’s List in June 2013, and has since become a number 1 Best Seller.  (Source: The Nerdy Bookclub)

J. C. Phillipps

Author/Illustrator J. C. Phillipps grew up in Perrysburg, Ohio where she spent most Saturdays taking classes at the Toledo Museum of Art. After graduating as Valedictorian of Mason Senior High School, she went to study art and theater at Hope College in Holland, MI. 

Ms. Phillipps lived in New York and Chicago for brief amounts of time before settling down in Boston, where she earned her MA at Emerson College and got married.

For two and a half years, she taught the Kindergarten – 1st Grade group at an after-school program which exposed her to a great amount of children's books. That's when she first started getting serious about a career in writing and illustrating.

Ms. Phillipps moved to Connecticut, had a son, acquired a cat, and joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI.) Her first book was, Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to Be Noticed.

Learn More about Julie on her website!

Her books include: Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to Be Noticed, Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to Nap, and Monkey Ono.  The Simples Love a Picnic is coming out April 2014.