CANDICE RANSOM, who has never wanted to be anything besides a children's book writer, has published 110 award-winning books for children and young adults. She teaches in the children's literature program at Hollins University. Candice lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia, with her husband and her cat, Atticus. Visit her at candiceransom.com. MONIQUE DONG has always been drawn to illustration. At the age of 19 she headed off to Cape Town, South Africa, where she studied animation at City Varsity. She then began work at one of South Africa's only animation companies at the time, Clockwork Zoo, and animated for Disney Channel's ""Florrie's Dragons."" She married her now husband in 2011 and shortly thereafter moved to China, where they live now.