About the Author: Melissa Stanton

Melissa Stanton

Melissa works as a website editor in Washington D.C. Previously, she did similar (albeit pre-web) work in New York at Time Inc., where she was a senior editor at LIFE and People magazines. In between, she spent several years as a part-time editorial consultant and full-time stay-at-home mom to her son and twin daughters (one of whom is the Ava of My Pen Pal, Santa). Melissa is the author of two books: The Stay-at-Home Survival Guide: Field-tested strategies for staying smart, sane and connected while caring for your kids (a “support group in a book” for stay-at-home moms, published by Seal Press/Perseus) and My Pen Pal, Santa, her first children’s book. She lives near Annapolis, MD, with her husband and children, three dogs, one cat and 11 egg-laying hens. (Melissa is represented by Ronnie Herman of the Herman Agency, Inc.)

 About the Illustrator: Jennifer A. Bell

Jennifer A. Bell

Jennifer is an illustrator whose work can be found on greeting cards, magazines, and more than a dozen children’s books. She studied fine art at the Columbus College of Art and Design and spent many years as a seasonal giftware designer and freelance greeting card illustrator before illustrating her first book, Far Flutterby by Karen Kingsbury. Jennifer has illustrated many books since, including Too Shy for Show-and-Tell by Beth Bracken (awarded the Eric Hoffer Grand Prize in 2012), Little Dog, Lost by Marion Dane Bauer, the Stella Batts series by Courtney Sheinmel, When a Dad Says ‘I Love You’ by Douglas Wood, and most recently My Pen Pal, Santa. Jennifer lives in Minneapolis, MN, with her husband, son and cranky cat. Visit her at jenniferabell.com. (She is represented by Shannon Associates.)