Bruce Hale (www.brucehale.com), an Edgar Award nominee, is passionate about encouraging reluctant readers to read. He's written or illustrated over 30 children's books, including The Curse of the Were-Hyena, the first in the Monstertown Mysteries series, the famous Chet Gecko Mysteries series, and the Clark the Shark picture book series. Bruce is in high demand as a speaker, having spoken at conferences, universities, and schools across North America. He is also a Fulbright Scholar in Storytelling. Regional advertising, theater, and an independent film, The Ride, are among his acting credits. The Malted Falcon, Bruce's novel, was a finalist for the Edgar Award.

The Little D Award for Comedy Writing went to Murder, My Tweet. He resides in the city of Santa Barbara, California.