Bruce Coville was born in Syracuse, New York.  With the exception of a one year spent a Duke University, he has lived in and around Central New York, until 1990 when he moved back to New York City for 2 years. Now he is back in Syracuse, where he lives with his wife Katherine. Katherine is an artist and she and Bruce have collaborated on many books together including: Goblins in the Castle, Aliens Ate My Homework and The World's Worst Fairy Godmother. Together they have raised two sons and a daughter.

Like most people, Bruce was not able to start selling his stories right away, so he had other stories along the way to becoming a writer including toymaker, gravedigger, cookware salesman and assembly line worker. Eventually he became a teacher, working with second and fourth graders.

Since he was a child, Bruce has dreamed  of becoming a writer. He feels very lucky to be making his living doing something that he really loves.

Rushton Hurley has worked and studied on three continents as a Japanese language teacher, principal of an online high school, teacher trainer, educational technology researcher, and school reform consultant.  He founded and is executive director of the educational nonprofit Next Vista for Learning, which houses a free library of videos by and for teachers and students at NextVista.org.

At Stanford University his graduate research included using speech recognition technology with beginning students of Japanese in computer-based role-playing scenarios for developing language skills.  In the 1990's his work with teenagers at a high school in San José led him to begin using internet and video technologies to make learning more active, helping him reach students who had struggled under more traditional approaches.  Rushton has trained teachers around the country, and regularly presents at national and international conferences.  His fun and thoughtful talks center on the connection between engaging learning and useful, affordable technology, as well as professional perspectives of teachers.