As a visionary storyteller and animal activist, Erik Daniel Shein blends his talent for children's and young adult writing with a passion for CGI animation and animal health and well-being. He has authored and co-written more than 30 novels and feature films, including the animated fantasy adventure tale, The Legend of The Secret Pass (Lions Gate Entertainment, 2019), which first began as a co-written novel by Erik and fellow author, Melissa Davis. In addition to his writing, Erik is the founder and CEO of Shein Partnership LLC; a revered leader in the entertainment and publishing domains; and a producer, voice actor, and trained herpetologist. Born in Southern Illinois, Melissa Davis fell in love with reading from an early age, so much so that she started writing when she was in the second grade. From poetry, to short stories, she has a love for it all. When she was in high school she attended Illinois Summer School for the Arts at Illinois State University, which led her to attend the university. After graduating with a Bachelors in Education, Melissa taught for several years until her children were born, allowing her to fulfill two dreams at once: motherhood and penning her first books.