Our Team

Mike Bezilla is the Regional Advisor for SCBWI Pennsylvania: West. He is the author of the picture book series, The Adventures of Michael John. Book two, Space Race! is now available. He has a second picture book series in the works, The S’mores Family. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, he currently lives just north of the city with his wife and two daughters and their cat, Elsa, and dog, Bruce. He has been an Instructional Designer for over a decade and enjoys writing, reading and reviewing books in his free time. He is an active member of the book reviewing community, BookSirens. He is a proud Pittsburgher and celebrates all things black and gold. He graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology.

Joe Mruk, aka Red Buffalo Illustration, is a Pittsburgh-based full-time freelance illustrator with ten years of experience. Joe is working on a middle-grade graphic novel series, Oslo. Most of his existing work is music-based with an emphasis on posters, maps and album art. Having graduated with a BFA in painting and graphic design at Cal U of Pennsylvania, he has now been freelancing for ten years. He has experience teaching illustration privately and in groups. When he’s not illustrating, he can be found walking his dog October around town or going to shows in the city.

Laura Garvin is an illustrator and dreamer who has a passion for drawing cute characters and colorful scenes. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her cat Blueberry and when she isn’t drawing she loves exploring new art mediums, reading, and spending time outdoors.

Meghan Francisco enjoys writing both fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. She holds a BA in English Literature and French from Elmira College and an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Meghan grew up in New York State and spent over a decade in the San Francisco Bay Area, both places that have heavily influenced her writing. She lives with her family, which includes four cats, a corgi, one inquisitive kiddo, and a scientist, near Highland Park in Pittsburgh, the land of the Osage, Shawandasse Tula, and Monongahela. Meghan is also a private tutor with 14 years of experience working with students in reading, writing, and elementary math. Many of her stories are inspired by former students and their interests in everything from outer space and airplanes to snakes and donuts!

Rebecca E. Hirsch has written more than 80 science and nature books for kids. Her writing is shaped by a childhood in the western Pennsylvania countryside, a PhD in the life sciences, and a background as a working biologist. She won the SCBWI Anna Cross Giblin Nonfiction Work-in-Progress Award in 2011, as well as the Green Prize for Sustainable Literature and the Riverby Award for Excellence in Nature Writing. When she’s not writing, she loves to spend time with her husband and three daughters, work in her garden, tend her small flock of chickens, and take long walks in the woods.