About the Author

Here are some more interesting facts about Mark.​

• Mark was born and raised in Colorado Springs. He lived only a few miles away from where the Hot Air Balloon Festival took place every year. And, just like in the book, Mark's dad woke him and his siblings up early so that they could watch the crews inflate the envelopes and watch the balloons soar through the air.

• At 12 years old, Mark experienced his first hot air balloon ride. And even though that was a long time ago, Mark has never forgotten the thrill of soaring through the sky with a giant balloon above his head.

• As a kid, Mark wasn’t a very good speller. In fact, he was so bad at 5th grade spelling that his teacher provided him extra tutoring help after class. (Thank you, Miss Michaux!)

• In his early teen years, Mark was a competitive gymnast, ranking 2nd in the state of Colorado, and 5th in the region (class II competition). He even trained at the Olympic Training Center and Air Force Academy.

• In Papua New Guinea, Mark explored some of the most remote areas of the island nation. He once hiked with nationals on a 30-day journey to document tribal populations and language groups.

• Mark and Kari (his wife) have two children. Megan is in 8th grade and Tyler is in 7th grade. Incredibly, Megan’s favorite school subject is spelling! Tyler’s favorite subject is math.

• Mark's worldwide travels have provided him with lots of stories and fantastic memories.

​

Oh! Guess what else? Mark is always SUPER EXCITED to talk with readers. If you enjoyed Trapped in a Hot Air Balloon, send him a comment or ask him a question. He replies back to every single person that contacts him!