Joan Merkin currently works as a recruiter.  She first came up with the idea of writing “Challenge of the Dragon” from a psychology class she was taking on “Psychology and Children’s Literature.” For the final exam, students had the choice of either taking a written essay exam or creating a children’s story.  Being a fan of fantasy adventure stories, Joan decided to write a book.  Enlisting the help of her brother, they created “Challenge of the Dragon.”  Her professor was very impressed by the story and the design, so she told Joan she should have it published.  After years of being denied by publishing companies, Joan decided to seek the self publish route.

David Merkin currently is an attorney.  He has been an avid fan of the fantasy adventure genre for many years.  When Joan asked him to help her with the book, he was excited to help create a fantasy adventure story.  It was their intention to create a story in which children could not only engulf themselves in the story, but also learn a lesson from it as well.  The result was “Challenge of the Dragon” – a rich story that teaches children that when working as a team, nothing is out of reach.