Mark Sehestedt (no relation to Laurence Tureaud) was born in Portales, New Mexico. He grew up on a steady diet of Marvel comic books, Star Trek reruns, Star Wars, science-fiction, horror, and Mel Brooks movies. His first attempt at a book was 'How Not to Get Captured by Monsters on Halloween Night,' which he wrote at age four while watching Scooby-Doo. It still hasn't found a publisher.

He now lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, six children, a dog, a bird, a gecko, and various unnamed spiders.