Welcome
Welcome to my author website. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to explore the various areas that represent my work as a mystery writer and, most recently, as a contemporary western writer.
In my early career, I was a police officer in Bellevue,
Washington. The state of Colorado (think skiing) called my name, and I moved my family to Denver where I continued policing.
I took a job at a small community college, and realized I enjoyed teaching. Since I wanted to teach at the university level, I needed more education. Fast forward several years, and equipped with a degree from the University of Northern Colorado in Criminal Justice, I began my career at Illinois State University.
My passion for the west led me to Utah where I spent 25 years as a Professor of Criminal Justice at Weber State University. It was during my years there, I started to think about writing a mystery.
I received an appointment from Utah's governor to serve on the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole where we heard cases of prisoners who were eligible for parole. I was also, at that time, teaching a contemporary prisons class. Those experiences led to my first novel, The Commission, a gripping story that took readers inside the prison system in Utah. It took several years to write and more years to get it published, but when it was, I was delighted that it was touted as one of Publisher’s Weekly top 100 books of 2007. And it received a starred review!
Needless to say, I decided to create The Sam Kincaid Mystery Series, and I wrote two more novels, Silent Witness, and Slow Burn.
I met a former student who had become the first Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Law Enforcement Ranger assigned to patrol 2.1 million acres of the newly created Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. I spent a few days patrolling the vast area with him as he shared the complexity of policing such a large and isolated area by himself. From that incredible experience, the J. D. Books Mystery Series was born. I wrote two more novels, On Deadly Ground and Skeleton Picnic.
Lately my interests have expanded, and I have written several western short stories focused on the American southwest primarily and the Apache Wars in particular. Two of these stories, Lozen’s War and A Death of Crows have been published and have received three awards.
You can find more information about my books and short stories under the specific tabs on my website. I hope you’ll take a look. You’ll find shareable links provided by Saddlebag Dispatches, the publisher of Lozen’s War and A Death of Crows, that will enable you to read those stories.
In the last year, my wife Diane and I moved, with our pit bull, Kady Bird Johnson, to Ajijic, Mexico in the Lake Chapala area. It’s a new and exciting experience to live outside of the United States. I have ample time to write, and I belong to a local authors’ group.
Finally, I love to hear from readers, so please visit the Contact Tab and drop me a note. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Books and Short Stories by Author Michael Norman
J. D. Books Contemporary Western Mystery Series
Western Short Stories
Lozen’s War, Saddlebag Dispatches, Summer 2022 Volume 8 Issue 1
A Death of Crows, Saddlebag Dispatches, Winter 2023, Volume 9 Issue 2