Michael Norman - Western and Mystery Author

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 as a writer of contemporary western mysteries. Most recently, I have also begun writing 19th century western short stories.

I grew up in Seattle, and, in my early career, I was a police officer in Bellevue, Washington. The state of Colorado called my name (think skiing), and I moved to Denver where I continued to police.

 While I was still in law enforcement, I started teaching criminal justice courses at a nearby community college and realized that I really enjoyed teaching. Fast forward several years, during which time I completed graduate studies at the University of Northern Colorado, and I accepted a position in the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences at Illinois State University. 

A year later, 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.

 My debut novel, The Commission, was published in 2007, while I was still on the faculty at Weber State University. I had been appointed by the Governor to serve on the Utah State Parole Board. This book centered on a powerful member of that board who arrived home late one night where he was gunned down in his driveway.

The book was well received, earned numerous, solid reviews, and was named one of Publisher's Weekly top 100 books of 2007. Needless to say, I decided to create the Sam Kincaid Mystery Series, and I wrote Silent Witness and Slow Burn.

Soon my writing interests expanded, and I found myself immersed in the divisive rhetoric and politics of federal land management in rural southern Utah. In 1996, when President Clinton designated a 2.1 million-acre parcel of federal land as a national monument, it delighted environmental groups but touched off an angry firestorm of criticism from local residents and politicians who decried federal overreach. Rural residents  opposed protecting more federal land from development, and instead, wanted the federal land used for job creation in mining, timber harvesting, and ranching (more crops and livestock grazing).

The two opposing sides have indeed come to blows, and out of that conflict the J. D. Books Mystery Series was born. This series features Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Law Enforcement Ranger, J. D. Books. I've written two novels in this series, On Deadly Ground and Skeleton Picnic.
Lately my interests have again expanded, and I have written several 19th century short stories, focused generally on the American southwest and the Apache Wars in particular.  Two stories, Lozen's War and A Death of Crows were published by Saddlebag Dispatches Magazine and have both received a prized Will Rogers Medallion Award. A Death of Crows also won the inaugural Longhorn Prize from Saddlebag Dispatches Magazine. Under my Western Novels and Stories tab, you will find shareable links provided by Saddlebag Dispatches that will enable you to read those stories.

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. We have enjoyed a slower, more relaxed lifestyle, and I have ample time to write. 

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.