Jan Reid was born in Abilene, Texas, grew up in Wichita Falls, and after graduate school at the University of Texas has lived in Austin for many years. Much of his early career was spent writing much-praised articles and essays for Texas Monthly, Esquire, Men’s Journal, and other magazines. His twelve nonfiction books include THE IMPROBABLE RISE OF REDNECK ROCK (1974) and LET THE PEOPLE IN, his biography of the late Texas governor Ann Richards. The biography won numerous awards, including book of the year for 2012 from the Texas State Historical Association. In recent years he has pivoted in his writing to his first love, fiction. His second novel COMANCHE SUNDOWN (2010) and third SINS OF THE YOUNGER SONS (2017) won the Jesse H. Jones fiction of the year awards from the Texas Institute of Letters. Only a handful of authors have twice won that award, which dates back half a century.