Rio Hondo

Author Bio: Matt Braun

Matt Braun (1932–2016) was the author of forty-four novels and four nonfiction works, including Black Fox, which was made into a CBS miniseries. He specialized in fictional stories of the western frontier, which have sold over forty million copies. He won the Golden Spur Award from the Western Writers of America for The Kincaids. Born in Oklahoma, he was a fourth-generation Westerner, steeped in the tradition and lore of the frontier era. His books reflect a heritage rich with the truths of that bygone time. Raised among the Cherokee and Osage tribes, he learned their traditions and culture, and their philosophy became the foundation of his own beliefs. Like his ancestors, he has spent most of his life wandering the mountains and plains of the West. His heritage and his contribution to Western literature resulted in his appointment by the governor of Oklahoma as a territorial marshal. He also won the Owen Wister Award for lifetime achievement and the Festival of the West Cowboy Spirit Award.