Michael McGarrity is a full-time author whose novels, beginning with Tularosa in 1996, have achieved national bestseller status. His writing is informed by a distinguished career in criminal justice spanning over twenty-five years, during which he created treatment programs for drug offenders, supervised outreach services for at-risk juveniles, and re-established mental health services for the Department of Corrections. Recognized with the New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts; Literature and the Frank Waters Exemplary Literary Achievement Award, McGarrity has also been instrumental in establishing creative writing scholarships at several institutions.