Jeffrey J. Mariotte has written more than seventy books, including the Cody Cavanaugh Western novel series, Blood and Gold: The Legend of Joaquin Murrieta (with Peter Murrieta); supernatural thrillers River Runs Red, Missing White Girl, and Cold Black Hearts; horror epic The Slab; acclaimed thrillers Flesh of All Sorrows, Empty Rooms, and The Devil's Bait; weird western Deadlands: Thunder Moon Rising; and teen horror quartet Year of the Wicked. With his wife and writing partner Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell, he wrote the science fiction thriller 7 SYKOS and Mafia III: Plain of Jars, the authorized prequel to the hit video game, and numerous shorter works. Three of his novels have won Scribe Awards for Best Original Novel, presented by the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. He's also won the Inkpot Award from the San Diego Comic-Con and is a co-winner of the Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He's been a finalist for the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America, the Peacemaker Award from the Western Fictioneers, the International Horror Guild Award, and the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association.He is the author of many comic books and graphic novels, including the original Western series Desperadoes, some of which have been nominated for Harvey, Glyph, Stoker, and International Horror Guild Awards. He is a member of the Western Writers of America, Western Fictioneers, International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, the Horror Writers Association, and the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. He has worked in virtually every aspect of the book and publishing business, as a bookstore manager and owner, VP of Marketing for Image Comics/WildStorm, Senior Editor for DC Comics/WildStorm, and Editor-in-Chief for IDW Publishing. When he's not writing, reading, or editing something, he's probably out enjoying the desert landscape around the Arizona home he shares with his family and pets. Find him online at jeffmariotte.com, facebook.com/JeffreyJMariotte, and on Twitter at @JeffMariotte.