James R. Olson

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Jim Olson was first published by the Houghton Mifflin Company in 1973. His fiction has won the Southwest Border Regional Library Association Award for historical fiction, The Evelyn Oppenheimer "Oppie" for outstanding fiction, and the Council for Wisconsin Writers best novel of the year. His book-length fiction covers both historical fiction and police action thrillers, now general mainstream fiction. In addition to novels, Jim has published numerous short stories and articles in national magazines. With Thomas R. Watson, Ph.D., he has written a non-fiction self help book for those struggling with an excess of debt, From Debt To Wealth.

Since his father was a career soldier, Jim grew up as the proverbial Army Brat. His first excursion into the military world was a two year sojourn in Osaka, Japan where he attended the Osaka American Schools for the sixth and seventh grades. Then he lived a year in Morganfield, Kentucky while his father was stationed at Camp Breckenridge. From there his family moved to Mainz, Germany (where Gutenberg is credited with the invention of a method of printing from movable type - do you suppose this is where he gained his love of books and writing?). The General H.H. Arnold American High School was located across the Rhine River in Wiesbaden, Germany where he enjoyed the pleasures of German hospitality and cuisine until the middle of his senior year, when he returned to the U.S.

Jim credits the opportunity to live in and enjoy diverse cultures with many of his insights into the human condition. The travel and the making of many new friends were an experience he would not trade for any other life style.

After High School graduation and a tour in the Marine Corps, Jim attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he studied engineering. After college he traveled to Arizona where he bought a horse and went into the mountains to research the locales of his first novel, Ulzana. Eventually he settled in Wisconsin, married, and had twin sons. His writing career was interrupted when he was given custody of his sons and had to devote his time to learning how to be a "housewife" and "mother". Since his sons have been gown and have gone on with their lives, he has resumed his dedication to writing. For the last several years he has been living in East Texas where he is working on another novel.