Bio

John McLaughlin captures the grit, danger, and moral complexity with authenticity and cinematic intensity in his traditional and contemporary western novels. By balancing realism, action, and character development, he creates western narratives that feel both historically immersive and emotionally compelling.

His first two novels encompass historical fiction of the Arizona Rangers of 1901-09. The third novel is an action-packed thriller following a young man’s return from Vietnam and his attempt to find peace in the wilderness of New Mexico as a Wilderness Ranger.

McLaughlin writes knowledgeably about rangers and the Southwest. He worked as a Wilderness Ranger with the U.S. Forest service and enjoyed a career as a US Law Enforcement Ranger with the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management, retiring after thirty years as Regional Staff Ranger for Arizona and New Mexico.

He has been an avid reader of all genres since a young age, but he especially enjoys the western genre. He lives with his wife of fifty-three years near Silver City, New Mexico and helps his long-time friend from Wilderness Ranger days with ranch work.

His goal is to create the very best stories with a set of characters that truly enhance the story and allow readers to relate to them in a personal way.

Ask him about his newest novel, $100 … AND FOUND, that he is currently working on.