J. Michael Orenduff

J. Michael Orenduff is an accomplished American mystery writer, best known for his series of Pot Thief books. One of his most famous works, "The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein," won the Lefty award for the best humorous mystery of the year at the Left Coast Crime Conference in Santa Fe.

Orenduff was born and raised in New Mexico, in a house so close to the Rio Grande that he could have tossed a tortilla Frisbee style, right into Mexico. Despite his playful nature, he went on to have a successful career in higher education, teaching at thirteen universities and colleges across three countries and states. He was an academic dean three times, twice vice president, and president in four universities, and even served as a statewide chancellor once. Orenduff's pioneering work in distance education earned him recognition in Newt Gingrich's book "To Renew America."

After retiring early from higher education, Orenduff embarked on a new career as a fiction writer. His play, "The Christmas Visitor," has won numerous awards, and his murder mystery series has received many accolades. The first book in the series, "The Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagoras," won the national Dark Oak Mystery Contest, and the Kindle version won the EPIC eBook Mystery of the Year for 2009. The second book in the series, "The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy," won the Best Fiction Book of the Year for 2010 from the Public Safety Writers Association, and the Kindle version won the EPIC eBook Mystery of the Year for 2009.

Orenduff received his M.A. from the University of New Mexico and his doctorate from Tulane University. He and his wife, Lai, a noted art historian, have two grown children and one grandson. Orenduff enjoys hearing from his readers and theater patrons.