Michael Zimmer is a best-selling American author, renowned for his Westerns, History, and Historical Fiction novels. Born in Indiana, he spent his childhood in Colorado before settling in Utah with his wife and their two dogs. Zimmer has authored over a dozen novels, including the acclaimed Charlie Red (2016) and The Poacher’s Daughter (2016). His work has received significant recognition from esteemed publications such as Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Historical Novel Society, and Library Journal.
One of Zimmer's most notable works, City of Rocks, was distinguished as one of the top ten Western novels by Booklist in 2012. It was also a finalist during the Western Writers of America Spur Award. His writing prowess has been further acknowledged with accolades such as the 2015 Wrangler Award for Outstanding Novel for The Poacher's Daughter and the 2019 Spur Award for Short Fiction for The Medicine Robe. Other notable works include The Rusted Sun and Billy Pinto's War. His latest novel, Villa Lobos, was published in March 2020. Zimmer's works have consistently been finalists for prestigious awards, including the Western Writers of America Spur Award for Rio Tinto and the Elmer Kelton Award from the Academy of Western Artists.