Max Allan McCoy (born October 30, 1958) is an American

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...

and

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire ...

. He is the author of ten westerns, two thrillers, four original

Indiana Jones ''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise based on the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., a fictional professor of archaeology, that began in 1981 with the film '' Raiders of the Lost Ark''. In 1984, a prequel, '' Th ...

adventures, the novelization of the mini-series '' Into the West'' and the first three volumes in ''Wylde’s West'', a paranormal mystery series.

Biography

Born in Baxter Springs,

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

, McCoy is the son of Carl McCoy (1924–1997) and Mary Carter (1927–1986).
He attended Baxter Springs High School, has a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

from

Pittsburg State University Pittsburg State University (Pitt State or PSU) is a public university in Pittsburg, Kansas. It enrolls approximately 7,400 students (6,000 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students) and is a member of the Kansas Board of Regents. History ...

and an

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

from

Emporia State University Emporia State University (Emporia State or ESU) is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. ...

Journalism

McCoy began his career in journalism in 1980 as a police reporter for ''The Pittsburg (Kansas) Morning Sun''. In 1986, he traveled to Japan on a grant to report, in words and photos, the story of the aging survivors of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. McCoy was the investigative reporter for ''The Joplin Globe'' in southwest

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

and won first-place awards from the Associated Press Managing Editors and the Missouri Press Association for his reporting on unsolved murders, serial killers, and hate groups in the Ozarks.

Works

Novels

Most of McCoy’s novels are set in Missouri or Kansas, and major themes include alienation, redemption, complicated family and personal relationships, and the legacy of violence in American culture. *
Giving Up the Ghost: An Ophelia Wylde Paranormal Mystery
' (2015) *''The Spirit Is Willing: An Ophelia Wylde Paranormal Mystery'' (2014) *''Of Grave Concern: An Ophelia Wylde Paranormal Mystery '' (2013) *''The Sixth Rider 20th Anniversary Edition.'' (2011) Kindle e-book. *''Damnation Road'' (2010) *''Canyon Diablo'' (2010) *''I, Quantrill'' (2008) *''Hellfire Canyon'' (2007) *''A Breed Apart: A Novel of Wild Bill Hickok'' (2006) *''Into the West'' (2005) *''Hinterland'' (2005) *''The Moon Pool'' (2004) *''Jesse: A Novel of the Outlaw Jesse James'' (1999) *''Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Sphinx'' (1999) *''Indiana Jones and the Hollow Earth'' (1997) *''Indiana Jones and the Dinosaur Eggs'' (1996) *''Indiana Jones and the Philosopher’s Stone'' (1995) *''The Wild Rider'' (1995) *''Home to Texas'' (1995) *''Sons of Fire'' (reprint, 1995) *''The Sixth Rider'' (reprint, 1994) *''Sons of Fire'' (1993) *''The Sixth Rider'' (1991)

Short Stories

* “The Devil and Bill Doolin.” ''Cactus Country''. Lou Turner, ed. Memphis: High Hill press, 2011: 20-35. * “Spoils of War.” ''Louis L’Amour Western Magazine''. May 1994: 7-20. Winner of the Oxbow Award for Short Fiction.

Non-Fiction

*''Elevations: A Personal Exploration of the Arkansas River'' (2018) *''Zero Minutes to Midnight.''(2011)

Awards

Literary Awards

2019 – Kansas Notable Book: ''Elevations: A Personal Exploration of the Arkansas River'' 2014 – Kansas Notable Book: ''Of Grave Concern''
2011 – Spur Damnation Road br /> 2008 – Kansas Notable Book: ''Hellfire Canyon'' br /> 2008 – Spur Hellfire Canyon br /> 2005 – ESU Outstanding Master Alumnus br /> 1991 – Spur The Sixth Rider

Journalism Awards

2013 – Distinguished Newspaper Advisor – College Media Association
2002 – Investigative Reporting, Associated Press, 2002 (“The Killing Season”).
2001 – Investigative Reporting, Associated Press, 2001 (“Ordained by Hate”).

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:McCoy, Max 1958 births Journalists from Kansas American male novelists 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists People from Baxter Springs, Kansas Pittsburg State University alumni Emporia State University alumni Living people 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers American male non-fiction writers Novelists from Kansas