J.M. Hayes (Mike) was born and raised on the flat earth of his six Mad Dog & Englishman mysteries. He graduated from Wichita State University and spent three years of post-graduate work at the University of Arizona. He lives in Tucson, AZ with his wife, several computers, thousands of books, and a small herd of German Shepherds.

He's currently the Writer-in-Residence for the Pima County Library system in Tuscon, Arizona.