John R. Erickson, one-time bartender, handyman, cowboy, and founder of Maverick Books, has written and published 75 books and more than 600 articles. He is the author of the bestselling Hank the Cowdog series of books, audio-books, and stage plays. His writing has garnered many accolades, including the Audie, Oppenheimer, Wrangler, and Lamplighter Awards, and his works have been translated into Spanish, Danish, Farsi, and Chinese. A fifth-generation Texan, Erickson owns a ranch in Perryton, Texas.