Award-winning author Clint Goodwin spent his childhood working on a small cattle ranch in Mineral Wells, Texas. Raised by Great Depression–era parents, Clint’s life would become a story in itself. As a WWII veteran, his father, Russell, shaped Clint’s disciplined thinking. Clint’s mother, Jolene, raised him and his three siblings while Russell was away working much of the time. Jolene defined Clint’s love for people and life. Together, both parents forged Clint’s confident views on life and balanced it with reality. In the ’60s, Clint thought, his future would be reins in one hand and a rope in the other. During the mid-1970s, he traded them in for a pen and weapon. He would travel the world supporting combat operations as a sailor and naval officer. For over thirty-four years, Clint has served the United States as a military officer and federal employee. Clint is a father, husband, and grandfather. He and his wife Karen raised five children: three girls and two boys. Clint and Karen are also proud grandparents of seven grandchildren.