Hodgson, Ken 1945-

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Hodgson, Ken 1945-

PERSONAL:

Born September 20, 1945, in Canon City, CO; son of a miner father; married; wife's name Rita.

ADDRESSES:

Home—San Angelo, TX.

CAREER:

Professional prospector and miner; owner and operator of The Payroll, an historic gold mine, Chloride, AZ. Freelance writer, 1971—. Also worked in a mental hospital.

MEMBER:

Western Writers of America, San Angelo Writers' Club (past president).

WRITINGS:

The Hell Benders, Pinnacle Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Hard Bounty, Pinnacle Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Lone Survivor, Kensington (New York, NY), 2001.

Fool's Gold: A Western Story, Five Star (Waterville, ME), 2003.

Surviving Wisdom, Five Star (Waterville, ME), 2003.

God's Pocket: A Western Story, Five Star (Waterville, ME), 2004.

Season of the Burning Souls, Five Star (Waterville, ME), 2006.

The Paradox Syndrome, ibooks (New York, NY), 2006.

Contributor to periodicals, including True West, International California Mining Journal, Easyriders, and Tattoo.

SIDELIGHTS:

Ken Hodgson, a prospector and mine owner, is the author of several well-received westerns and mysteries. "During my knockabout years in the mining business, I heard many fascinating tales and met some remarkable characters," Hodgson noted in E-Reads. In 1971, he began publishing his stories in magazines and newspapers, and his debut novel, The Hell Benders, appeared in 2001.

Set in 1942, Surviving Wisdom concerns Pat Gunn, the owner of the Starlight Theater in Wisdom, New Mexico, a small town that is suffering from the federal government's decision to close the nearby gold mines. Gunn burns down his home to collect the insurance money, drawing the attention of Marshal Ron Bowdrie, who contacts a fire investigator to look into the incident. When the official is found murdered, Gunn becomes the chief suspect. Booklist contributor Sue O'Brien praised the "likable, down-on-their-luck characters" and the novel's "engaging plot."

A centenarian recounts the events of his adventurous life in God's Pocket: A Western Story. After the death of his parents, teenaged Milo Goodman takes to the road in his Model T, eventually settling in the mining town of Jarbridge, Nevada. Trading his vehicle for the rights to a saloon, Milo becomes the resident bartender, serving townsfolk and visitors alike. According to Wes Lukowsky, writing in Booklist, Milo's "story is underscored by a gallows humor and a knowing empathy for his fellow travelers."

In Season of the Burning Souls, New Mexico lawman Sam Sinrod and coroner Bryce Whitlock look into the mysterious deaths of several individuals, which may have been caused by spontaneous human combustion or by a strange metal object that recently fell from the sky. "To say this entertaining novel is unusual is rather a large understatement," wrote Booklist reviewer David Pitt.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, August 1, 2003, Sue O'Brien, review of Surviving Wisdom, p. 1961; August 1, 2004, Wes Lukowsky, review of God's Pocket: A Western Story, p. 1899; October 1, 2006, David Pitt, review of Season of the Burning Souls, p. 41.

Publishers Weekly, July 14, 2003, review of Surviving Wisdom, p. 61.

Roundup Magazine, August 1, 2001, review of Lone Survivor, p. 28; April 1, 2002, review of Hard Bounty, p. 29; April 1, 2004, Doris R. Meredith, review of Fool's Gold: A Western Story, p. 28, and Doris R. Meredith, review of Surviving Wisdom, p. 29; August 1, 2004, review of God's Pocket, p. 28; October 1, 2006, review of The Paradox Syndrome, p. 29; February 1, 2007, Johnny D. Boggs, review of Season of the Burning Souls, p. 28.