About The Author
George T. Arnold, Ph.D.
Storyteller of the Old West. Teacher of the written word. Believer in second chances.
George T. Arnold is not just a writer. He’s a writer who’s lived the life of one.
Before penning award-winning novels, Arnold spent years as a working journalist—chasing stories, meeting deadlines, and learning the craft of clear, honest writing from the ground up. Those experiences helped him finance his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Marshall University, where he later returned—not as a student, but as a professor.
For 36 years, Dr. Arnold taught news writing, ethics, media law, and storytelling to generations of aspiring journalists at the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications. His textbook, The Media Writer’s Handbook, has become a classroom staple at more than 300 universities and is now in its seventh edition.
But his love for storytelling didn’t stop at the newsroom—or the classroom.
After retirement, Arnold returned to a lifelong fascination with Western history and literature. The result: a powerful series of novels that explore life, love, and morality in the Old West. These aren’t just shootouts and saloons—his books dive deep into questions of honor, redemption, aging, forgiveness, and the emotional complexity of romance later in life.
His novels Wyandotte Bound, Old Mrs. Kimble’s Mansion, An Ounce of Death, and The Heart Beneath the Badge have each received multiple national and international book awards. Most recently, The Heart Beneath the Badge won the 2023 Spur Award from the Western Writers of America for Best Western Romance—a rare and prestigious honor in American literature.
Why He Writes Westerns with Heart
“I’ve always believed there’s more to the Old West than just tumbleweeds and gunfights. There were women, too—smart, strong, and struggling right alongside the men. I want to tell their stories. I want to write about the kind of love that survives scars, secrets, and the dust of time.”
That’s what sets George T. Arnold apart—his focus on humanity over heroism, and emotional depth over one-dimensional tropes. His writing appeals as much to readers of romance and drama as it does to fans of traditional Westerns.
