Lee Child is the pen name of Jim Grant. He was born in Coventry, England in 1954. He attended law school at Sheffield University, worked in the theater, and finally worked as a presentation director for Granada Television. After being laid off in 1995 as a result of corporate restructuring, he decided to write a book. The Killing Floor won the Anthony Award for Best First Novel and became the first book in the Jack Reacher series. In 2012 the first motion picture feature of Jack Reacher was released staring Tom Cruise.C. J. Box writes short stories and novels, including the Joe Pickett series. His first stand-alone novel, Blue Heaven, won an Edgar Award for Best Novel of 2008, and his short… stories were included in America's Best Mystery Stories of 2006. He has also received the Anthony Award, Prix Calibre 38, Macavity Award, Gumshoe Award, and Barry Award. He co-owns an international tourism marketing firm with his wife. In 2008, he was awarded the "BIG WYO" Award from the Wyoming tourism industry. His title's Breaking Point and Stone Cold: Stories from Joe Pickett Country made The New York Times Best Seller list.