Judy Alter is the author of over a hundred books, fiction and nonfiction for both adults and young adults. Her awards include the 2005 Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement, Spur Awards from Western Writers of America for the novel, Mattie, and the short story, "Sue Ellen Learns to Dance," Western Heritage (Wrangler) Awards for "Sue Ellen Learns to Dance" and "Fool Girl," and a Best Juvenile of the Year Award from the Texas Institute of Letters for Luke and the Van Zandt County War. She was named one of the Outstanding Women of Fort Worth by Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women in 1989 and was listed by Dallas Morning News (March 10, 1999) as one of 100 women, past and present, who made their mark on Texas. She has been inducted into the Western Writers of America Hall of Fame and the Texas Literary Hall of Fame.