Joe McKinney (author)

Joe McKinney (born September 22, 1968 – July 13, 2021) was a San Antonio–based author and Patrol Supervisor with the San Antonio Police Department.

Career
McKinney was an author in many genres, including horror, ghost stories, virus thrillers, crime and science fiction. Over his career, he wrote thirteen novels, developed two collections of short stories, created a tale for a comic book, and was both published in and edited numerous anthologies. He was also a regular contributor to the online true crime magazine, In Cold Blog.

In addition, McKinney was a sergeant with the San Antonio Police Department as the patrol supervisor for the west side of San Antonio. Previous to that, he was a homicide detective and disaster mitigation specialist. He also helped run the city's 911 dispatch center.

Many of his works contain a strong procedural element and a level of realism based on his years of law enforcement. He addressed some of the prejudice against female officers, both from the public and from their fellow officer in his novels Quarantined and Flesh Eaters. In Inheritance, he included more in-station activities between police officers.

In The Savage Dead (2013), McKinney addressed the border relations between the United States and Mexico. Mixing the genres of political thriller, military special ops thriller, and zombie gorefest, the novel tackles this complex topic from a number of different angles.

His first Young Adult publication, Dog Days, was released in 2013 as part of Journalstone's Doubledown Series, Book III, paired with Sanford Allen's Deadly Passage. Noted as a coming of age novel, Max, the 14-year-old narrator of Dog Days, spends the summer of 1983 facing the worst hurricane the suburbs of Houston have endured in memory, as well as the possibility of a supernatural killer. Dog Days won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Young Adult Novel.

A lifelong Texan, McKinney enjoyed exploring the history of South Texas, legends of famous and/or little known outlaws, and the mysteries of long unsolved crimes.

Personal life
McKinney died in his sleep July 13, 2021. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Awards

 * 2009 nominee: Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel for Quarantined
 * 2010 nominee: Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel for Apocalypse of the Dead (Deadworld #2)
 * 2012 winner: Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel of 2011 for Flesh Eaters (Deadworld #3)
 * 2014 winner: Bram Stoker Award for Best Young Adult Novel of 2013 for Dog Days