Jim Fergus is an acclaimed American author, born in 1950 in Chicago. He boasts an extensive educational background, graduating with a degree in English from Colorado College in 1971. Fergus's journey has been filled with varied experiences, including his time as a teaching tennis professional in Colorado and Florida. In 1980, he settled in the small town of Rand, Colorado, where he embarked on his career as a full-time freelance writer.

Fergus has contributed to prestigious publications such as Rocky Mountain Magazine and was a correspondent for Outside magazine. His articles, essays, interviews, and profiles have appeared in an array of national magazines and newspapers, including Newsweek, Newsday, and The Denver Post. His literary debut, One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd, catapulted him to fame, winning the 1999 Fiction of the Year Award from the Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association and selling over one million copies in the United States. The French translation of this novel enjoyed a remarkable reception, remaining on the French bestseller list for 57 weeks and selling over 400,000 copies.