About William Bernhardt William Bernhardt loves his job and it shows in his writing. Library Journal has called him the "master of the courtroom drama;" his twenty-seven books have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. The Vancouver Sun dubbed him "the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer." His most recent novel is Capitol Conspiracy, which takes attorney Ben Kincaid to Washington, D.C., for a high-profile case involving controversial anti-terrorist legislation, political skullduggery, and murder. His previous novel, Dark Eye, was a psychological thriller that, in the words of bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, "will chill you while its two unique and endearing protagonists steal your heart." Bernhardt's novels are renowned for their unexpected twists, breathless pace, humor, and insightful consideration of issues confronting contemporary American society. He is also the author of The Code of Buddyhood, a coming-of-age novel described by The West Coast Review of Books as "a powerful and sophisticated novel about the nature of friendship," a holiday novel, The Midnight Before Christmas, a biography for young adults, Equal Justice: The Courage of Ada Sipuel, a children's book, Princess Alice and the Dreadful Dragon, and has edited an anthology of original short stories (Legal Briefs) and a multi-author fundraising novel for The Nature Conservancy (Natural Suspect). And as if that weren't enough, he is also an often-published poet and a member of the Academy of American Poets. Bernhardt's career is the product of a lifelong love affair with books. When he was seven years old, he told people he wanted to be a writer. He got his first rejection letter when he was eleven (and several thereafter). He was an English major in college, and after a break for a legal career, returned to college for a Masters Degree in English literature. The studying seems to have paid off. Bernhardt's books have been translated and published in more than two dozen countries. He has twice won the Oklahoma Book Award for Best Fiction, in 1995 and 1999, and in 1998 he received the Southern Writers Guild's Gold Medal Award. In 2000, he was honored with the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award, which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." That same year, he was presented with a Career Achievement Award at the 2000 Booklovers Convention in Houston. He has also been inducted into the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame, the youngest author ever so honored. In addition to his work as a writer, Bernhardt is also a popular teacher and publisher. In 1999, he founded HAWK Publishing Group. Although HAWK focuses on discovering new writers, particularly those in the Southwest, it has also published books by acclaimed authors such as Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist N. Scott Momaday, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Janis Ian, and PBS newsman Jim Lehrer. He also sponsors the HAWK Writing Workshop each summer to nurture and mentor aspiring writers. Throughout the year, Bernhardt teaches writing and literature to fortunate students who invariably remark on his passion, knowledge, and expertise. Bernhardt is also active in the community. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Thomas H. Gilcrease Museum of Western Art, the Advisory Panel for the Oklahoma Arts Institute, the Advisory Council for "Nimrod: The International Journal of Poetry and Prose," the Publications Committee for the Oklahoma Historical Society, and the Selection Committee for the Peggy V. Helmerich Literary Award. Bernhardt's many activities within and beyond the world of literature led OSU to dub him "Oklahoma's Renaissance Man." Other recent Bernhardt projects have include writing the music, lyrics, and script for a musical (he is an accomplished pianist and songwriter), producing two music CDs, constructing crossword puzzles for The New York Times, jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet, and kissing a dolphin.