Meet the Author

Award-winning author James Peyton's intriguing settings and memorable characters in his thrillers come from his years of international work and travel. His Artemas Salcido four-part thriller series are all available on Amazon.  Peyton's stand-alone adventure thriller, The Royal Fifth, was released in 2022. James has had five acclaimed books published on Mexican cooking, history, and culture. Peyton's writing reflects a depth of understanding and a unique perspective that sets his work apart. 

The seeds for Jim’s novels were sown when his mother taught him to read using her favorite mysteries and thrillers. During his years of research in Mexico, he had so many experiences that were as fascinating and often as exciting as the plots in his favorite novels that he decided to use them in his own work. His first mystery-thriller, Vampires of Bustamante, was a finalist in the Writer’s League of Texas novel contest and is now available on Amazon.com. Another as yet unpublished novel was also a finalist, and the most recent effort, Not For Sale, won the contest.

Jim’s writing career began when he moved to Hawaii and found no restaurants with his favorite Mexican dishes. The effort to reproduce his favorite recipes led to five critically acclaimed books on Mexican cooking, history, and culture. He has also written many articles on the subject for publications such as Fine Cooking, Food & Wine, and Texas Highways. Additionally, he authored the chapters on Mexican food and drink for three of the Lonely Planet guidebooks to Mexico. Jim and his outdoor kitchen were featured on Bobby Flay’s Food Network show and in Southern Living magazine.

Jim holds a second-degree black belt in Tai Kwon Do and competes in defensive pistol shooting events. Although Jim has spent a great deal of time in Mexico, he has traveled and worked in many other countries. He uses the knowledge and lessons from those activities to add realism to his stories.