John Wiltse, or "Johnny Diamond"- a name he picked up while packing horses along the mountain trails (but that's another story), grew up in a mud-chinked log house on a ranch at the base of the Beartooth Mountains in Clark, Wyoming.
As the youngest of five children growing up in the 1970's, his childhood was filled with ranch chores and the wanderings of a curious child through the sage country, rivers, streams, sandstone buttes and snow-covered mountains. Along the way, he learned the riding, horse-packing, and mountain living skills necessary to become a horse wrangler and guide for his father's outfitting business. The wild, and sometimes rough nature of this work led to many adventures, mishaps, and horse chases with some very colorful characters- both animal and human. John brings these unique experiences to life for his readers in his semi-autobiographical stories.
John eventually left the trails of the Wyoming mountains behind to pursue a successful career in photography. Traveling to far away locations such as Russia, South Africa, Botswana, China, and the UK. John's work has been published in Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Forbes, Businessweek, Smithsonian and Der Spiegel.
In a box of letters passed to him from his mother's belongings, John found the inspiration for "Little Johnny Diamond and the Very Windy day", when he discovered that his mom had kept a letter he had written to his grandparents when, as a child of eight, he had nearly been blown off his pony by the ever present, and often fierce Wyoming wind.
Now living in Boise, Idaho with his wife Heidi, they cherish the simple pleasures of life - travel, photography, music, art museums, camping, hiking, skiing, and quiet afternoons with a good book and their two cats. As proud grandparents themselves, John and Heidi thrill in the role that inspired his first book.
John is available for book readings and book signings, and media interviews. He can be reached at:
Cell: (307)631-1797 / email: johnewiltse@gmail.com