Author of over 40 novels, Kelton's novels have appeared in Reader's Digest Condensed Books and won dozens of awards.
THE GOOD OLD BOYS was made into a 1995 TV movie starring Tommy Lee Jones for the TNT cable network.

Kelton is a native of Crane, Texas. He grew up on the McElroy Ranch, with which his father, the late R. W. "Buck' Kelton, was associated for 36 years. After graduation from Crane High School he attended the University of Texas at Austin in 1942-44 and 1946-48, earning a B.A. degree in journalism. He spent 15 years as farm and ranch writer-editor for the San Angelo Standard-Times, five years as editor of Sheep and Goat Raiser Magazine and 22 years as associate editor of Livestock Weekly, from which he retired in 1990.

He served two years in the U. S. Army, 1944-46, including combat infantry service in Europe. He and his wife Ann, a native of Austria, were married over 50 years. They have two grown sons, a daughter, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

​
 

​