Charles Frazier

Charles Frazier was born on November 4th, 1950 in the town of Asheville, North Carolina. His family moved to Andrews, North Carolina when he was a boy, and it was there that he attended school. In 1973, he graduated from the University of North Carolina and later earned an MA from Appalachian State University. In 1986 he finished up his education by earning a Pd.D. in English at the University of South Carolina.

Frazier's first novel was also his best known. In 1997, he published his instant classic, "Cold Mountain." The novel is based on the local histories of the North Carolina mountains and stories handed down through Frazier's family line about his great-grand-uncle, William Pinkney Inman. In 1997, "Cold Mountain" won the National Book Award and it was adapted into a successful feature film of the same name in 2003. It also became a New York Times Bestselling novel.

In 2006, Frazier published his second novel, "Thirteen Moons." The story is also set in North Carolina and traces the removal of the Cherokee Indians to Oklahoma and one white man's involvement in it. Frazier was offered an 8 million dollar advance for his second novel based off of the success of "Cold Mountain."

Frazier's third novel, "Nightwoods" is his first to take place in the 20th century although it is still set in the Appalachian Mountains. Frazier still lives in Asheville, North Carolina today.