Lee W. Payne

Lee W. Payne has a BS, MA, and Ph.D. in Political Science. He is a Full Professor of Political Science at Stephen F. Austin State University, where he has taught since 2006. Lee is well published in peer-reviewed academic journals and textbooks but has always enjoyed storytelling.

Lee got hooked on horror at a young age watching the black and white, Universal monster movies. Since that time, he has been a committed fan of all things horror.

The Pack, released June 2024, is his first of three novels in the subtitled Pine View County Trilogy. The Cloud, released October 2025, is the second novel in the trilogy. The final novel in the trilogy, The Gathering, will be released Fall 2026.

Lee lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his English Bulldog, Tank.