Stephen Mack Jones was born in Lansing, Michigan. He worked unhappily in advertising and marketing communications for many years before making a daring escape into novel writing. He began writing poetry, and then delved into playwriting. His plays include Back in the World and The American Boys, which explore the experiences of African-American Vietnam War veterans, and have been produced in New York City, Chicago, Detroit, and Boston.

Now Jones also writes novels, with his first, August Snow, having been published in 2017. Both his plays and novels are critically acclaimed and his writing has won several awards, which are listed at the bottom of this page. He was also a recipient of the prestigious Kresge Arts in Detroit Literary Fellowship. Jones lives with his wife in Farmington Hills, outside Detroit, where he was once stalked by a book club crammed inside VW bug. When not writing, Jones enjoys watching television and cooking.