Clara Sneed
Award-Winning Author Honored for Two Landmark Works Exploring the Infamous Boyce-Sneed Feud Ahead of Major West Texas A&M University Speaking Event
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, February 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Award-winning author Clara Sneed has received top literary honors from the Texas Authors Institute for her powerful works chronicling one of Texas’s most notorious historical conflicts. Her nonfiction crime narrative, Because This Is Texas: An Account of the Sneed-Boyce Feud, has received the Best Crime/Criminal honor, while her historical novel Before We Turn To Dust earned both Best Literary Historical Fiction and the competition’s highest distinction, the Grand Prize.
“I was very happy to hear about these awards, especially the Grand Prize for Before We Turn To Dust,” says Sneed. “These two books required an immense amount of time, research, and work over the course of decades. And then there was all the effort that the wonderful folks at Blue Handle Publishing did after they’d accepted the manuscripts: the books are beautiful, from cover to cover. Both BHP and I are grateful for the judges’ time and careful attention, particularly to a complex novel like Before We Turn To Dust.”
These prestigious awards recognize Sneed’s extraordinary achievement in bringing new understanding to the infamous Boyce-Sneed feud, a tragic and sensational family conflict that gripped Amarillo and the state of Texas in the early 1900s. Through compelling narrative and historical insight, Sneed provides clarity and emotional depth to events that continue to resonate today.
Because This Is Texas offers a gripping nonfiction narrative rooted in real historical events, examining justice, loyalty, and violence in the American West. Written in the tradition of true crime narrative nonfiction, the book brings rare depth to one of Texas’s most consequential family conflicts. In contrast, her historical novel Before We Turn To Dust uses literary storytelling to explore the emotional complexities, human cost, and enduring legacy surrounding the feud.
Sneed emphasized that her primary goal was to honor the real people behind the history.
“When I began work on this story, I wanted above all to do justice to the people in both the Sneed and Boyce families who had lived through these tragic and sensational events,” she explains. “Wherever their spirits may now be, I hope they feel the care and love so many have brought to their history.”
The awards arrive as interest in Sneed’s work continues to grow nationwide. On March 4, 2026, at 7 p.m., West Texas A&M University’s Center for the Study of the American West will host Sneed for a special presentation, “Dust to Dust: Raising Ghosts and Writing Novels,” at the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex Recital Hall. Sneed will share insights into her writing journey, creative process, and the experience of bringing historical stories to life through fiction and narrative storytelling. Admission is free.
“We are proud and excited to have Clara Sneed speak at this event,” says Alex Hunt, Director of the Center for the Study of the American West at West Texas A&M University. “Her powerful storytelling preserves an important chapter of Texas history and brings new insight to events that continue to shape our region.”
About Clara Sneed
Clara Sneed is an award-winning author whose work explores crime, history, and the human consequences of violence and legacy. Her books, including Because This Is Texas and Before We Turn To Dust, examine the infamous Boyce-Sneed feud through both true crime narrative nonfiction and historical fiction. Her writing has earned critical acclaim for its depth, accuracy, and emotional power. She continues to speak at universities and literary events about storytelling, history, and the American West.
To learn more about Sneed and her work, visit: https://www.clarasneed.com/
Clara Sneed is available for interviews.
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