 Wheeler returned to the west after attending the University of Wisconsin, working at a succession of newspapers including the "Nevada Appeal", "Phoenix Gazette", "Oakland Tribune", and "Billings Gazette".In 1972 he switched careers and became a book editor for a number of publishers, most notably Walker & Company.Inspired by both the westerns he was editing and the frequent layoffs in the industry which left him with free time, Wheeler penned his first novel, "Bushwhack", published by Doubleday in 1978.