One of America's greatest Western storytellers,ย Wayne D. Overholserย was born September 4, 1906 in Pomeroy, Washington and died August 27, 1996 in Boulder, Colorado. Overholser won the 1953 First Spur Award for best novel forย Lawmanย using the pseudonym Lee Leighton. In 1955 he won the 1954 (second) Spur Award forย The Violent Land. He also used the pseudonyms John S. Daniels, Dan J. Stevens and Joseph Wayne.