Wayne D. Overholser (born September 4, 1906 in Pomeroy, Washington; † died August 27, 1996 in Boulder, Colorado), was an American Western writer. Overholser won the 1953 First Spur Award for best novel for Lawman using the pseudonym Lee Leighton. In 1955 he won the 1954 (second) Spur Award for The Violent Land. Three additional pseudonyms were John S. Daniels, Dan J. Stevens and Joseph Wayne; combinations of his three sons' names.
Overholser was also referenced in Stephen King's novel Wolves of the Calla, part of King's Dark Tower, in which he was both mentioned explicitly, as is the namesake of a character in the town of Calla Bryn Sturgis.
Buckaroo's Code (1947)West of the Rimrock (1949)Draw or Drag (1950)The Snake Stomper (1951) writing as Joseph WayneLaw Man (1953) writing as Lee LeightonSteel to the South (1953)Fabulous Gunman (1954)The Nester (1954) writing as John S. DanielsBeyond the Pass (1956) writing as Lee LeightonThe Lone Deputy (1960)The Killer Marshal (1961)Standoff at the River (1961)War in Sandoval County (1961)The Bitter Night (1962)The Judas Gun (1962)The Trial of Billy Peale (1963)A Gun for Johnny Deere (1964)To the Far Mountains (1964)Day of Judgement (1965) aka Colorado IncidentBig Ugly (1966) writing as Lee LeightonRide Into Danger (1967)Summer of the Sioux (1967)Hanging at Pulpit Rock (1967) writing as Lee LeightonNorth to Deadwood (1968) published in German as Dakota Jones (1969)The Meeker Massacre (1969) writing as Lewis B PattenYou'll never hang me (1971) writing as Lee LeightonThe Noose (1972)The Long Trail North (1973)Brand 99 (1974)Diablo Ghost (1978)The Trouble Kid (1978)The Cattle Queen Feud (1979)Cassidy (1980) writing as Lee LeightonSun on the Wall (1981)Mason County War (1981)Dangerous Patrol (1982)The Long Wind (1986)Bunch Grass (1986)Gunplay Valley: The Sweet And Bitter Land (1987)Return of the Kid (1987)By Gun and Spur (1987)Red Snow (1988)The Dry Gulcher (1988)Gunlock (1988)Red Is the Valley (1988)Land of Promises (1989)Proud Journey (1989)Valley of Guns (1991)Cast a Long Shadow (1991)Desperate Man (1992)The Violent Land (1992)Hearn's Valley (1992)Tough Hand (1992)The Hunted (1994)The Patriarch of Gunsight Flat (1996)They Hanged Wild Bill Murphy (1996)Nightmare in Broken Bow (1997)Nugget City (1997)War Party (1997) writing as John S. DanielsThe Violent Men (1997)Riders of the Sundowns (1997)Buckskin Man (1998)The Petticoat Brigade (1998)Oregon Trunk (1998)Chumley's Gold (1999)Ride the Red Trail (2000)Tales of the West (2000)Gunflame (2000)The Outlaws (2000)Gateway House (2001)Revenge in Crow City (2001)Rainbow Rider (2001)The Day the Killers Came (2002)The Three Sons of Adam Jones (2003)The Bad Man (2003)Wild Horse River (2003)The Law at Miles City (2004)Bitter Wind (2006)Fight for the Valley (2007) writing as Lee LeightonTomahawk (2009) writing as Lee LeightonPass Creek Valley (2009)Shadow on the Land (2009)Law at Angel's Landing (2010)The Man from Yesterday (2010)Death of a Cattle King (2011)Ten Mile Valley (2012)The Waiting Gun (2013)Swampland Empire (2013)Collections
The Best Western Stories of Wayne D. Overholser (1984) aka The Best Western Stories