Steven Law and STEVEN ANDERSON LAW ARE  pen nameS for Steven Anderson, under which he writes fiction and has written a weekly newspaper column, "Suburban Cowboy." He chose the pseudonym in honor of his grandmother, Dorothy Law Crawford, who was an inspiration to him, in terms of education and life in general. His grandmother died when he was in high school and using her name on some of his writings is like a blanket dedication for all that she gave to him.

     In the mid 1990's Steven realized a struggling market for Western Literature and began a campaign to increase awareness of both genre and literary Western fiction.  He started a Web site, ReadWest.com,  to help increase awareness of the genre he loved to both read and write. After a year in service the Web site evolved into an online magazine featuring western authors and providing samples of their work.

     In 2000 ReadWest Online Magazine published "Opening Day", a short story by David Marion Wilkinson, which won the Spur Award for Best Western Short Fiction.  ReadWest also published "Bonanza", a short story by Win Blevins, which was a Spur Award finalist in that same category. The Spur Award is the highest honor an author or publisher can receive in Western literature, and is given by the Western Writers of America.  ReadWest was the first ever electronic publisher to win the Spur Award.

     Steven soon became a requested speaker at writing conferences and events on the topics of writing, marketing and Internet publishing. He has been a guest speaker at several Western Writers of America conventions, Ozark Creative Writers, the Missouri Writer's Guild, and others. He has twice been a Spur Award judge for Best Original Paperback Novel, and has twice appeared on National Public Radio (NPR).

     Due to the popularity of his Web design style and simplicity, Steven owns a Web development business that manages Web sites for some of the most respected and successful novelists in America, including New York Times best-selling author Stephen Harrigan, and seven-time winner of the Spur Award and author of The Good Old Boys, Elmer Kelton.

     Though successful as a Web publicist, Steven Law's first love is writing. He has written numerous articles and book reviews, and his short story, "Blackout," was published in 2001 in The Season of Light, an anthology of Kansas City area writers. His novel The Legend of Old Blue was published in 1999 by Two Trails Publishing, and re-released in 2006 by Goldminds Publishing. His latest novel, The True Father (previously published as Rodeo Summer in 2006) will be released in the summer of 2008. He also worked as a general assignment reporter for the Buffalo Reflex in the Missouri Ozarks.

     When he's not writing, Steven enjoys reading, especially western nonfiction, spending time outdoors on his small Ozarks retreat, and spending time with his son.

     Some of his favorite fiction authors include Thomas Savage, Cormac McCarthy, Norman Zollinger, E. Annie Proulx, Elmer Kelton, Richard S. Wheeler, and classics from John Steinbeck.

     He is a member of the Western Writers of America, and past member of the Kansas City Writers Group.  He works from his home in the Missouri Ozarks.

     Click here to read some sample columns from "Suburban Cowboy."