Stephen Arthur Bly, 66, of Winchester, Idaho, passed away June 9, 2011, at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, after a five year battle with prostate cancer.
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One of my favorite authors passed away and I do miss him and his kind heart, but so happy to have his books to read and reread. Books are so much better to remember a person with than anything else I can think of.
I came upon Stephen and Janet Bly’s yahoo group years ago and have felt like family ever since. Whenever I had a question or comment about anything Steve or Janet would always answer me and be a great help to me. I thank God that He brought me and the Bly’s together. They have been a blessing to me.
I love all of his books, but my favorite series is The Hidden West Series, that he and Janet wrote together.
I miss Steve very much, but look forward to meeting him and Janet in Heaven.
Steve was born August 17, 1944, to Arthur Worthington Bly and Alice Wilson Bly, at Visalia, California. He had one sibling, sister Judith Bly Walston who lives at the family homestead in Ivanhoe, California. He was raised on the family farm in Ivanhoe and worked for many years with both his father and for a time with his uncle M. J. ‘Buster’ Allen of Allen Farms in Coalinga, California.
He met his wife, Janet Chester, at Redwood High School, Visalia, California, both in Class of 1962. They married June 14, 1963, and raised three sons, Russell Stuart, Michael Stephen and Aaron Timothy.
Steve authored and co-authored with his wife, Janet, numerous articles, short stories and cowboy poetry, plus more than 100 nonfiction and both contemporary and historical fiction for adults, teens and kids (8 to 17 years). Many of his novels have been recorded in audio form, as well as translated into languages such as Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Portuguese. In May his most recent historical western was released, Throw The Devil Off The Train. He was a winner and finalist for the prestigious Christy Award for Christian Western Novels, for his books The Long Trail Home, Last of the Texas Camp, The Outlaw’s Twin Sister and Picture Rock.
A few days before his passing, he was dictating scenes for Stuart Brannon’s Final Shot. His wife and sons hope to finish this book for him, for 2012 release.
{That is one book I can’t wait to read.}
He has received national positive reviews for his books, including in Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly. Little Jimmy Dickens of the Grand Ole Opry once wrote Steve a personal note: “Your book (One Step Over The Border) is as good or better than Louis L’Amour’s.” He was an Active Member of the Western Writers of America.
His hobbies included playing golf and he was an avid collector of antique Winchesters with his partner, Jim Grueter, of Winchester. He and Jim wrote regular articles for The Big Show Journal, a magazine for gun collectors. A popular tourist and fan site has been the false front town he built at his Winchester home called Broken Arrow Crossing, named after his first Stuart Brannon novel, Hard Winter At Broken Crossing.
Books by Steve and Janet
Nonfiction:
Radical Discipleship Moody Publishers,1981)
God's Angry Side (Moody,1982)
Quality Living in a Complicated Age (Here’s Life,1984)
How To Be a Good Dad (Moody,1986)
Just Because They've Left Doesn't Mean They're Gone (FOF,1993)
Once a Parent, Always a Parent Tyndale House,1993)
Help! My Adult Child Won’t Leave Home (Tyndale,2006)
The Surprising Side of Grace (Discovery House,1994)
Fiction Series:
Rivers of Arizona Series
Rivers in Arizona (Back to Bible,1991)
Rock of Ages (Back to Bible,1991)
Stuart Brannon Western Series
Hard Winter at Broken Arrow Crossing (Crossway,1991)
False Claims at the Little Stephen Mine (Crossway,1992)
Last Hanging at Paradise Meadow (Crossway,1992)
Standoff at Sunrise Creek (Crossway,1993)
Final Justice at Adobe Wells (Crossway,1993)
Son of an Arizona Legend (Crossway,1993)
Nathan T. Riggins Western Adventure Series
The Dog Who Would Not Smile (Crossway,1992)
Coyote True (Crossway,1992)
You Can Always Trust a Spotted Horse (Crossway,1993)
The Last Stubborn Buffalo in Nevada (Crossway,1993)
Never Dance With a Bobcat (Crossway,1993)
Hawks Don't Say Goodbye (Crossway,1994)
The Adventures of Nathan T. Riggins, Vol. 1 (Crossway,2001)
The Adventures of Nathan T. Riggins, Vol. 2 (Crossway,2001)
Code of the West Western Series
It's Your Misfortune & None of My Own (Crossway,1994)
One Went To Denver & The Other Went Wrong (Crossway,1995)
Where The Deer & The Antelope Play (Crossway,1995)
Stay Away From That City They Call It Cheyenne (Crossway,1996)
My Foot's In The Stirrup & My Pony Won't Stand (Crossway,1996)
I'm Off To Montana For To Throw The Hoolihan (Crossway,1997)
The Austin-Stoner Files Series
The Lost Manuscript of Martin Taylor Harrison (Crossway,1995)
The Final Chapter of Chance McCall (Crossway,1996)
The Kill Fee of Cindy LaCoste (Crossway,1997)
The Lewis and Clark Squad Series
Intrigue at the Rafter B Ranch (Crossway,1997)
The Secret of the Old Rifle (Crossway,1997)
Treachery at the River Canyon (Crossway,1997)
Revenge on Eagle Island (Crossway,1998)
Danger at Deception Pass (Crossway,1998)
Hazards of the Half-Court Press (Crossway,1998)
The Heroines of the Golden West Series
Sweet Carolina (Crossway,1998)
The Marquessa (Crossway,1998)
Miss Fontenot (Crossway,1999)
Old California Series
Red Dove of Monterey (Crossway,1998)
Last Swan In Sacramento (Crossway,1999)
Proud Quail of the San Joaquin (Crossway,2000)
Fortunes of the Black Hills Series
Beneath a Dakota Cross (B&H,1999)
Shadow of Legends (B&H,2000)
Long Trail Home (B&H,2001)
Friends and Enemies (B&H,2002)
Last of the Texas Camp (B&H,2002)
The Next Roundup (B&H,2003)
The Skinners of Goldfield Series
Fool's Gold (Crossway,2000)
Hidden Treasure (Crossway,2000)
Picture Rock (Crossway,2001)
The Belles of Lordsburg Series
The Senator's Other Daughters (Crossway,2001)
The General's Notorious Widow (Crossway,2001)
The Outlaw's Twin Sister (Crossway,2002)
The Retta Barre Oregon Trail Series
The Lost Wagon Train (Crossway,2002)
The Buffalo's Last Stand (Crossway,2002)
The Plain Prairie Princess (Crossway,2002)
The Homestead Series
Strangers & Pilgrims (Crossway,2002)
Courage & Compromise (Crossway,2003)
Reason & Riots (Crossway,2003)
Adventures on the Western Frontier Series
Daring Rescue at Sonora Pass (Crossway,2003)
Dangerous Ride Across Humboldt Flats (Crossway,2003)
Mysterious Robbery on the Utah
Plains (Crossway,2003)
The Horse Dreams Series
Memories of a Dirt Road Town (B&H,2005)
The Mustang Breaker (B&H,2006)
Wish I'd Known You Tears Ago (B&H,2006)
Fiction Stand-Alone:
The President's Stuck in the Mud (Chariot/Cook,1982)
Trouble in Quartz Mountain Tunnel (Chariot/Cook,1985)
The Land Tamers (Tyndale,1987)(Center Point,2009)
Time Warp Tunnel (Chariot/Cook,1985)
Paperback Writer (B&H,2003)
One Step Over The Border Center Street,2007)
Creede of Old Montana (Center Point,2009)
Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon (Center Point,2010)
Throw The Devil Off The Train (2011)
===STEPHEN & JANET BLY (co-authored)===
Fiction Series:
The Crystal Blake Series
Crystal's Perilous Ride (Chariot/Cook,1986)
Crystal's Solid Gold Discovery (Chariot/Cook,1986)
Crystal's Rodeo Debut (Chariot/Cook,1986)
Crystal's Mill Town Mystery (Chariot/Cook,1986)
Crystal's Blizzard Trek (Chariot/Cook,1986)
Crystal's Grand Entry (Chariot/Cook,1986)
The Hidden West Series
Fox Island (Servant,1996)
Copper Hill (Servant,1997)
Columbia Falls (Servant,1998)
The Carson City Chronicles Series
Judith and the Judge (Servant,2000)
Marthellen and the Major (Servant,2000)
Roberta and the Renegade (Servant,2000)
Nonfiction:
Questions I'd Like to Ask (Moody,1982)
Devotions With a Difference (Moody,1982)
How To Be a Good Mom (Moody,1988)
Be Your Mate's Best Friend (Moody,1989)
How To Be a Good Grandparent (Moody,1990)
Winners & Losers (Moody,1982,1993)
The Power of a Godly Grandparent (Beacon Hill,2003)
