David M. Jessup

Mariano's Crossing, David M. Jessup's first novel, was selected as one of three finalists for the Colorado Book Award in literary Fiction. He also won first place for mainstream, character-driven fiction in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Contest and was selected as a finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Contest and the Santa Fe Writers Project. He is working on a second book involving Mariano Medina's earlier life.

David co-owns Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch in Loveland, Colorado, where he introduces low-stress, grass-fed cattle raising methods to guests, and guests to the ways of both the old and the new West. A history buff, he is passionate about preserving open space, battling invasive weeds, catching wild river trout on a fly, singing cowboy songs, and telling stories about the American West--some of them true.

Jessup's blog, Beef, Books and Boots, contains stories of ranch life, articles on sustainable grass-fed beef, and information about his and Linda's favorite books on the American West.

His website is www.davidmjessup.com