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. His second book, Mariano's Choice, is a prequel to the first, depicting Mariano Medina’s early life. A third book, Mariano's Woman, completes the trilogy. 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. David’s website is www.davidmjessup.com.