For the fourth week of Off the Beaten Path's Books & Brews happy hour series, the bookstore is inviting literary aficionados to the Local Authors Showcase tonight to meet three local writers specializing in fiction, poetry and non-fiction.
The event features writers Linda Collison, Mason A. Crow and Mary Kurtz, who will read excerpts from and sign copies of their books from 6 to 8 p.m Wednesday.
Collison has written in a variety of literary genres, from a satirical short story to a Rocky Mountain wineries guidebook. Her fiction works are inspired by her time at sea, including a three-week stint as a crew member on the H.M. Bark Endeavor.
At the Local Authors Showcase, she will speak about two of her novels: "Looking for Redfeather" and "Water Ghosts."
"Looking for Redfeather" won the Literary Fiction Review’s Spotlight Award in 2015 and the silver medal in popular fiction from the Dan Pointer Ebooks Awards in 2014.
Crow is a fiction author and poet. He has published two books he will discuss Wednesday night.
The first, "Car Store," is a novel about his early days as a car salesman at a Nissan dealership in Lakewood. "33," a collaborative work with illustrator Fritz Sperry, features selections of Crow’s poetry and Sperry’s illustrations.
The last few pages are intentionally blank for the reader to fill with their own artwork or poetry, which they can submit for possible inclusion in Crow's upcoming sequel, "66."
“'33' is a chance for people to start do something together through paper and ink — a collective of sorts,” Crow said.
Kurtz, the third author on Wednesday's program, writes non-fiction influenced by the history of the Southwest and her own experiences there, focusing primarily on ranch life. She has contributed two essays, “Bugsy” and "Daddy's Girl,” to "Ankle High and Knee Deep: Women Reflect on Western Rural Life" and written a cookbook of her grandmother’s recipes.
Her book, "At Home in the Elk River Valley: Reflections on Family, Place and the West," is a collection of essays about the history, natural world and community near Steamboat Springs. It follows three modern-day pioneers — a long-time rancher and mountain lion hunter, an unorthodox female rancher and a group of visionary land preservationists.
The book was a finalist in the regional non-fiction category in the 2012 National Indie Excellence Awards and won CIPA's 2012 EVVY Bronze award for non-fiction and the CIPA 2012 EVVY Merit Award for Book Cover Design.
The Books & Brews event series offers Steamboat locals and visitors an alternative to the traditional happy hours at restaurants and bars in town every Wednesday during the summer.
“I’d call it a literary lover’s happy hour,” said Logan Farmer, a bookseller at Off the Beaten Path. “It’s more family friendly, intimate and without all the noise.”
During Books & Brews, Off the Beaten Path offers $1 off wine and beer, including two Butcherknife Brewery beers on tap, a 15 percent discount on the featured book or item of the week and 15 percent off all new books for 2015 members.
For the entire Books & Brews events listing, visit steamboatbooks.com/books-and-brews.
To reach Liz Forster, call 970-871-4374, email lforster@SteamboatToday.com or follow her on Twitter @LizMForster