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David Fitz-Gerald writes frontier and pioneer western fiction from the wilds of western Vermont—about as far west as you can get without slipping into New York.


Though he’s never wrangled beeves to market, Dave was a top hand on his grandfather’s dude ranch in the Adirondack Mountains… before he turned ten. He’s lived most of his life on dirt roads. Whenever he gets the chance, he travels west to recharge his spirit on the windswept prairies.


He’s an Adirondack 46’er which means that he’s hiked to the top of every mountain in the park. In 2018, Dave completed the 1960s fitness craze by hiking 50 miles in one day. That’s one heck of a long walk, but not nearly as grueling as the iconic trails that he chases in his fiction.


Even after all these years, Dave still has his head in the clouds like Ken from My Friend Flicka, and a quiet, self-reliant spirit like Sam from The Trumpet of the Swan. That blend of wonder, heart, and spirit runs through the characters he portrays. His editor states he is “exceptionally good at creating real moments between characters”—and readers seem to agree.


Dave’s breakthrough series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail won Chanticleer’s Grand Prize for Book Series. He’s now the author of nearly twenty novels and counting, and as long as there’s coffee in the kitchen, Dave will be plotting one adventurous story after another.

Grand Prize, Laramie Awards, April 2026, A Grave Every Mile
Popular Book Award, Joyce Rothschild Book Prize, January 2026, If It's the Last Thing I Do

First Place - Best in Category, Laramie Awards, April 2025, First Drive

Silver Medal, The Coffee Pot Book Club, December 2024, Rolling Home

Honorable Mention, The Coffee Pot Book Club, December 2024, Snarling Wolf

Honorable Mention, The Coffee Pot Book Club, December 2024, A Grave Every Mile

Grand Prize, Book Series Awards, April 2024, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail

First Place - Best in Category, Somerset Awards, April 2024, If It's the Last Thing I Do

Book Excellence Award Winner, Western Category, March 2024, A Grave Every Mile

Finalist, Readers Favorite Book Reviews and Award Contest, September 2022, The Curse of Conchobar

Gold Medal, The Historical Fiction Company, The Curse of Conchobar

Bronze Medal, The Historical Fiction Company, Waking Up Lost

First Place - Best in Category, Laramie Awards, June 2021, She Sees Ghosts

First Place - Best in Category, Laramie Awards, October 2020, Wanders Far

Winner, Best Book Awards - Cover Design Category, American Book Fest, Wanders Far

Finalist, Best Book Awards - Western Category, American Book Fest, Wanders Far

Book Cover of the Month - Coffee Pot Book Club, October 2019, Wanders Far

Honors and Awards

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