Melissa A. Priblo Chapman, author of “Distant Skies” will be at Artisan Gallery for a book reading and signing on Saturday, May 18 starting at 2PM.

Part American road trip, part coming-of-age adventure, and part uncommon love story, Dark Skies is a remarkable memoir that explores the evolution of the human-animal relationship, along with the raw beauty of a life lived outdoors.

Melissa was 23 years old when she climbed aboard a horse and rode away from everything, heading west. With no mobile phone or support team, Chapman quickly learned that the reality of a cross-country horseback journey was quite different from the fantasy. Her solo adventure would immediately test her mental, physical, and emotional resources as she and her four-legged companions were forced to adapt to the dangers and loneliness of a trek that would span over 2,600 miles, from New York State to California.

Melissa Chapman is an author living in the Southern Tier. She is a freelance writer who has had work published in magazines including The Western Horse, Good Dog!, and Doggone. Her story “Gypsy, Cross-Country Dog” appears in the book Traveler’s Tales: A Dog’s World alongside the work of such renowned authors as John Steinbeck and Gary Paulson. Chapman has been a speaker to over 100 organizations in regard to her solo cross-country trip and is a member of the Long Riders Guild, a worldwide league of equestrian adventurers. Chapman is a married mother of four and lives in Upstate New York. She rides every day and continues to share life with her horses and dogs.