Beneath the rolling hills and vineyard views of Southern Revere Cellars, dozens of writers and readers gathered Saturday, May 16 to browse books from local and regional authors while enjoying a glass of wine or craft beer. The Boozy Book Fair turned the winery into a lively literary marketplace, where books rooted in farm life, memoirs, poetry, and fiction of every variety were passed from table to table as authors and attendees talked stories and shared conversation throughout the afternoon.

Months in the making, the event brought together several vendors, community organizations, and more than 25 local and regional authors. The venue gave visitors a chance to discover new hidden gems and connect directly with the writers behind them, underscoring that some of the most compelling stories can be found close to home.

Scattered throughout the venue were a number of familiar names to Louisa-area readers, including Lee Graves, Elsie Bea, Rauri Rose, Carol Maloney-Scott and Dr. Larry Kavanaugh, each showcasing works that reflected a wide range of voices and perspectives.

Among the local authors was Julie Honeycutt Capozella, a veterinary assistant who lives on a horse farm and is the mother of four sons.

Capozella presented her children’s book, “I Would Always Pick You”, a gentle story inspired by her family’s nightly tradition of checking on farm animals before bed. Written to preserve memories from her children’s early years, the book features watercolor illustrations by Anissa Frantz.

Beside Capozella sat Dr. Melinda McCall, who moved to Louisa in 2004 after earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.

McCall, recipient of the John Von Hemert Award for volunteerism in 2018, now owns an all-female veterinary practice that serves more than a dozen counties.

In addition to her children’s title, “The Million Dollar Goat”, McCall is widely known for her memoir, “Driving Home Naked: And Other Misadventures of a Country Veterinarian”, a humorous collection of short stories inspired by her upbringing on a dairy farm in Southwest Virginia and her experiences practicing veterinary medicine in rural communities.

From being strapped down with a sheet over her head as she was wheeled into a hospital in the pouring rain during labor, to contemplating tucking a pistol into a two-piece bathing suit to ward off rodents, McCall offered candid reflections drawn from a life full of unexpected and often unusual moments.

Filled with often outrageous anecdotes, the book reflects the perspective of someone McCall describes simply as a “countrygirl that keeps it raw.”

“Well, the name of the book piqued my interest — but it was definitely not what I expected,” Chelsea Hawk stated with a laugh, a resident of the Gordonsville area that was in attendance at the book fair. “It’s refreshing to hear uncut stories like that in a world where everything is so filtered now. Some things that would have been embarrassing for some, she just wears like a badge of honor — and I absolutely love that.”

Both Capozella’s and Mc-Call’s books are available through Amazon.

Also representing Louisa’s literary community was Katherine Gotthardt, an awardwinning writer, poet and owner of All Things Writing, a communications, marketing and writing company she launched in 2014 that is on a continuous mission to help clients shine online and in print through hard work and extensive networking.

Gotthardt is also the driving force behind Write In Louisa, a writers group for adults of all experience levels that meets monthly at the Louisa Arts Center. The group provides writers an opportunity to strengthen their skills and receive constructive feedback in a supportive environment.

At the book fair, Gotthardt offered copies of “Right at Home”, an anthology featuring works by various writers from the Louisa community.

With proceeds supporting the Louisa Arts Center, Gotthardt said she is “writing to give back.” Through book sales and creative workshops, she has also contributed to a number of nonprofit organizations and community initiatives.

Gotthardt thanked Southern Revere Cellars for helping provide additional exposure and also the greater reading and writing community for their support.

“I truly appreciated being among familiar and new faces. It was a great opportunity to not just promote our books, but connect with readers and other writers,” Gotthardt said. “Writing happens in solitude, but community doesn’t, and I loved seeing the creative crowd coming through.”

Looking back upon her journey as a writer, she shared that authoring is a major part of her identity and a desire that simply never fades.

“I have had 14 books published traditionally and independently. I kept saying, ‘I’m not going to write another book,’ yet, here I am, apparently working on my next collection of poetry,” Gotthardt said. “I guess I can’t help it. I’ve been writing since I was a child. It’s a part of who I am.”