Pulitzer Prize nominee Craig Lesley and one of fantasy genre's most successful authors, R.A. Salvatore are among the best-selling and award-winning authors featured May 18-20 in Cannon Beach, Oregon for the seventh annual Get Lit at the Beach literary event. Throughout the weekend, attendees will have the opportunity to mingle with five acclaimed authors, attend presentations, a keynote dinner and book signings.

Writer of the modern American West, Craig Lesley penned four novels and a memoir. His novel Winterkill earned the Western Writers of America Golden Spur Award and an Oregon Book Award. Mr. Lesley will be the keynote speaker on Saturday evening. Author R. A. Salvatore has published numerous novels that regularly appear on The New York Times best-seller lists. His signature multi-volume series includes The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter's Blades Trilogy and The Cleric Quintet.

Acclaimed fantasy writer Terry Brooks will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Mr. Brooks has 35 books in print and has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from World Fantasy.

This year's literary lineup also includes author Gina Ochsner, whose short story collections The Necessary Grace to Fall received the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction and People I Wanted to Be earned an Oregon Book Award. Her stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Tin House and the Kenyon Review.

The event will also feature Amy Stewart, New York Times best-selling author of nine books, including Girl Waits with Gun. Her popular nonfiction titles The Drunken Botanist, Wicked Plants and Flower Confidential have been profiled in the New York Times, Earthworm Digest and the PBS documentary The Botany of Desire.

Activities begin on Friday night with an author's reception at Haystack Gardens. Saturday's full day of events includes author presentations, book signings and an evening keynote dinner presentation. The weekend will conclude with a moderated question and answer discussion featuring all festival authors on Sunday morning.

Get Lit at the Beach is presented by the Tolovana Arts Colony. For more information and tickets go to Get Lit at the Beach or email tolovanaartscolony@gmail.com.