Avery Maxwell’s debut novel, “Still, by Design.” sits atop a table at the Frisco Inn on Galena. The book is part fiction and memoir.
Avery Maxwell/Courtesy photo
As Avery Maxwell sits at his desk inside the Frisco Inn on Galena, his fingers fly across the keyboard as he works to bring his debut novel to life.
With the fireplace crackling behind him, Maxwell enjoys the solace that early mornings at the inn offer. As the director of guest experience and brand performance, Maxwell depends on the tranquil time alone before sunrise or after sunset to devote himself to his writing.
Once the inn’s guests begin to emerge from their quaint rooms for breakfast, his day shifts into full motion.
It is his work at the inn, the guests he has encountered over the years and his own recovery that inspired Maxwell to publish his first-ever novel. Titled “Still, by Design.”, the 493-page book draws from the detailed journal entries Maxwell kept while navigating his healing journey.
“My journaling, my everything pen to paper, that is what is in the book,” Maxwell said. “It is part memoir, fiction, but you know it is definitely me and what we do here.”
Long before he stepped foot in the Frisco Inn on Galena, Maxwell was your typical kid growing up in North Georgia. While the area did not boast any 14,000-foot peaks, Maxwell still satisfied his appetite for adventure by exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains.
After attaining his degree from the University of Georgia in 2017, Maxwell eventually landed a job in Yellowstone National Park for the summer. The job opportunity opened Maxwell’s eyes to the lifestyle out West, falling in love with meeting people from all over.
Maxwell stayed in the Yellowstone area for about five years before discovering the Frisco Inn on Galena in 2023. Much like his experience in Yellowstone, Maxwell quickly became enamored with the sleepy-at-times Summit County town and the inn itself.
Wanting to find a way to get his foot in the door, Maxwell completed one season at the inn before moving to Crested Butte. However, as Maxwell went about a new job, he could not stop thinking about the cozy inn and its guests.
Maxwell remained in very close contact with the owner, Bruce Knoepfel, while he was in Crested Buttle, eventually finding a way to make his way back to Summit County in order to once again be employed at the inn.
“I was in Crested Butte for about a year and a half,” Maxwell said. “I stayed in very close contact with the owner here and I figured out a way to come back. … I finally got planted back in Frisco about seven months ago.”
Avery Maxwell works on his debut novel before taking care of guests at the Frisco Inn on Galena.Avery Maxwell/Courtesy photo
Around the same time Maxwell was leaving the inn for Crested Buttle, he was beginning to pursue recovery. With a lot of the seasonal gig lifestyle being centered around partying, Maxwell felt like it was time that chapter of his life be put behind him.
“I never thought I would really be in recovery or that it was something that my life would entail,” Maxwell said. “But here I am, and I love every day.”
Maxwell is optimistic that his book can promote recovery to those who are also seeking it. While the road to becoming sober is a hard one, Maxwell believes there is hope out there for everyone.
“There is a light at the end of the tunnel,” Maxwell said. “If you want anything, you can get it. I am hoping to really promote advocacy, especially in these resort towns. There are people who want to be in recovery. It is not just really spoken about too much.”
Avery Maxwell stands in the kitchen at the Frisco Inn on Galena. Maxwell drew inspiration from his work at the inn for his debut novel, “Still, by Design.”Avery Maxwell/Courtesy photo
Outside of the book serving as a guiding light for those seeking recovery, “Still, by Design.” also offers an in depth, personal look to what daily life is like for innkeepers at the Frisco Inn on Galena.
Throughout the book, Maxwell offers breathtaking descriptions of both the busy, quiet and unique moments at the inn. Maxwell admittedly likes a lot of aspects about being an innkeeper, but nothing makes him happier than interacting with guests from across the world.
“Our guests here are unreal,” Maxwell said. “They are amazing. The experiences we get to share every day here. I have always been told, find something that you are passionate about and you will never work a day in your life. That is literally what I am doing every day here.”
After tirelessly writing late into the night and at the very break of dawn in the morning, Maxwell could not be more pleased to have his book out and available for the public to read.
“I just wanted to be able to see it on a shelf somewhere,” Maxwell said. “If it’s here, I can point it out to a guest who wants to feel a connection even deeper with the inn. I wanted to be able to share a part of me and really what the inn has done for me, what Bruce has done.”
“Still, by Design.” can be purchased online at AveryLaneMaxwell.com or at the Frisco Inn on Galena. The book is currently being sold in both paperback and hard cover.
