Dogman Update 10/15/2008

Hey there all you Dogman fans across Michigan and around the world!

WOW! Have we been busy so far this fall! The Little Blue Tent has been sighted all over northern Michigan! Stops so far have included Manistee, Grayling, Frankenmuth, St. Johns, Mackinaw City, and Charlevoix.

We've been surrounded by apples, cranberries, pumpkins, and corn stalks as the fall season is fully underway.

Stories have flooded in these past two months, including an episode from the 1960s in Pinconning, the annual midnight wolfman run in AuGres (based upon a monster sighting in the area), and a spine-tingling tale of a eerie howling creature from Dansville (which can be found in the local library archives, I've been told!). We'll need to hear more about these events and will be looking into the validity of them in the near future. Of course, if any of our fans have more stories to tell (or confirmations on these stories here), please email us immediatly:

Frank's Email:
dogman@griswoldmountain.com

Be sure to check out our website for more information, as well as links to Steve Cook's website where the Dogman encounters and sightings are posted.http://www.dogman07.comSteve's website: http://www.michigan-dogman.com

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Haunted Halloween Literary Extravaganza!

On October 31, Halloween Night, we will be haunting Horizon Books of Petoskey from about 4:30 pm until late at night. I have the honor and priveledge of hosting a young author's writing workshop at the bookstore and then reading scary selections from my books. Horizon Books is also hosting a costume contest based on literary characters and giving out delicious delicacies prepared by their Mad Scientists!

And best of all, Halloween Night will be the judging of the Scariest Stories in Northern Michigan contest in three categories: elementary, middle school, and high school/adult. All story applications are due to Horizons by Wednesday, October 29, and there are fabulous prizes including gift certificates and books.

And how about more book signings?

October 4: Grayling Middle School
October 10-12: Applefest in Charlevoix
October 18: Ryder Center at Saginaw Valley State University
October 25: Traverse City East Junior High, followed by a night visit to the Haunted Ship of Manistee

November 8-9: Wexford Arean, Cadillac
November 15: Mt. Pleasant

Be sure to check out our website to see when we will be haunting a town near you!http://www.dogman07.com

MythMichigan News:

All month long, in honor of Haunted Halloween and Frank's latest book, The Longquist Adventures: Western Odyssey, we are offering $10 books on our website for ONLINE ORDERS ONLY. Prices are good through October 31, 2008. All orders are processed through our website and through PayPal, the nation's number 1 safe and secure online processor. Check out our special page for the great online prices:

http://www.griswoldmountain.com/dogman_Halloween_order.htm

We also now have AWESOME Dogman T-shirts. These are only $10 each, adult sizes available from Small through 2X Large. They sport a picture of the Dogman with the phrase, "Dogman Survival Guide: Don't Go Out At Night" logo (see a picture on our store site). These are excellent for any Dogman fan, and available only on our website.

Once again, we thank all of you, our dedicated fans, for your continued support. The Dogman legend is growing and expanding all over the country and the world. Hopefully we'll get a chance to meet and share stories this fall!

Frank
Year of the Dogman
The Haunting of Sigma
The Longquist Adventures

Dogman Update 8/26/2008

Hi there to all of the Dogman fans from around the north and around the world!

This past few weeks have really flown by since our last post. August has really been a fabulous month for book sales, as we have averaged nearly 100 books sold each week. And we are starting to branch out to new areas, too. Fans are taking the Dogman legend to Florida, California, Nebraska, Okalahoma, Washington (state), Germany, and even to Central America. That's a lot of sharing!

We just returned a week ago from our tour of Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and it was great to see that the Dogman is just as famous out of northern Michigan as he is around here! At least 1 in every 3 or 4 folks who stopped by our booth actually knew about theDogman. Now generally, we spend a lot of time sharing the legend with those who've never heard it. But it is great when we get to talk with those who already know some of the legends. These folks often open up with new stories, sightings, and encounters. We even got wind of a few Dogman sightings in Washington County, WI from earlier this summer. We'll be looking into these for more information.

Be sure to check out our website for more information, as well as links to Steve Cook's website where the Dogman encounters and sightings are posted.
http://www.dogman07.com
Steve's website: http://www.michigan-dogman.com

Just this weekend, we talked to two different people who shared stories of strange, canine-like creatures haunting the area around Rudyard, MI (20 years ago) and Vassar, MI (50 years ago). Keep the stories coming, folks!

The Haunting of Sigma, the bone-chilling sequel to our first novel, is actually keeping up with sales from Year of the Dogman. Folks just can't get enough of our favorite hairy biped. We blew through the first 500 copies of the novel since its July 4th debut, and luckily we have been able to restock right away to keep up with the demand.

Readers love Sigma because its set in a real Michigan town. Sigma is a tiny community between Kalkaska and Grayling. There really isn't much there which helps to imagine the Dogman nearly wiping out the town from its previous state of existence. If you're ever in the area, take a side detour up C571 and enjoy the wild Michigan beauty. As you take it all in, just imagine the events of the novel taking place 21 years ago. It's not too hard to do!

Read more about The Haunting of Sigma on its site:
http://www.griswoldmountain.com/sigma.htm

Upcoming News:

We finish our summer tour this weekend in Hoxeyville, MI, just west of Cadillac, for the Hoxeyville Homecoming Celebration. We'll be there all weekend, hanging out and sharing the legend with everyone around. Wexford County is a hotbed of Dogman lore and history, and we look forward to the stories folks will share with us. We've heard there's good food, good drink, and good times all around!

And our last stop before school starts again will be in Mackinaw City on Labor Day. The annual Mackinac Bridge Walk will parade right past our tables, set up in the Mackinac Crossings at the Ducks Landing Gift Shop. We'll be there bright and early and stay through the afternoon.

Now, what about the fall schedule?

We will be posting our fall Haunted Halloween Tour dates on our website very soon, but we can share a few of the upcoming stops with you:

September 13, Manistee, MI, Port City Craft Fair
September 20-21, Frankenmuth, MI, Zehnders Craft Fair
September 27-28, Warrens, WI, Cranberry Festival

Also look for us at the Manistee Ghost ship, the Big Rapids Haunted Jail, and a special Halloween Night Extravaganza at Horizons Bookstore in Petoskey.

Be sure to check out our website to see when we will be haunting a town near you!
http://www.dogman07.com

MythMichigan News:

The Longquist Adventures: Western Odyssey, Frank's latest novel, is now starting to pick up. Designed for younger readers, this is a non-scary novel based on Greek Mythology. We've gotten some great feedback from readers who say it is very well done. Readers comment that it is a lot of fun to see the classical story set in a new setting - the American wild west! And they all enjoy Craig Tollenaar's artwork both on the cover (the T-Rex is excellent) and in the interior sketches.

Be sure to check out this new novel on its own website:
http://www.longquist.com

we're still working on getting this new novel around to bookstores, so orders should be sent to our website for processing. Remember, all orders through our website will include autographed novels - you can't get them signed on Amazon.com, you know!


Once again, we thank all of you, our dedicated fans, for your continued support. The Dogman legend is growing and expanding all over the country and the world. Hopefully we'll get a chance to meet and share stories this fall!

Frank
Year of the Dogman
The Haunting of Sigma

Dogman Update 7/30/2008

Hello there Dogman Fans!

July has been a banner month for us here in Dogman Country. It all started with a BANG! in Mackinaw City for the July fourth fireworks. We had a great day and evening in the Mackinaw Crossings at True North Books and the Ducks Landing Gifts Store. And then, two days later in Traverse City, we set our all time one-day record for books sold. Special guest Steve Cook and his wife Pam joined us for a fabulous day beneath the Northern Michigan summer sun and the Blue Angels flying overhead. Thousands of folks showed up to the Cherry Fest Craft Show and it was just insane! Steve and I barely had time to sit down to lunch because of all the folks who stopped by to share stories and purchase the variety of Dogman items we had available.

Said Steve Cook of the great day at Cherry Fest:

"It's been wonderful meeting hundreds of "Dogman" fans at several events this summer, including the Irons Flea Roast and Ox Market, Luther Logging Days, and most of all, The National Cherry Festival in Traverse City. While at first it seemed possibly counterproductive for us to sell the CD/DVD sets and Frank Holes' dogman books in the same tent at the same venue, the synergy of both authors being present to tell the whole story of this remarkable Legend created a one day sales record for BOTH of our products. I can't wait for our next shared event!" -- Steve Cook

Since that time, we've been on the road meeting our fans all over the state and even into Wisconsin. Stops in Spread Eagle WI, Frankfort, Petoskey, and Cadillac have been great, and we've met so many folks with stories to share.

This weekend, the infamous blue pop-up tent will again arrive in Lexington MI to share the Dogman legend with Sanillac and St. Clair counties. We had a tremendous (yet rainy) couple of days in this vacation village, and we look forward to returning!

And speaking of Dogman books, we are now proud to announce the release of the second novel, The Haunting of Sigma, which made its debut on July 4th. This prequel actually takes place 20 years ago in 1987, deep in the woods of Kalkaska County. In an intense and frightening week's span, the Dogman completely wipes out this tiny community. Sigma is a real village (you can find it on Michigan maps) you can actually visit, though it's nearly a ghost town now (because of the Dogman???). The few folks we've met from the Sigma area are just amazed that their little community is actually a part of the Dogman legend put down in a novel (even if the village does get devestated!)

Get your copy of The Haunting of Sigma on our website. Simply click the link below:
http://www.dogman07.com


For more on the Dogman, including the latest sightings, be sure to check out Steve Cook's website at: http://www.michigan-dogman.com

Our Summer Spectacular Give Away Winner:

We are still awaiting the reponse from our July winner. However, we will be randomly selecting winners on August 1 (a Dogman t-shirt) from our email list. If you are here on the Dogman Blog as a visitor, please go to our website and sign up for our newsletter to enter. Be sure to tell all of your friends to sign up with us on our website too. Also, names collected at our events will be included, so if you see us out and about, be sure to sign up. And, don't think that just when the summer is over, we will stop the giveaways. This fall and winter we will be again randomly choosing fans from our email list to receive Dogman merchandise.

MythMichigan News:

Frank's third book, The Longquist Adventures: Western Odyssey, is now available for order on Amazon.com and will soon be available in bookstores around the state. This novel is appropriate for upper elementary students through adults.

Below is a sneak peek of the back cover of the book:

In a great blending of fantasy, adventure, and mythology, Frank Holes, Jr. has set the stage for a new young hero in modern literature with his new series, The Longquist Adventures. Written for elementary students as young as third grade, Western Odyssey, the first novel in the series, will be loved by those at the middle school and high school level, as well as anyone familiar with Greek mythology.

Based upon the epic Greek tale of Odysseus, yet set in the American Wild West, The Longquist Adventures: Western Odyssey chronicles the journey of a young boy and his guide through a perilous world of dangerous encounters and fantastic creatures. It is a world of gun fights at high noon, stampedes on the great plains, stagecoach robbery, and an ultimate showdown with a ruthless, powerful gangster aboard a turn-of-the-century paddlewheel in the San Francisco Bay. Can the time-traveling boy and the law-abiding Marshal restore order to the chaos of the American West gone truly wild?

Learn more about the new novel on its website: http://www.longquist.com

Upcoming News:

Our summer book signing tour continues. We'll be haunting a town near you:

August 2-3, Lexington MI, Fine Arts Fair
August 8-10, St. Johns MI, Mint Festival Craft Fair
August 13, Eagle River WI, Paul Bunyan Festival Craft Fair
August 16-17, Sun Prairie WI, Sweet Corn Festival Craft Fair
August 22, Boyne City MI, Boyne Country Books
August 23-24, Mackinaw City MI, Fine Arts Fair
August 30-31, Hoxeyville MI, Hoxeyville Homecoming

Septermber 1, Mackinaw City (TBA), Labor Day Bridge Walk

Of course, we are beginning to set our fall and winter dates. We have tentative stops in Manistee, Leland, Big Rapids, Traverse City, Cadillac, Indian River, Charlevoix, Northville, Houghton Lake, and Warrens WI. We hope to team up with Steve Cook again this fall for several venues too, so be sure to check our website often for updates to our schedule.

Mark your calendars with the dates above to pick up your own autographed first edition copy of The Haunting of Sigma and The Longquist Adventures: Western Odyssey. And share your stories with us. We love fans’ who share their mysterious encounters from all over Michigan and the Midwest.

As always, a huge thank you to our fans for their generosity. Look for our more of Frank's novels this summer. Keep those eyes peeled for Dogman sightings! And be careful going out at night!

Frank

Dogman Update 6/12/2008

June 12, 2008:

This month has started out quiet for us, but we anticipate things to be a-changin’ soon. Now that school is officially out, we can concentrate on the business of sharing the legend of the Dogman with everyone in Northern Michigan!

Our next event is in Lexington, Michigan (north of Port Huron) on June 21-22. We will be in our ever-famous pop-up tent at the Lakeside Craft Fair on Saturday from 10am till 6pm, and on Sunday from 10am till 5pm. Though the tent did sustain some damage in Boyne City from the high winds, we have recovered nicely. There is no type of weather that can stop either the Dogman or us!

And then, the mother of all weeks in the north-land, Cherry Festival, will be upon us. If all goes as planned, we will unveil the Dogman sequel, The Haunting of Sigma, that weekend. We will be in Mackinac City at the True North Bookstore and the Ducks Landing gift shop on July 4 (Friday). On July 5 (Saturday), we will be in Traverse City at Horizon’s Bookstore from 11am till 2pm. And then on July 6 (Sunday), we will once again pop up the ol’ tent at the Cherry Festival Craft Fair. And as a special, on July 6, we welcome an honored guest, Steve Cook, the father of the Dogman and the artist behind “The Legend” song that started it all. We will have novels and CDs to be signed by the artists. Come one, come all, we look forward to seeing everyone! Mark your calendars now to attend!

For more on the Dogman, including the latest sightings, be sure to check out Steve Cook's website at: http://www.michigan-dogman.com

Our Summer Spectacular Give Away Winner:

We are proud to announce that Nolan Ricketts from Holland, Michigan, was our June winner in our Summer Spectacular. He will be receiving an official Year of the Dogman baseball cap. Congratulations, Nolan!

We will also be randomly selecting winners on July 1 (a Dogman poster) and August 1 (a Dogman t-shirt) from our email list. If you are here on the Dogman Blog as a visitor, please go to our website and sign up for our newsletter to enter. Be sure to tell all of your friends to sign up with us on our website too. Also, names collected at our events will be included, so if you see us out and about, be sure to sign up.

MythMichigan News:

The Haunting of Sigma, the terrifying prequel to Year of the Dogman, has just passed the final corrections process and the last of the formatting will be complete soon. We seem to be on track to release it, as planned, on the July 4th weekend.


You’ve just got to check out artist Craig Tollenaar’s work on the cover. It is simply, awesome! The new official website for Sigma can be accessed by clicking the link below:
http://www.griswoldmountain.com/sigma.htm

On the site, you can see the cover, the text from the back cover, and a short book review. It promises to be an instant classic among cryptozoology fans. Quite honestly, my wife wouldn’t even read it. It is a much darker, more sinister novel than the first one.

Basically, Sigma takes place in 1987, twenty years before the events of Year of the Dogman. Sigma is a tiny forest community (a real place!) in the backwoods of Kalkaska County. Based on the little-known song by the father of the Dogman, Steve Cook, this tiny village is terrorized by the creature that walks upright, though the final results aren’t as fortunate as the ending of Year of the Dogman. Readers familiar with the territory will undoubtedly recognize many real geographical locations and some of the historical details from 1987.

Upcoming News:

The Longquist Adventures: Western Odyssey, is also coming along nicely. It has taken more time than I had originally anticipated, but it will be definitely worth it. From the digital proof I’ve seen on chapter 1, the book will rank up there with books like The Spiderwick Chronicles. The illustrations, by artist Craig Tollenaar, are just first-rate. You can see some of his handiwork on the official website by clicking the link below:
http://www.longquist.com

We have a few updates to the Dogman stories section of our website. We encourage our fans to submit stories, both real and fictional, and we’ll definitely post them. Also, teachers out there – as you plan for the following year, you can pick up classroom sets of our novels at great discount prices. Get a quote on our website.
http://www.dogman07.com


Mark your calendars with the dates above to pick up your own autographed first edition copy of The Haunting of Sigma. And share your stories with us. We love fans’ who share their mysterious encounters from all over Michigan and the Midwest.

As always, a huge thank you to our fans for their generosity. Look for our upcoming books this summer. Keep those eyes peeled for Dogman sightings! And be careful going out at night!

Frank

Dogman Update 5/14/2008

May 14, 2008:

Mushrooms, mushrooms, and more mushrooms!

Seems like we're up to our eyeballs in mushrooms! We even found a big handful out back of the hacienda. They sure were good fried up in a pan of butter and spread on a big porterhouse!

Last weekend at the Mesick Mushroom Festival was fabulous! Not only did we set an all-time record for sales in a one-day event, but we were able to meet so many great fans of the Dogman. We were impressed with the party such a little town could put together. The food and the company were both excellent! Since the debut of Year of the Dogman, we've sold nearly 1200 copies, and we've re-ordered another set so we can start the summer out right! We hope to reach 5000 copies by the end of the summer!

Be sure to check out the Dogman website at: http://www.dogman07.com

This weekend we will be at the National Mushroom Festival in Boyne City, MI. The craft fair is in the Veterans Park downtown, right on the waterfront. It promises to be a great weekend!

MythMichigan News:

Our next novel, The Longquist Adventures: Western Odyssey, has moved to the design phase with our publisher, Booksurge. You can see the cover of the novel on the novel's website: http://www.longquist.com

Upcoming News:

The long-awaited sequel to Year of the Dogman is nearing completion. The manuscript is almost finished, and our editor is working on a chapter-by-chapter proofing so we can get the new novel out this summer. In fact, we are now setting a release date of July 4, 2008. On July 5, we will be attending a book signing at Horizon's Bookstore in Traverse City. And the big event of the summer will be our attendance at the National Cherry Festival craft fair on July 6. We have the honor of joining Steve Cook, the artist who performed "The Legend", the original song of the Dogman that we all enjoy on the radio. Steve will be selling his new Legend Edition CD set, and we will together be signing books and music sets.

For more on the Dogman, including the latest sightings, be sure to check out Steve Cook's website at: http://www.michigan-dogman.com

Mark your calendars now to attend! As the summer gets closer, we will be revealing more details about the new novel. Of course, if you want a sneak peek of The Haunting of Sigma, stop by one of our spring appearances and pick up an advanced marketing copy, complete with a few 'snippets' of several chapters. This new novel promises to be much darker and more intense than the first!

As always, we thank all of our great fans for their support! Keep those eyes peeled for Dogman sightings!

Frank