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
