I have been AWOL from my own blog for some weeks now. My bad. Life has been a little insane lately. Still, in the midst of all the madness, a box of books turned up on my doorstep a few weeks ago and here is a little something about the contents of that box.
A few years ago, I was tapped to write an as-told-to book about ghosts around the Lake Michigan area. My editor assured me that all I needed to do was call some local libraries and maybe a bar or two, and people would be happy to share their stories with me. HA! Haunted people in the state of Michigan are among the most close-lipped types I have ever encountered. And I used to do call people routinely for ghost stories for an annual Halloween feature back when I did newspaper writing.
Luckily, there were some kinder folks at the Grand Haven Public Library who let me know that a woman on staff actually belongs to a ghost hunting-paranormal investigation group, and after I spoke with her, things brightened up considerably.
I finished the manuscript in record time, for me, and then settled in for the traditional months-to-years wait time for a published tome to appear. Some two years or so later, it's finally out. Now here's the punchline: this book cannot be purchased in a book store or even on line. Although it really does have an ISBN number, the publisher sells exclusively to tourist trap sites, so it will be available in gift boutiques, souvenir shops, ice cream parlors, apple houses, and the like all up and down the shoreline of Lake Michigan, from Grand Haven up to Traverse City. Even funnier, this publisher doesn't yet have a functioning web site.
Now, I really want people out there, even those of you who won't be trolling tourist spots in Michigan anytime real soon, to be able to buy the book, if you want it. And I also want you to want it.
So here is an opening line from one of the stories:
Jessie Lathrop once brought a ghost home with her from work.
Here's another:
Muskegon seems to be the site of haunted businesses.
You get the picture. Please get the book! Call Quixote Press at 800/571-2665 to place your order. I'll also have info up at my web site as soon as I get it to my web master!
Thanks, and remember while you're reading this, as well as the book - ghosts aren't just in Michigan...
