Now is the time of year the skies grower darker earlier, winds blow a little harder, and we hear many more bumps in the night. Since the season and Halloween put some of us in the mood for spooky things and scary stories, consider curling up with a book by Jonathan Rand. He is the author of the Michigan Chillers and American Chillers series. The book that started it all is Mayhem On Mackinac Island.

This story takes place during the summer on one of our most treasured destinations in the state of Michigan. Sandy and her brother Tim spend the summer on Mackinac Island with their Aunt and Uncle, who have a home there. Michiganders will delightfully recognize the description of Mackinac Island with its’ horse drawn carriages, bicycles, and fudge-scented air. But all is not that delightful on the island. Sandy and Tim get swallowed by an old tree and released into alternate forest called Captive Forest on the Isle of Mayhem. On this island the children meet an elderly wizard named Great Tuttworth. Sandy and Tim learn from Great Tuttworth that to get back to Mackinac Island they need to find the mysterious Stone Key. Armed with magic stones to help them fly and climb anything, they set out on their quest. They encounter scary creatures like Wartwings in the air and Blinkmongers in the waters.

Author Jonathan Rand was born in Pontiac, Michigan and currently lives in northern Michigan. So it is no surprise that Michigan was the inspiration and the setting for his first thrilling series, the Michigan Chillers. Jonathan Rand says on his website American Chillers.com “ I thought it would be fun for kids to read about places that they might know about”. After the success of books like Mayhem on Mackinac Island, Terror Stalks Traverse City, Poltergeists of Petoskey and ten others, Jonathan Rand “began to get a lot of letters form kids around the country who had visited Michigan and picked up the ‘Michigan Chillers’. Mr. Rand says:

”(t)hey would ask me to write a book about cities in their state. While that might get a bit overwhelming, I thought that I could write a series about each state, and hopefully readers around the country would enjoy the ‘American Chillers’ as much as Michigan readers have enjoyed the ‘Michigan Chillers’”.

Currently there are nineteen books in the American Chiller Series but the goal is to write a book for each state. So now everyone can enjoy Dangerous Dolls of Delaware, Ogres of Ohio, and Poisonous Pythons Paralyze Pennsylvania! Hey Mr. Rand how about one for Ann Arbor!!!! Jonathan Rand does not have a story about Ann Arbor and his website says more titles in the Michigan Chillers series are a possibility. What do you think would be a great title for an Ann Arbor themed Michigan Chiller? Post your ideas in the Comment Section Below! Happy Haunting Everyone

book photos: americanchillers.com pumpkin photo: from the book Extreme Pumpkins by Tom Nardone