The Book Nook in downtown Delano plans to unveil its Halloween-themed “spooky nook” with a book signing by local author Pat Eichers.
Eichers recently published “The Garden Ghost,” a children’s book about a ghost he said he saw on a frosty evening about 25 years ago.
“I finished working, went back inside, calmed down, made hot chocolate, and wrote the story in 20 minutes,” he said.
The book follows two young children who venture to a neighbor’s farm to pick pumpkins. Along the way, they encounter creepy sights and sounds until they meet a ghost.
“There’s elements in the book of what I value: a little fear and apprehension, but also courage, comradery, curiosity, learning. And nature,” Eichers said. “Nature provides so much inspiration; we all need to get outside and encounter the mystery and magic found in the outdoors.”
Eichers said the process from handwritten notes and sketches to publication took six months, with the biggest challenge being the search for an illustrator. He eventually connected with Anna Granholm, a northern Minnesota teacher.
“Her use of shadows and her illustrations that she used for the children’s expressions and things like that was perfect,” Eichers said. “I was so, so pleased with the results of the book.”
The Book Nook will host Eichers from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4. Copies of The Garden Ghost will be available for $10, a discount from its $12.95 Amazon price.
Store owner Azalea Bazar said Eichers’ book was the perfect way to launch the nook.
“It’s a little ghost story for kids,” she said. “It’s one of those things that should draw parents, kids, everybody.”
The nook itself is a small, dimly lit room with a brick wall that Bazar plans to make “creepy” for October. She expects to stock it with horror titles, including Stephen King, but said she is still testing whether the space will hold books.
“I have thoughts about the whole dampness there, you know, it’s not air conditioned,” she said. “So the dampness factor could be an issue with books, having books in there.”
She said she’s going to test it out for October to see how things go. If she can’t stock books in the space, she plans to just let people go in and look at the spooky nook.
Bazar has featured several authors since buying the Bridge Avenue store earlier this year, including Bruce Clark, A.W. Powers, and Pete Gallagher. She expects a strong turnout for Eichers.
“I’ve already had people coming in about Pat’s book, because he’s a local,” she said. “Everybody knows Pat.”
Eichers grew up in Minneapolis and joined the Air Force after high school. With the help of the GI Bill, he earned degrees in electrical engineering and English from the University of Minnesota.
He spent 41 years as a medical device engineer and manager before retiring in 2024. He and his wife, Kris, have lived in Independence for 31 years, where they raised three children who graduated from Delano High School.
Throughout his career, Eichers wrote and journaled, often drafting stories. He said writing was his calling and that he has “always loved creative writing,” even as a child. Now retired, he plans to publish more of the stories he has kept in notes.
Eichers will also sign copies of “The Garden Ghost” at the Hearthside Bookstore in Watertown from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 11, and copies will be available at Fall Harvest Orchard in Montrose.
For more information, readers can visit the author’s website at lakesarahlife.com.