Ben Garbacz/Daily Mining Gazette Amy Piper signs her book at the Sunflower Books and Coffee in Hancock on Thursday.

A bookstore in Hancock hosted Amy Piper and her new book, “Secret Michigan: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure” on Thursday. The author meet and greet was hosted at Sunflower Books and Coffee, allowing local readers to talk with Piper about her book and receive signed copies.

The event was put together when Visit Keweenaw contacted Susan Mattila, the owner of the bookstore, and asked if the store would be interested in being one of the 26 locations of Piper’s Michigan book tour.

Mattila puts on book signings and meet and greets with local authors to create opportunities for writers and the community to share each others’ perspectives. Mattila was excited to introduce Piper’s strange Michigan trivia and tales with the inhabitants of the Copper Country.

The book consists of 84 subjects each ranging from 200 to 300 words of information on the given subject. Piper also lays out where exactly to go to visit the location and the cost that is typical for a visitor. Piper sought out subjects to share that people across the state may not be aware of, including trivia that is a staple of the state’s identity. The automotive themes throughout Michigan are such an example, with some learning a new detail: the 80-foot Uniroyal tire in Allen Park was originally a Ferris wheel from the New York World’s Fair in the 1960s. Michiganders may also be unaware that a secret design room existed in a Ford plant that was so insular that anyone other than seven specific individuals caught near the door would be fired.

A location in the Keweenaw Peninsula also makes its way into the book. While Keweenaw Mountain Lodge is an easily discoverable attraction in the peninsula, what some tourists may be unaware of is that the Lodge is an International Dark Sky Park. Little artificial light will intrude on the night sky, allowing for fantastic views and good photography opportunities of the cosmic sky.

Piper enjoys the meet and greets on her book tour because they allow her to interact with potential readers and inspire not only them, but also herself. Piper writes about the things she learns from suggestions or tips from people. In her perspective writing is isolating and thus a writer may need to learn from the public of things he or she is unaware of. She hopes that the books she puts together can motivate people to go on adventures.

“I like to inspire people to get up off their couch wherever they live and explore their own area,” Piper said. She said that there is much people can discover in their own neighborhoods.

Mattila enjoys these events due to the possibility of the authors inspiring the readers to take on the craft of writing, of which Piper highly encouraged aspiring writers to pursue. She said it is never too late to begin something new, as she had only begun travel writing at 62 years old.