Jill Sheeley is a children’s author and has been living in the Roaring Fork Valley for many years. She is the author of the series, “Adventures of Fraser the Yellow Dog”. Now, one of her books has found itself on the best-seller list at Explore Booksellers in Aspen. More than a decade after its release.
Fraser the dog has been roaming the woods and trails of the Roaring Fork Valley for decades in the books dedicated to him. Sheeley was his owner and was told of all of the adventures that he would go on. Fraser was the one who found the Sheeley’s second dog.
Fraser has since passed away, but his memory can still be found in the “Adventures of Fraser the Yellow Dog” books. Stories like “Rescue on Aspen Mountain” — which now is one of the most popular sold locally. But something is curious about this statistic. The story is 13 years old.
Kaaren Jorgensen is in charge of buying and selling the children’s books at Explore. She says the series relies heavily on the purchases of tourists and people who want something to remember Aspen by.
“Jill did such a beautiful job with the stories and the artwork," says Jorgensen. "It really appeals to people. The publishing of the book is outstanding. It’s attractive and people just nab it up.”
"Fraser the Yellow Dog: Rescue on Aspen Mountain" appeared in the store's bestseller list last week.
Jill Sheeley didn’t know that her book had reached the top sellers again, but is happy that her work could be appreciated by people coming into town.
“It always makes me really happy when people can relate to the books. I think that the Aspen Mountain book is selling well now, as is the Snowmass Mountain book does all year, because people are here right now. They’re enjoying the fall and they want to take something home from Aspen. It’s great. I love it.”
Jill began writing about Fraser when her friends started telling her all about the things her canine was doing when he was out and about. Calls kept coming in from friends about the noble things the dog was doing. Saving a small dog from some rottweilers. Or rescuing another dog from a mine shaft.
“These stories kept coming to my attention," says Sheeley. "I hadn’t written a children’s story at this time, but it just warranted doing one for him.”
Jill doesn’t know why exactly the book has reached the top sellers at this moment, but Kaaren at the bookstore says it’s always the book they recommend when someone asks for a souvenir.
“When folks are asking for something that they can take home with them, I always point it out. I think that the rest of us booksellers are on the same page.”
It’ll be another chapter for Fraser if the book can remain one of the top dogs at Explore in the future.
