An imprint of the Amphorae Publishing Group, Blank Slate Press publishes historical novels of distinction, including my three-book saga of Native America spanning the Lost Century of the 1500s, with unforgettable characters and plots filled with adventure and romance backed by extensive historical research.

 

 

 

  Robert (Bob) Downes, 72, is the author of nine books with a tenth on the way. His series of acclaimed historical novels are published by Blank Slate Press, an imprint of the Amphorae Publishing Group. He and his wife, Jeannette, live in Traverse City, Michigan.

  Prior to launching a second career as an author, Downes spent more than 20 years as a newspaper editor and reporter. He also did a 10-year stint as head of publications and media relations at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City.

In 1991, he and his best friend, George Foster, CPA, launched the alternative Northern Express Weekly. During their 22 years of ownership, the paper grew to become northern Lower Michigan’s largest weekly newspaper, with a readership of 75,000 and a distribution spanning 150 miles. Downes won a national award for his reporting on the nation’s militia movement a year before the Oklahoma City bombing brought it to the world’s attention. The Express also earned the Michigan Press Association’s highest awards for General Excellence and Graphic Design. The partners sold the paper in 2013.

A past-president of the Traverse City Toastmasters Club, Downes has given hundreds of speeches and presentations, including on radio and TV, on topics including Native history, cycling and world travel. He has also given scores of digital slide talks relating to his books at libraries, bookstores and historical societies across the Midwest.

Press Kit: Author Robert Downes

My Books from Blank Slate Press

THE WOLF AND THE WILLOW - This first novel in the series begins with a young woman, Willow, who is swept into the 1528 expedition of Spanish conquistators to Florida. In the new land she meets Animi-Ma'lingan - He Who Outruns the Wolves - an Ojibwe trader and spy on a mission for he shamans of his people.

  -- "... a quest of Homeric dimensions... If you're in the mood for a historica saga that gets into the dtails of wilderness survival and indeigenous cultures of centuries gone by, you'll find The Wolf and The Willow a riveting reading experience." - Marquette Monthly

ISBN: 978-1-943057-95-9

THE SUN DOG - To be published by Blank Slate Press in February, 2026, this novel reunites Willow and Wolf in a saga set among the Seneca Iroquois in 1541.

  When a mysterious creature devastates a Seneca town on the shores of Lake Ontario, seven shamans and seven warriors are summoned in a futile attempt to stop it. It seems that only a mysterious sorceror from the far south has the power to defeat the demon. He, too, has the power of life and death over Willow and a young friend who have been accused of witchcraft. Yet Sun Dog struggles with demons of his own... A novel richly detailed in the little-known history of Native peoples.

WINDIGO MOON - A blood feud between two rival warriors over the love of Ashagi, a strong-willed woman of great beauty and greater determination threads through this story of an Ojibwe clan on the cusp of great change. Beginning in 1588, this novel spans 31 years in the life of an Ojibwe couple.

  -- "A simply brilliant work of historical fiction" - Midwest Book Review

  -- "Should be required reading for anyone with an interest in Ojibwe history,"

                                                                              - Foreword Magazine.

  -- First Prize - Cascade Writers Group, Grand Rapids ArtPrize competition 

  -- Gold Medal - "Best regional fiction, Great Lakes"

                                                             - Independent Publisher Magazine

ISBN: 978-1-943075-36-2

Books from The Wandering Press of Traverse City

RAW DEAL: The Indians of the Midwest and the Theft of Native Lands - a work of nonfiction history that tells the story of the Native peoples of America's heartland, from the Ice Age, to the mound-builder civilizations to the present day. Including the battles fought by Native warriors and the major treaties that deprived them of their homeland.

  “... a poignant and honest rendition behind the history of many of the treaties that have made a major impact on Native Americans in the Midwest... I liked a lot of extensive details Downes provided about the Copper Age, plagues, first contacts and so many other topics.”

              -- Sharron Brunner, Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, UP Book Review 

BIKING NORTHERN MICHIGAN: The Best & Safest Routes in the Lower Peninsula - This is the fourth edition of the bestselling guide to cycling more than 1,400 miles and 40 routes in northern Michigan. With more than 75 photos and maps, BNM provides essential information for cyclists ranging from families with toddlers to veteran bike tourers seeking to experience the best that the region has to offer.

MYSTERIES: Sandy Bottom: a satire on the small town mystery genre dealing with the collapse of Traverse City's "small town charm."

Bicycle Hobo: a cult thriller reimagining Moby Dick in the world of cycle touring.

TRAVEL MEMOIRS: I Promised You Adventure: an account of traveling for seven months around the world, living out of a backpack.

Planet Backpacker: A solo trip around the world, cycling across Europe and backpacking on through Egypt, India and Southeast Asia.

CONTENTS BELOW: My books • exploits & info • photos

I've lived the life I write about

My interest in Native history stems from my childhood on my grandfather’s farm where scores of arrowheads and Indian artifacts were discovered in the fields. A journeyman historian, I have a collection of more than 100 books on Native history and anthropology, which informed my books on the Anishinaabek people of the Great Lakes. I have also taken language lessons in Anishinaabemowin from the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and have backpacked extensively through the traditional homeland of the Odawa and Ojibwe, including winter camping on Lake Superior to get a feel for their way of life.

I’m an expert in the field of cycle touring with two books on the subject and 10,000 miles of touring under my wheels.

   I’ve bike-toured across North America twice, camping all the way, including 5,000 miles from Seattle to the northern tip of Newfoundland. To celebrate turning 70, I cycled 1,200 miles along the dirt bike paths and gravel roads of the Great American Rail Trail from Seattle to Sioux City, Iowa. I have also bike-packed extensively in Europe and have cycled in Peru, India, Sri Lanka, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Vietnam, Australia, Mexico and other countries. I am also the communications director for the 530-member Cherry Capital Cycling Club in Traverse City, MI.

I have traveled around the world twice as a backpacker, visiting more than 70 countries. My solo trip in 2007 resulted in my first book, Planet Backpacker.  In 2011 my wife Jeannette and I spent seven months backpacking around the world, resulting in our memoir, I Promised You Adventure.

I’m also a singer-songwriter, performing weekly at venues ranging from northern Michigan to Florida.

You can hear my songs on my YouTube channel: YouTube@bobdownes52

PUBLICITY PHOTOS

email bob@robertdownes.com for high-rez jpegs.

Q. In the spirit of a frequent question in the New York Times Book Review: What three authors woud I invite to a dinner party?

A. Mark Twain, Sir Richard Burton (the explorer, not the actor) and Robert Louis Stevenson, with Jack London making a possible fifth.

CONTACT:  bob@robertdownes.com