Folk Lore

The fourth installment of the extremely popular "Legends of the Mountain State" series (Woodland Press) is here—and it's fantastic! As a matter of fact, Woodland Press is taking pre-orders now and books will ship by Oct. 18th, 2010, the same week as the national release of "Legends of the Mountain State 4" at the West Virginia Book Festival, Oct. 16 - 17th, held at the Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV.

Brand New! Experience sixteen bone-chilling short stories by Appalachian writers with strong appetites for the macabre. Within these pages lie terrifying ghost tales sure to cause more than a few sleepless nights. Dark Tales of Terror is a gripping anthology—full of Southern fried horror of the first degree—assembled by 2010 Bram Stoker Award winner Michael Knost.

PERFECT FOR THE WINTER SEASON: Appalachian Winter Hauntings includes eleven bone-chilling accounts, penned by many of the preeminent storytellers in the business. These stories are appropriate to the Appalachian region and relative to the heart of the winter season. This anthology is dark and cold and is designed for cozying up close to a blazing fireplace on the coldest of winter nights.

West Virginia journalist Kyle Lovern is at it again—putting together another fascinating book about eyewitness accounts of UFOs and strange encounters from the Appalachian region. His first book, Appalachian Case Study: UFO Sightings, Alien Encounters and Unexplained Phenomena, took readers on an amazing journey of exploration through the eyes of many down-to-earth folks who told Lovern about their experiences. Using his background in newspaper and radio, Lovern conducted interviews with various citizens about their unusual encounters and extraordinary experiences.

Regional myths and folklore provide the perfect archetypes for tales expressing the collective fears of the human race. Because of this resonance and the unlimited potential provided by oral tradition and the countless ways these stories can evolve, myth, legend, and folklore are among the most powerful forms of storytelling. “Legends of the Mountain State 3”, edited by Michael Knost is the third collection of dark folklore from the state of West Virginia, and it contains tales that embody this timeless storytelling experience (re-printed from Shroud Magazine).

An herb woman for several decades, author Linda Rago has tended, cooked, and cured with herbs, collecting their stories, charms, and tales along the way. In this book, she passes along herbal folklore, a history with an oral tradition that has been passed down from grandmothers, scholars, friends, and “Wise Women.” Mugworts In May contains charming rhymes and ditties to help your love life, your garden, and your health.

Hold on to your seat. On November 15, 1966, two young couples drove into the abandoned TNT area north of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. What they saw in the countryside that night has evolved into a great mystery: just who - or what - was the Mothman? This book was culled from a wide variety of sources and is careful not to contain mere conjecture. Instead, the authors have carefully presented as much factual information and eyewitness accounts as possible - leaving decisions about the Mothman legend up to the reader.

UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS over the Mountain State!! Wow!! Former journalist Bob Teets documents more than 150 UFO sightings, based on eyewitness accounts from people all over West Virginia. While reading about this enigmatic phenomena, you will hear gripping stories from persons who had a “close encounter” or saw something bizarre and other-worldly.

Many strange and ghostly beings haunt the backwoods and towns of the Mountain State. This book collects a variety of spine-chilling tales. With stories of the restless spirits of Harpers Ferry, the phantom hitchhikers on the West Virginia Turnpike, Clarksburg’s Lady in Blue, Parkersburg’s haunted Blennerhassett hotel, Martinsburg’s Kings Daughters Court, and Mamie Thurman’s restless spirit in Logan, West Virginia. About the author: Patty A.

History & Hauntings of West Virginia and the Ohio Valley.