Angels of the Appalachians is a fresh and endearing tale, filled with folksy phrases and amusing adages of the Southern United States. It's the story of two women who meet in 1980, gray-haired Erma telling her life story to Annie, a young college student living in Charleston, West Virginia. The tale she tells is also of two women, and their adventures beginning in the coalfields of Red Ash, growing up near Thurmond, and eventually finding their way to Charleston in 1915. Strong mountain women, historical places, faith, and grief are themes explored in this account of a friendship that spans across decades. You will find yourself wishing to call on the fine folks of the Appalachian Mountains, relax for a spell, and stumble upon the angels who made West Virginia so gloriously wild and wonderful.

The fabric of Appalachian Folklore is woven with mysterious tales of magic and the mountains. Folks in Appalachia have told stories about angels for decades and truly believe in their existence. These celestial beings are our messengers. They teach us, protect us, and sometimes have mischief or even malevolence in mind. Angels are said to visit the living in both light and dark forms. Angels of Appalachia: A Celestial Collection of Darkness and Light, invites you to believe with us. Light or dark, allow these tales to unfold as feathery wings within your own imagination. Our journey on earth is anything but ordinary . . . when we entertain angels unaware.

Erma's Attic is a heartfelt and humorous tale, filled with historical facts, folksy phrases and amusing adages of the Southern United States. When Annie, a young doctoral student living in Charleston, West Virginia, takes the advice of an elderly friend to spend a few nights at a farmhouse up Black Hollow Road, she discovers a journal in the attic. The aged journal, she soon discovers, was written by her dear friend Erma who had recently passed on over to the sweet by and by. Her friend's memories transports her on an adventure that embraces involvement in the women's suffrage movement, chatting with Mary "Mother" Jones, and standing vigil outside of collapsed coal mines in the first half of the 20th century. Tales from the past, and from the present when the journal is discovered, are woven together to ultimately offer the readers a compelling picture of the life in the West Virginia Appalachians. Erma's Attic: Angels of the Appalachians Book Two renews the stories of Annie, Will, Erma, Ida, and of course, Hank. If you enjoyed Angels of the Appalachians come explore this account of a friendship that spans across decades. If you haven't read the first book, don't fret, because you will still find yourself wishing to call on the fine folks of the Appalachian Mountains. So kick off your shoes, relax for a spell, and meet some of the angels who have made West Virginia so gloriously wild and wonderful.

Though it was still dark when she opened her eyes, Peggy knew instinctively that the long night was over. Her small body felt warm and safe snuggled deep into the billowy feather mattress her great-grandmother had made many years before. She had the most pleasant half-asleep, half-awake sensation. It was that magical time of morning when you dare not speak--you barely breathe--so as to prolong those few ethereal moments, just before dawn, when the world is warm and hazy and beautiful. Muted sounds began to invade her senses as she pressed her face deeper into the pillow, drinking in the sweet smell of summer sunshine that lingered on the smooth pillowcase long after it had been removed from the outside clothesline. The annoying screech of the back screen door told her that her grandfather was leaving for his job at the coalmine. She could hear her grandmother tiptoeing about the kitchen and knew that she was busy preparing breakfast for the rest of the family. The delightful aroma of bacon frying and coffee perking filled her nostrils and her empty stomach responded with a growl. Shaking Betty, who was still asleep beside her, she said, "It's time to get up! This is our first day together. We have a whole summer of fun ahead. Let's get started!" Betty stretched and yawned and threw the covers back and the two girls raced to the kitchen. Mom greeted each of them with a hug and nudged them toward the big kitchen table for breakfast. Peggy couldn't wait to have a plate of bacon, eggs, biscuits and gravy, but Betty wanted something sweet like biscuits covered with Eagle Brand or butter and jelly. "Yuck," Peggy said, and thus began one of the many disagreements they'd have during her visit. Nevertheless, it would be a wonderful summer, as always!

In 2016, headlines declared Appalachia ground zero for America's "forgotten tribe" of white working class voters. Journalists flocked to the region to extract sympathetic profiles of families devastated by poverty, abandoned by establishment politics, and eager to consume cheap campaign promises. What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia is a frank assessment of America's recent fascination with the people and problems of the region. The book analyzes trends in contemporary writing on Appalachia, presents a brief history of Appalachia with an eye toward unpacking Appalachian stereotypes, and provides examples of writing, art, and policy created by Appalachians as opposed to for Appalachians. The book offers a must-needed insider's perspective on the region.

A collection of poems centered around life in Appalachia addresses topics ranging from the marginalization of the region's people to the environmental degradation it has endured throughout history.