Hillbilly Tales from the Smoky Mountains includes several short stories based on the folklore of the Appalachian Mountains. Before the time of cell-phones, computers, and television, family members would gather on the front porch and offer up stories through simple oral traditions. These stories provided simple forms of entertainment to their children. With each generation, the stories became more elaborate and creative, transforming into what we now know as Appalachian folklore.

Mountain people have always led a difficult life; however, their unique perspective on dealing with struggles is fascinating. In this book, you will find a section on mountain medicinal treatments and hillbilly proverbs, passed down from mother to daughter. Knowledge of apothecary, or mountain medicine, was crucial for treating family members when the local doctor was away. No decent, self-respecting mountain folk would ever go unprepared without offering advice to help their neighbors. Wise sayings, or hillbilly proverbs, go hand-in-hand with mountain medicine, providing guidance in daily life.

The second part of the book features a special story by one of the original descendants of the Crowe Family, Ms. Verna Humphrey. This short piece of fiction centers around a light romance set right after the Civil War. The setting is Green Cove, where a young girl, Charlotte, struggles to regain her birthright during trying times. When a young lawyer enters the scene, Charlotte's interpretation of birthright takes on a whole new meaning. She must make difficult decisions that will alter the course of her life.

Brother Claude Ely (1922-1978), once described as the King Recording Label's "Gospel Ranger," was a revered religious singer-songwriter and a Pentecostal-Holiness preacher, cherished throughout the Appalachian mountains. Despite his fame, few knew the intricate details of his childhood, military service, and years of hard toil in the coal fields of southwestern Virginia.

What Ely was most celebrated for was his brilliance as a preacher and his songwriting gifts. His iconic song, "There Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down," left a musical and spiritual legacy that continues to echo through the Appalachians and the world of gospel music today.

This oral biography, authored by Ely's great-nephew Macel Ely, is composed from recorded interviews with more than 1,000 people in the Appalachian Mountains who knew Brother Claude Ely personally. The book paints a vivid picture of Ely's life and his enduring influence on those who heard his message of hope and love.

Will Alexander, the sheriff of a small town in southern Appalachia, is embroiled in a baffling murder case that offers neither a body nor a suspect. Determined to uncover the truth, he embarks on a quest to discover what truly happened to the local thug, Holland Winchester.

This brilliant southern gothic novel, by the award-winning and bestselling author Ron Rash, observes the consequences of love and murder across generations. Told from the perspectives of the sheriff, a local farmer, his wife, their son, and the sheriff's deputy, the story unfolds through their unique voices, exploring crime, shifting suspicion, blame, and guilt with each new revelation.

Set in the 1950s Appalachian South Carolina, the narrative is woven with themes of infidelity, jealousy, betrayal, and the inexorable march of progress as a valley fills with water behind a new dam. One Foot in Eden signals the arrival of one of the most mature and distinctive voices in southern literature.