Appalachian Lore book review & giveaway!

Since starting this blog, I've had the opportunity to get to know many different Appalachian authors, chefs, and fellow bloggers and that's all because of social media. I have discovered that the Appalachian warmth, welcome, and willingness to help is even present within the social media setting. I haven't once found a person who hasn't been willing to share what they have learned and along with that, an offer to help whenever I may need it...and in a world full of busy schedules and competitive attitudes, that's pretty special.

One of these amazing people that I've met happens to be an Appalachian author by the name of Philip Kent Church. Philip is an Appalachian author, poet, and songwriter from Virginia. He recently sent me a signed copy of Appalachian Lore: Haints, Hexes, Hoo-Doos and Such to review and giveaway...right in time for Halloween!

I've always loved a good goosebump inducing story and this book is full of them! Out of all of the stories mentioned, there are two that I enjoyed the most: "The Black Sisters" and "The Legend of Tom Dooley."

The tale of "The Black Sisters" is a story about three spinster sisters from Christiansburg, Virginia who haunt a school building built on the grounds of a former all girls school where the sisters lived and served as administrators and teachers. The sister's deaths were followed with unexplained sounds, apparitions, lights being turned off, and even a rumored ritualistic murder. What makes the story even spookier is the first hand accounts of Philip himself! 

The other story I enjoyed was "The Legend of Tom Dooley." My dad used to play the famous song on his banjo when I was little and I found out that the song was based on a true story that happened in Wilkes County, NC. I honestly knew a good bit about this folklore because of previously doing my own research but found Philip's account of the story to be a good one. This story has everything a good one needs: love, betrayal, jealousy, and an unsolved murder! 

Tom Dooley (actually Dula but regional pronunciation has led people to commonly spell it as it was said) was a small town North Carolina boy who returned from war and met and started a relationship with a local girl, Laura Foster. This could have been a happy story had Tom not been having a relationship with Laura's married cousin, Anne Melton, also. Folklore has it that Laura became pregnant, and she and Tom decided to elope. The morning that Laura was to meet Tom (May 25, 1866), she quietly left her home and rode off on her father's horse never to be seen alive again. No one really knows what happened that day, but many believe that Anne learned of the couple's meeting and met Laura as she was on her way, murdered her, and then hid her body. Tom is said to have believed that Anne murdered Laura but loved Anne enough to take the blame which resulted in his execution. 

Now that I've told you a little about Philip's book, I would like to give you all a chance to win one of your own! There are several ways to enter:

1. Like the Appalachian Mountain Roots Facebook page. = 1 entry
2. Like Philip Kent Church's Facebook page. = 1 entry
3. Like and share the **GIVEAWAY** post over on the Appalachian Mountain Roots Facebook page. = 2 entries
4. Subscribe to this blog by email on the blog page. = 1 entry
5. Share this blog post on your Facebook page. = 1 entry

This giveaway will start today (10/17/16) and run until 7 pm on 10/24/16. I will be using an online random name selector to choose the winner and the winner will be announced over on the Appalachian Mountain Roots Facebook page on 10/25/16. If your name is chosen, you will have 2 days to submit your mailing information. If it isn't received by the deadline, a new winner will be notified. Best of luck to all of y'all!

Signs, Superstitions, and Omens - Week 3

*This post was originally published here at Appalachian Mountain Roots on 10/13/2016*

Hey y'all! It has been a few weeks since my last installment of signs, superstitions, and omens (SSOs). I ended up having to spend a few more days in the big house (how I fondly refer to the hospital) and it took a little longer for me to "get back on my feet." Anyway, enough about my moans and groans...if you happened to miss the past installments, you can find them here: Week 1 & Week 2. 
I hope you enjoy these and please share any that you've heard in your neck of the woods!

*SIGNS*

A sign is believed to predict the future but unlike the omen, signs do not foretell negative happenings.

• According to Native American superstition, biting your tongue is a sign that you will soon receive either good news or a present.
• A dropped towel is a sign that you will have the arrival of an unwanted visitor. According to Scottish pioneers, you can nullify the sign by stepping backwards over the towel.
• If you dream that your teeth fall out, its a sign that your enemy will soon die. I always heard that it meant you would have sickness approaching.

*SUPERSTITIONS*

A superstition is an irrational belief, usually arising from ignorance or fear, that is believed by a number of people but is without foundation.

• Is there a thief in your community? Have a group of suspects dance around an upturned axe & when if falls over, the shaft will be pointing to the thief.
• If a baby sees it's image in a mirror before the age of six months, it will die before it turns one year old. 
• I remember when my Dude was around 5 months old, I left him sleeping on the couch while I went to make up my bed. I heard a thump and a cry not even 2 minutes after leaving the room. I raced back to the living room and scooped him up and cried right along with him. My Papaw Glenn happened to call about that time and calmed me down. He told me that he had always heard that if a baby didn't roll off of the bed before it was a year old, it would die. I'm not sure if that was really a superstition he had actually heard or if he was just trying to make me feel better...it helped a little.

*OMENS*

Omen- a phenomenon that is believed to tell the future, which also signifies change...usually negative.

• Bad luck will come to a household if someone dreams of an axe.
• Dreaming of a lizard is an omen that you have a secret enemy.
• If a bat comes close to flying into a person, it is an omen that the person will be betrayed by a friend. 
• A cat in a coal mine is an omen and the cat must be killed to avoid a death in the mines.

I hope that y'all have enjoyed this week's SSOs. Next week, I'll be sharing some more along with my review of a book by Appalachian author, Philip Kent Church. The name of the book is: Appalachian Lore: Haints, Hexes, Hoo-Doos and Such. 

I will also be having a giveaway over on my Facebook page of a signed copy of the book! Be sure to keep an eye out for it!!