Publishing

Catch the Spirit of Appalachia now has a website devoted to the sale of some of the books listed below, giving you the option of purchasing the books and learning about the authors. As time permits, more of the authors will be listed on the site.  To check out the site, go to http://www.csabooks.com.
     

Saving our heritage one leaf, one book at a time

























Why we publish...

In 1995, Geraldine Queen of Tuckasegee called, asking me to write the story of her son, Tony, who had been the victim of local crimes leading to his death. At first I worried about achieving the right way to tell the story; after all, my books were labeled historical fiction. After much deliberation, and encouragement from my husband, Phil Scopelite, editor of a magazine in Chicago at the time, I accepted. When the manuscript was completed, I approached my publisher. The editor told me it would be two years before the book would be on the market. This was unacceptable to Geraldine and myself, so we set out to raise the funds to do it ourselves. The first printing of the book almost sold out within four months of its published date.
      And so, the success of this endeavor whetted our appetites—my sister's and mine. Visions of publishing the voices that otherwise would never be heard flooded our minds. We would position ourselves to assist others, at minimal cost, in getting the books they had within them out on paper...and then provide the publishing knowledge we'd learned to get the manuscript into book form...and another aspect of Catch the Spirit of Appalachia's mission would be realized—to save our local heritage before our knowledgeable elders were lost to us.
      In March 2006, Catch the Spirit achieved another of it's long-term goals. We established The Catch The Spirit of Appalachia Endowment Fund with the North Carolina Community Foundation. All proceeds from the endowment each year will go to support scholarships for our local youth in Appalachian Studies, and to publish writers, artists and craftspeople of Western North Carolina. Thus the more people choose to donate toward this endowment, the more books, the more support for heritage, arts and crafts. In other words, more books such as those listed below will materialize in coming years. My heart sings!        
                                                                                         —Amy Ammons Garza

Note:  To read more about the CSA Endowment, or to donate, go to: 

http://www.spiritofappalachia.org/14.html


Description of Published Books in order of publication date

CRIME STORY

1.  I Am Somebody, The Story of Tony Queen         $11.95                
(Ammons Communications, LTD, 1996)
In March of 1994, at the age of 24, Tony Queen, a North Carolina mountain boy was beaten and tortured, forced to endure a week of unspeakable pain and to perform indecent acts beyond all reason. He was placed unconscious into a 2' x 4' trailer closet and the door nailed shut. This account of Tony Queen's life (and death) also has 15 interviews with those who knew him before and after his tragic death at the hands of seven "friends." ISBN #0-9651232-0-0






2.  Songs of the Soul             $5.00
Marie Jovich     (1988)
Book One:   Marie’s talent surfaced when she became handicapped and paralyzed. After a period of years, she learned to live with the frustration of being completely immobile. She then acquired peace of mind. With the help of others, Marie began to write inspirational poems--poems that rose out of heart and soul. Marie caught the spirit from within without even leaving her bed. Marie Jovich lived in Chicago, IL.This book was written to commemorate Chicago’s St. George Church’s 85th Anniversary.





3.  Gentle Breath             $5.00
Marie Jovich       (1992)
Book Two: Inspirational poetry that speaks of a woman’s soul as she lies in bed not able to move any muscle except her neck and head. The words came into her mind, she repeated them over and over to memorize, and then her companion wrote them down for her.  






4.  Beneath the Balsams                                                         $10.00
Joy Phillips Hoyle     (1996)
Joy has written about her family and their way of life as she knew it in the late 1940's and 1950's.   As you read her stories and poetry, you will meet a mountain family with close ties and values molded into her at a young age and have remained with her through the years. "Life at the old homeplace consisted of no electricity, nor indoor plumbing until several years after I grew up.   It was there, beneath the balsams, four miles below the Blue Ridge Parkway, I learned the importance of hard work, discipline and doing God's will in His green cathedral." ISBN #0-9651232-1-9






5.  Tales of Grandpa and Gum Branch                 $15.00
Russell Groover     (1997)
As a young boy, Russell grew up in Liberty County, Georgia in a little town called Gum Branch.   He loved his grandpa; he loved the humor and spirit of that generation.   "I can still see the spirit of the people who settled the area almost two hundred years ago in their descendants—ambitious, honest, hard-working people who are the backbone of this country.   Over the years when I have felt that our nation has lost the values that once made it great,   I have returned here and seen that those values are still alive and well, and I have realized that as long as small communities like this survive, our country will also."   A humorous, fun-loving book, Tales of Grandpa and Bum Branch gives us entertainment at its best. ISBN #0-9651232-2-7





6.  Sleep with the Wolf; Walk with the Bear         $15.00
Carolyn Cheatham       (1998)
This is a true story of one Native American woman's spiritual journey.   As with many women reaching middle age, she felt as if she was on the down hillside of her life, only to find herself on an upward climb to a rebirth.   "Sister Wolf, Brother Bear...lost in my shadow, I did not hear your footsteps. Were you the whispers I heard in the night?   Were you the rustle in the trees?   Have you been with me all my life?" ISBN #0-951232-4-3







7.  Bringing Home the Wedding             $24.95
Elisa Gaye Wagoner           (1998)
in the child of Elisa Gaye Wagoner, a designer and manufacturer of clothing for the romantic poetic woman.   This book gives brides and grooms detailed instructions for a dream wedding on their own terms and within their budget without stress.   The handbook highlights preparing the home and outdoor wedding site, self-catering, complete menus and 35 tested recipes, custom sew-it-yourself wedding accessories, a beautiful wedding for under $2000 and more! ISBN #0-9651232-5-1






8.  Handed Down then Passed Around             $10.00
Joy Phillips Hoyle           (1999)
In this her second book, Joy continues as the little girl who grew up on the Beech Flat at the head of Caney Fork in Jackson County. Within the pages of this book, in the style of a mountain "Erma Bombeck" Joy is entertainingly sharing and handing down her memories, her stories, her wisdom.   It is up to you, the reader, to pass it around.   ISBN #0-951232-6-X






9.  Appalachian Traditions                            $15.00
lesa w. postell                 (1999)
Mountain Ways of Canning, Pickling & Drying—lesa w. postell is a mountain woman who has chosen to keep the traditions of her people, living peacefully with nature in the mountains of blue smoke.   She says, "The stories and teachings of the people of this region are still present, yet vaguely heard.   I fear for this great heritage, that this heritage may be lost forever.   With this book, I am doing my best to assure the preservation of a lifestyle and heritage known by few in this modern world."   ISBN #0-9651232-7-8



10.  Seeing is Sometimes Believing      $6.95
A Story of the Cherokee
Davada L. Long                                 (2001)
A Native American boy, Tsa-Ni (Johnny), from the Great Smokey Mountains shares his mountain home & grandparents with the book's audience.   When Tsa-Ni's grandfather becomes very ill and leaves home to recover, the grandfather tells the boy he will watch over him while he is gone.   This book illustrates just how the grandfather accomplishes this, to the amazement of the young Cherokee boy.



11. A Pinch from the Little Brown Jar                     $15.00
Linda Owen Vinson             (2001)
Memories and Recipes from the Mountain—Winner of hundreds of First Place blue ribbons for her canning, baking, sewing, photography, arts and crafts, Linda Owen Vinson has shaped her life with her own hands.   Her rendition of life amid her cooking represents a single mother doing the best she could for her children, with definite handicaps other people may not have experienced.   And in among it all, she created "cathead" biscuits, green beans and 'taters, chicken 'n' dumpling, chicken pot pie, southern fired chicken, fluffy banana pudding...and much more, all mixed with a pinch from the little brown jar.   Read the book and find out just what is in that little brown jar!   ISBN #0-9651232-9-4



12. Gold Dust             $5.00
Marie Jovich       (2002)
Book Three: This volume of poetry is the harvest of Marie’s contemplative prayer.   Though confined to her bed, she has touched all who read her work.   She offers us her poetry as a way of bringing the Gospel home to each one of our hearts in a way that nourishes our faith, inspires our lives and connects us to one another.   (Father Arturo Perez Rodriguez, St. George Church.)






13.  White Feather                         $14.95
by Nancy McIntosh Pafford       (2004)
The story of the life and times of a young Cherokee woman and her courageous determination before, during and after the Trail of Tears exile of the Cherokee People. Told through the eyes of a sensitive storyteller, White Feather follows the historical facts of the removal of the Cherokee in 1838, at the same time giving the reader a view of the human experience by allowing us to participate. "White Feather came over the mountains and rode the wind alongside me...giving me a   story to tell...her story."  
ISBN #0-9753023-0-2




14.  Memories of Merritt Island               $19.95
by Gail Briggs Nolen                 (2005)
Through pictorial history beginning in the late 19th century, this book follows one family’s journey from Germany to a new life homesteading in the isolated wilderness and swampland of Merritt Island, Florida. Learn how the members of this family were affected when their land and homes were taken by NASA to become part of the Kennedy Space Center.   ISBN #0-9753023-1-0




15.  Sterlen, and a Mosaic of Mountain Women   $16.00
by Amy Ammons Garza                 (2005)
Sterlen Galloway, the man whom Garza writes about in this her third novel based on her family , is about a
musically gifted mountain man who has lived all of his forty-eight years in the backwoods, visiting home after home carrying his banjo, his songs and his stories. But then Sterlen meets Martha Ammons, Tom Ammons’ eldest daughter, and love thrusts this man of music and song into the darkness of an abused woman’s emotional pain. The book “Sterlen” continues to share authentic stories of the Ammons and Owen families, plus lists their lineage in the back of the book.   ISBN 0-9753023-2-9





16.  Catena                   $19.95
by Calumet Region Writers       (2005)
The poems, essays, and fiction in the pages of Catena lace together the experiences of all generations: love and loss, the joy of friendship and family, the scars of abandonment, and the triumph of survival. But art takes into account the routine and rumination of everyday life, too. With seriousness and humor, these writers consider a drive into the city, the sensations of fitness walking, an unexpected rival in love, and irritation at the popular tendency to use nouns as verbs. The experiences are divergent and individual, but the themes under which they unite are not. The voices we hear in Catena speak for us all.   ISBN #0-9753023-35100





17.  The Life and Times of Mary Jane Queen       $10.00
by Mary Jane Queen       (2005)
This book with her artwork, her old photos, her stories, is written entirely by Mary Jane. It’s as if you’re sitting there with her on the porch being transported back in time. She tells it the way it was, with her insights, humor and wonderful depth of memory. With ninety years behind her—of living on the land, working with her hands, birthing and raising eight children, making her own music—this woman of the mountains is an Appalachian heritage treasure for Western North Carolina.   She’s the true spirit of Appalachia!  
ISBN #0-9753023-5-3        



18.  Cherokee Rose                           $12.95
by Nancy McIntosh Pafford       (2006)

Cherokee Rose is the sequel to White Feather, who along with her family, was taken from the mountains to walk the Trail of Tears, eventually to return to her homeland years later. Cherokee Rose, great granddaughter of White Feather, faces a similar trail as she, an orphan, learns of her Cherokee Heritage, and in doing so, discovers a new destiny.  ISBN #978-0-9753023-5-4





19.  The African Americans in Jackson County         $21.95
A Pictorical History — From Slavery to Intergration

by Victoria A. Casey McDonald               (2006)

A pictorial history book featuring the African Americans of Jackson County (pictures beginning in the 1700s) written by Victoria A. Casey McDonald, Educator for Jackson County Schools.  Included within the book are her original collection of photographs with written information that gives credence to this wonderful historical treasure never before published. ISBN #978-0-9753023-6-1


20.  Johnny, My Favorite Mouse         $21.95

by Gail Nolen               (2007)

Based on a true story, this hard back book tells of the adventures Robert Andrew "Andy" Nolen enjoyed with his imaginary mice...Johnny being his favorite.  Gail Nolen relates the story from memories of her son when he was four and five years old. Enjoy Johnny and Andy as they go to school together, play in the mud, and attend church!
ISBN #978-0-9753023-7-8




21.  Moving to Grahamtown         $20.00

by Threatha Price Bennings               (2007)

Threatha has written the story of the community in which she grew up—Grahamtown—(Forest City, NC). She has gathered together stories of individuals, their struggles, their values, their skills and their spirit of sharing and giving. Threatha writes: "Each story told is true; the time period runs from 1923-1945. Times were difficult for black people. Things were simple. Many people were poor and some did not have book learning. We were finally free and our lives were better...or so we thought." ISBN #978-0-9753023-8-5


22.  Oneal's Memories         $20.00

by Oneal Jenkins                           (2007)

Set in Graham County, Oneal ‘s Memories shares one woman’s history of living into the 5th generation of mountain heritage. This is a story that tells of how families lived in Western North Carolina in a time when neighbors knew each other’s needs and went out of their way to assist one another...it was a time when courtiers went “walking” together.
ISBN# 978-0-9753023-9-2



23.  Seizing the Moment        $19.95

by Jean Sutton Mincey & Etheree Burkett Chancellor     (2008)

Two women with years of experience in the art of cross-stitch and knowledge of the great outdoors have teamed together to share their expertise in a most unique way. Etheree Burkett Chancellor, nature photographer, "seizes the moment" by capturing 28 wildflowers of the Great Smokies with the camera, and then she and Jean Sutton Mincey, stitcher and quilter, have created designs of the wildflower photos, stitching in time the brilliant colors and shapes from the mountainsides of Appalachia so you can cross-stitch your own wildflower gardens.
ISBN# 978-0-9815702-0-4


24.  Tales from the Streets of Tampa       $19.95

by Russell Groover    (2008)

Tales from the Streets of Tampa is dedicated to the men and women of the Tampa Police Department, Past and Present. Author Russell Groover takes us through his years as a policeman...from walking the beat to retiring as a motorcycle cop in the Traffic Division of the Tampa Police Department in Florida. The book is full of stories, some funny, some touching, some almost unbelievable. 250 pages of behind the scenes adventures and everyday life of a policeman. Wonderful reading.
ISBN: 978-0-9815702-1-1


25.   Precious Memories of Graham County       $19.95

by Louise Huscusson Stewart    (2008)

A descendent of the pioneers of Graham County, North Carolina, Lousie is a correspondent with the Graham Star Newspaper, who has interviewed over 100 members of the community since 2003. She lives in the house (c1899) in which she was born. She attends all the programs for and about the veterans of Graham County, and the celebrations of those whose descendants settled the area. The articles and stories within this book represent and honor the men and women who have made this country strong.  ISBN: 978-0-15702-3-5



26.  The Ladies of Madison Manor      $14.95

by Peggyann Ryan   (2008)

Meet the Ladies of Madison Manor...Their leader, Tess O'Leary always has the last word; Nell Fogarty, whose huge energy gobbles up people and news, and events; Mary Clare Mulvihill, has one foot on the planet, the other in the galaxies. Pegyann Ryan brings these characters alive through the eyes of a fourteen-year-old girl struggling to find her way in the Irish society of 1940's West Side Chicago. ISBN: 978-0-9815702-6-6





27.  Cats Without Cages      $19.95

by Harold Sims   (2008)

The story of Catman2 and a most unique one-of-a-kind sanctuary for cats written from the heart of a man who has provided more than just a home for felines...he has devoted the rest of his life to their welfare. An inspiring account of a man who was determined to bring to life a dream of providing a real home without cages for as many cats as he could. rescue This story proves that you can achieve your most heartfelt desire if you put your mind to it. A "how-to" book in building a warm and inviting sanctuary for cats.  ISBN: 978-0-9815702-5-9


28.  Cherokee Mountain     $14.95

by Kirby A. Claphan  (2008)

“Cherokee Mountain” is a book Kirby Claphan has written to read to his children, and for you to read to your children. They are stories about events in his life, and since he thinks kids should hear stories that are simple and natural...he writes about what he holds dear. Growing up in a cotton mill community in Greenwood, South Carolina, Kirby lived four houses down from his grandparents who were of Native American descent. You might say they raised him because he was always there listening to their stories of the old times and how his great grandfather caught turtles, and hunted for possums and rabbits. A genuine message of the natural side of life. Fully illustrated in color by Doreyl Ammons Cain. ISBN: 978-0-9815702-2-4 


29.  Peyton Station              $14.95
by Kathy Ensley Hall (2008)

Kathy Ensley Hall is a teacher. Her heart lies with the minds and souls of her students. Her own daughter Kerry became ill with lupus and slowly lost the battle of life. She gathered all her written words, before and after the passing of her daughter, and stored them within the pages of this book. Kathy writes, " As the pages were written about Peyton Station, I read them to my students in the 6th grade. Each day they couldnt wait to hear the next stanza, the next part of the story. My students are as much a part of this book as Kerry and me." ISBN: 978-0-9815702-4-2

30.  The Artist Directory of Jackson County           $10

Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, Inc. has partnered with the Jackson County Arts Council and the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce to compile a printed Jackson County Artist Directory. The categories in the Artist Directory are Visual Arts, Fine Art/Craft , Music, Theater, Literature, and Traditional Art/Craft. Some  examples:  under ‘Traditional Art/Craft':  Ballad Singing, Folk Dance, Folk instrumental, Heritage craft: canning, quilting, caning, storytelling, blacksmithing, etc. Under ‘Music’:  Instrumental, strings, percussion, vocal, etc. Contact information is listed for almost 200 artists. Published in 2008.


31.  Learning to Fly           $25.00

by Doreyl Ammons Cain  (2008)

Greatly inspired by the beauty, teaming wildlife and culture defining the mountains of Western North Carolina, Doreyl paints images that attempt to tell of her love for this area of the world and it's people. As a youngster, she drew birds with a stick in the sand of the dusty roads of the tree-covered mounatins, and continues drawing today...with pastels. This book contains wonderful images she has gleaned from over a lifetime of capturing the stories with strokes of pastel, and her writings about "Living in the Woods."  This is an art book that inspires! ISBN: 978-0-9815702-7-3


32.  OSCAR,  Legendary Alligator of the Okefenokee Swamp   $12,95
By NancyMcIntosh Pafford     (2009)
   
Oscar was a real alligator who lived in the Okefenokee Swamp and his stories are events that actually happened in the park. Nancy Pafford was asked by the Park Manager to tell the story of Oscar, this legendary alligator who had lived at the Okefenokee Swamp for years. When he passed away, the people at the park didn't want to forget him, and so the book, and also an exhibit about him will be in the park. Published in May, 2009.  ISBN: 978-0-9815702-8-3

33.  68 Seconds, To Feel Better                  $12.60
 By Kim May      (2009)

“68 Seconds” is designed as a quick reference tool—all you need to move toward alignment and begin to feel better!  Kim May is a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer of 27 years. During this time she birthed her approach to living life, resulting in total wellbeing. She teaches, through decades of personal and professional experience, that which she needs to remember herself: (1) love yourself unconditionally and (2) life is meant to be balanced and joyous. Published in May, 2009.  ISBN: 978-0-9824099-0-9

34.  Return to Riverside                    $15.00
The 1970 graduating class of Riverside Indian Boarding School Speaks

By Edwina Crowe Jones        (2009)

Four decades has passed since Edwina's high school graduation from Riverside Indian Boarding School, Anadarko, Oklahoma.  Within "Return to Riverside," Edwina has written about what has transpired with fifty-nine fellow seniors, representing thirty-two American Indian tribes and fourteen states across the nation, who graduated on May 15th, 1970. She says, "I had read several books and articles about American Indian boarding schools and their impact on the respective lives of the students, their families, and their communities. I had not read any about mine, presently the oldest operating American Indian boarding school in the US Indian Service, so I collected and have written about these most important people."  ISBN: 978-0-9824099-1-5

35.  My Mountain Granny               $20.00
The Story of Evelyn Howell Beck and the Mountain Town of Whittier, NC

By Matthew Link Baker     (2009)
The story of a mountain woman from Whittier, NC, who told her life history to a college student and changed his view forever of the value and wisdom of mountain people.  He says: "Evelyn Howell Beck was one of the finest human beings one could ever meet. She allowed a young college student into her home and treated me like family.  I learned lessons that could never be taught in a classroom. There were no layers to be peeled away when meeting her.  She was a hardworking woman who lived her life by the light of faith and love of family.  I am thankful to her for memories of our friendship. She had a story to tell and my job was to write it down. It is my hope that you will enjoy her story as much as I have enjoyed writing it." ISBN: 978-0-9824099-2-3


36.  Laughter Was God's Idea         $14.95
Stories About Healing Humor
By Chaplain Jack Hinson
Prayer and good humor are two of the strongest alternative medicines. When prayer and humor are combined, as Reverend Jack Hinson uses them, they become a powerful healing tool. He states: "This book is about LAUGHTER—GOD'S IDEA. It was His intention from the beginning to provide us with a mechanism to address the tension of existence. He knew His children, living in a pressure cooker world of demands and deadlines, would need a release valve, so He built in a handy device called laughter. How grateful I am to the Creator for dreaming up such a fun way to keep us going through hard times."
ISBN: 978-0-9824099-3-0

37. Kevin, the Helpful Vanpire Cat       $12.50
By Harold "Catman" Sims

The story of a small tabby cat who earned the name "Kevin The Vampire Cat" when he developed a pronounced overbite and his two upper canine teeth protruded like the fangs of a vampire bat. But Kevin was never a real vampire...he was much more.  ISBN: 978-0-9824099-4-7

38. I Don't See the Monkeys      $23.95
by Kathy Collins Barber

Early in her career, Kathy was a primary school teacher, and she always dreamed of writing books for young children.  "I Don't See the Monkeys" is Kathy's 2nd children's book.  Inspired by her grandson, This book brings the young boys words "I don't see the monkey's" alive in many ways.  ISBN: 978-0-9824099-5-4

39.  Christmas Blueberry Muffins & Elixir           $20.00
by Linda Owen Vinson (2010)

Author Linda Owen Vinson comes straight from her heart when she's telling stories. She has played Mrs. Claus for many years, and each time brings smiles to the faces of those in her audience. Within the pages of this book is her first Christmas Story...a tale of Christmas wishes that collide and produce a wonderful, delightful array of love and laughter. ISBN: 978-0-9824099-6-1


4o.  The Legacy of Bear Mountain          $14.95
by Janie Mae Jones McKinley        (2010)

Stories of Old Mountain Values That Enrich Our Lives Today.
Janie Mae Jones McKinley invites you to explore your family legacy as you revisit the old days with her grandparents in The Legacy of Bear Mountain. With amazing detail, she recalls humorous and scary stories, along with Grandpa’s hard work on the railroad and Granny’s devout faith in God.
ISBN: 978-0-9824099-7-8


41. Some Things I Said While Trying To Preach the Gospel                                                        $20.00
by The Rev. Dr. Fred Werhan                    (2010)

“Daily Thoughts for Thoughtful Christians.” Offered here as daily thoughts from 23 years of trying to preach the gospel in a single congregational setting, these are not short sermon synopses, but rather some things that were said in the context of some of the sermons preached during that ministry. “I often said that I had only two sermons, one on love as what it means to be a Christian and one on freedom as what it means to be a Baptist, and that all my thoughts were variations on these two themes.”
 ISBN: 978-0-9824099-8-5



42. Aliens in God’s Country         $20.00    
By Edwina Crowe Jones            (2010)

“Life with the Great White Family—One Modern-day American Indian woman’s journey—her trials and tribulations, her victories”   Although based on actual people, the characters in Aliens in God’s Country are embellished composites; although based on actual happenings,  the events in Aliens in God’s Country are much exaggerated. 
ISBN: 978-0-9824099-9-2



43. Little is Much                $11.99
by David W. Watkins            (2010)

From saving his pennies for Mary Jane Candy, to saving his  pennies to balance his family’s budget...He always seemed to know “little was much!” Now, David wants to share with you how to develop a financial plan that will work with your income! ISBN: 978-0-9827611-0-6




44.  RedBone Willy, The Legend    $14.95


Roger Chapman is a storyteller who tugs at the heart.  In RedBone Willy, The Legend, he introduces his readers to a story of a friendship between two young boys, Hunter and Alex. When Alex meets Willamina, his whole world changes, for he loves her at first sight. The reader follows Alex and Willamina in a heart warming story of love and faithfulness...and then the Civil War breaks out, and the story takes a new direction, winding up with the introduction of RedBone and Willy, his dog. A legend arises out of this intriging story of two friends, a sweetheart and a dog.  ISBN: 978-0-9827611-1-3


45.  A History of the Bible          $15.00


The aim of Reverend Babb’s work is to present the complicated but exciting story of the Bible’s creation. The reader may discover that it took much longer than is popularly understood. Information from both the scientific and scholarly world as well as the religious community is used to explain the writing and canonization of scripture.
ISBN: 978-0-9827611-2-0


















For information on publishing your own book, email Amy at v.ammons@mchsi.com.
For information about writing your own book, go to Writing Workshops.
For infomation about illustrating your own book, go to Art Workshops.


Ammons Communications Publishers
Imprint:   Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, Inc.