The Bell Witch Unveiled At Last! The True Story Of A Poltergeist
By DJ Lyons
Publisher: PublishAmerica
ISBN 1604744774.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Order this book on Amazon.com at: http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Witch-Unveiled-Last-Poltergeist/dp/1604744774/
Find bookstores selling this book: http://www.bellwitchunveiled.com/Buy_Book.html
Who Was The True Bell Witch Of Tennessee?
John Bell, of Adams, Tennessee, died on December 20, 1820. Why not? He was old. He was sick. He was comatose. Yet dozens of newspaper articles; a handful of published books, movies, videos, and websites; and countless amateur and professional storytellers all erroneously claim that John Bell was killed by a poltergeist.
Who was this poltergeist many called the ‘Bell Witch’? Newspapers, books, websites, and countless people familiar with the 1817-1821 haunting gave the finger of blame to a neighbor woman, Cate Batts. Her alleged guilt was purely circumstantial. For the first time, this breakthrough publication reveals the actual identities and motives of the three poltergeists. These three male entities followed John Bell from his former home in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to Adams, Tennessee, seeking their revenge. Within the covers of this book, the Bell Witch is unveiled at last.
About the Author: DJ Lyons
DJ Lyons earned her masters degree with a specialization in storytelling from East Tennessee State University in 1989. She has been a professional storyteller and writer ever since.
To make a very long story short, the storytelling professor requested that DJ research and write the story of the Bell Witch for a Halloween exclusive entitled "Special 1990 Halloween Edition: Appalachian Ghostlore." DJ wrote the story from the point-of-view of Betsy Bell, the teenage daughter. DJ refused to perform the story at the ETSU Halloween Storyfest as she found the story way too depressing.
Three years later, a Knoxville, Tennessee, high school art teacher hired DJ to tell scary stories at her school. This very insistent teacher wanted DJ to tell the story of the Tennessee Bell Witch. Initially, DJ refused. Then a whole series of events transpired that literally changed the whole course of DJ's life. The end result? Not only did DJ perform the story of the Bell Witch at this high school in late October of 1993, she spent the next two years of her life researching and writing this book called "The Bell Witch Unveiled At Last! The True Story Of A Poltergeist." Her goal? She wishes to empower the reader, alleviate superstition and fear, and to bring light to a story that has been shrouded in fear and mystery for far too long. Happy Reading!
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coaliition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love--and that includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.
This blog, #TheNewBookReview, is "new" because it eschews #bookbigotry. It lets readers, reviewers, authors, and publishers expand the exposure of their favorite reviews, FREE. Info for submissions is in the "Send Me Your Fav Book Review" circle icon in the right column below. Find resources to help your career using the mini search engine below. #TheNewBookReview is a multi-award-winning blog including a MastersInEnglish.org recommendation.
Showing posts with label publish america. Show all posts
Showing posts with label publish america. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
College Instructor Reviews Western Creative Nonfiction
Fly With The Mourning Dove
By Velda Brotherton
Creative non fiction
ISBN 1-4241-5904-0
Publish America
REVIEW by Dr. Loren GruberOriginally published on Publish America's website
Velda Brotherton delivers again. Gleaned from the diaries of Cassie Smith and her daughter Edna, Fly with the Mourning Dove captures the struggles of two women to civilize their portions of the West.
Quoting material from their diaries, Brotherton reconstructs their lives at the beginning of the twentieth century.
They "cowboy up" as tuberculosis ravages the lungs of Finas, their husband and father; as drought ravages their land; as the Great Depression ravages the economy. While butchering a turkey, overcoming frontier loneliness, and eating porcupine, Cassie and Edna each learn to be as tough and tenacious as the West itself.
Brotherton recreates especially endearing scenes when Edna discovers herself. She roars through the boarding house with her Indian-scalping playmates, prepares for her first Communion, lives the life of a cowpuncher, and teaches her first grade school class.
Young Edna asks permission to accompany her father on his trip to fetch water at Taos Junction, New Mexico.
"No," her mother replies, "I said no. You stay here and we'll make some clothes for the fairies. They have missed you terribly and are practically going naked."
Although Edna thought the notion of naked fairies silly, one can imagine that she grew up with Palmer Cox's Brownie Books, Andrew Lang's Fairy Books, and perhaps Art Nouveau semi-nude fairies.
In her later years, Edna writes, "All my life has been packed away in little boxes." Lucky for us, she did.
Still luckier for us, Brotherton carefully unpacks each to display memorable scenes of Edna's life.
Fly with the Mourning Dove is a welcome addition to turn-of-the-century "civilized" memoirs that include Virginia Cary Hudson's O Ye Jigs and Juleps, Dorothy Daniel's Circle 'round the Square, and Clarence Day's Life with Father.
The difference is that Velda Brotherton draws us into the lives of two women who helped shape the West, Edna and Cassie Smith. We are all the richer for it.
------
Loren Gruber is former Dean of the Arts and Humanities Division at Missouri Valley College, Marshall, Missouri. He continues to teach English there.
By Velda Brotherton
Creative non fiction
ISBN 1-4241-5904-0
Publish America
REVIEW by Dr. Loren GruberOriginally published on Publish America's website
Velda Brotherton delivers again. Gleaned from the diaries of Cassie Smith and her daughter Edna, Fly with the Mourning Dove captures the struggles of two women to civilize their portions of the West.
Quoting material from their diaries, Brotherton reconstructs their lives at the beginning of the twentieth century.
They "cowboy up" as tuberculosis ravages the lungs of Finas, their husband and father; as drought ravages their land; as the Great Depression ravages the economy. While butchering a turkey, overcoming frontier loneliness, and eating porcupine, Cassie and Edna each learn to be as tough and tenacious as the West itself.
Brotherton recreates especially endearing scenes when Edna discovers herself. She roars through the boarding house with her Indian-scalping playmates, prepares for her first Communion, lives the life of a cowpuncher, and teaches her first grade school class.
Young Edna asks permission to accompany her father on his trip to fetch water at Taos Junction, New Mexico.
"No," her mother replies, "I said no. You stay here and we'll make some clothes for the fairies. They have missed you terribly and are practically going naked."
Although Edna thought the notion of naked fairies silly, one can imagine that she grew up with Palmer Cox's Brownie Books, Andrew Lang's Fairy Books, and perhaps Art Nouveau semi-nude fairies.
In her later years, Edna writes, "All my life has been packed away in little boxes." Lucky for us, she did.
Still luckier for us, Brotherton carefully unpacks each to display memorable scenes of Edna's life.
Fly with the Mourning Dove is a welcome addition to turn-of-the-century "civilized" memoirs that include Virginia Cary Hudson's O Ye Jigs and Juleps, Dorothy Daniel's Circle 'round the Square, and Clarence Day's Life with Father.
The difference is that Velda Brotherton draws us into the lives of two women who helped shape the West, Edna and Cassie Smith. We are all the richer for it.
------
Loren Gruber is former Dean of the Arts and Humanities Division at Missouri Valley College, Marshall, Missouri. He continues to teach English there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)