Tales of Ghostly Virginia Black Bear Books in Boone Hosts Donna Warmuth Book-Signing this Saturday Special to The Mountain Times Local author Donna Akers Warmuth has just had a new book published, Legends, Stories and Ghostly Tales of Abingdon and Washington County, Virginia. The book takes the reader on a journey through the fascinating history of Abingdon and Washington County through stories from oral histories, folklore, and the history of the region. Hangings, hauntings, preachers, spies, soldiers, elopements, and Indian attacks are just a few of the topics of the stories. The reader can meet the ghosts of the Martha Washington Inn, the Barter Theatre, the Tavern, the Virginia Creeper Trail, Emory and Henry College, and Saltville. The early settlement days and the Civil War are vividly portrayed through tales of Indian attacks, the burning of the County Courthouse, Daniel Boone’s travels, and the brave Overmountain Men of the Revolutionary War. “I enjoy writing about the region’s history so that it’s fascinating to the average person. Much of the oral history by which these stories were passed down through the generations has been lost. Combing through the older histories, interviewing residents and publishing this book was my way to help preserve these tales,” says Warmuth. Donna Akers Warmuth Warmuth grew up in Abingdon and has 8 generations of family roots there. She earned a B.A. in anthropology from James Madison University and graduated with honors and a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Historic Preservation from the University of Virginia. She lives near Boone, North Carolina, with her husband Greg, 6-year old son, Owen and 10 month old son, Riley. She has taught as an adjunct instructor at Appalachian State, and conducts writing workshops for adults, teachers, and students. She was been published in Now & Then, Branches, and Smoky Mountain Living, and has won awards in the Virginia Highlands Festival Creative Writing contest and High Country Writers. Donna is also the author of Boone and Blowing Rock, collections of historic photographs and postcards. Her two other published books about Abingdon are Plumb Full of History A Story of Abingdon, Virginia and Abingdon, Virginia: Images of America. Donna will be signing books and telling stories from her newest book at Black Bear Books in Boone, on Saturday, July 2, from 3- 5 p.m. Legends, Stories and Ghostly Tales of Abingdon and Washington County, Virginia ($14.95) is available at the new Shoppes at Farmers Hardware and Black Bear Books in Boone, and through Donna’s website, at www.donnawarmuth.com. Contact her at 410 Parkcrest Drive, Boone, NC 28607, (828) 268-0970, or by email at info@donnwarmuth.com.