tales from appalachia
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The Hollywood Book Festival 2024 Runner-Up in General Fiction
Deep in the heart of Appalachia, the red-light district of Cinder Bottom is notorious for its scandals and debauchery. People from surrounding cities flock to the small coal-mining town to gamble, drink moonshine, and visit brothels in the “Free State of McDowell.” Anything that is said or done on its streets stays tucked away down in the holler like the town itself—and that makes Cinder Bottom the perfect place for fourteen-year-old troublemakers Smokey and Do What to get into mischief.
“A captivating journey from start to finish. Gone Missing is a powerful coming-of-age story. Part mystery, part action-adventure, and a cautionary tale about the secrets that small towns can hold. I didn’t want it to end.”
Kim Karpowitz – Author of Decode Your Darkness
“Gone Missing is an intriguing historical fiction mystery, adventure, and coming-of-age story that will have readers enthralled until the end. Based on real-life accounts from life in the heart of Appalachia, it tells the story of two fourteen-year-old boys that find mischief, conspiracy, and danger in their small town of Cinder Bottom already known for scandals.”
Heather Lee Dyer – Award-Winning Author of the Zodiac Drift series
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“Gone Missing is an action-packed tale about young Smokey and his sidekick, Do What, set in 1958 Cinder Bottom, a red-light district nestled in the hills of West Virginia. When a federal agent comes to town, the duo use their street smarts—and cunning—to enlist a cast of colorful characters to help them untangle the truth about the stranger’s identity and whereabouts. Drawn from real-life stories, this page-turning mystery will delight would-be detectives everywhere!”
—Laura Whitfield, author of Untethered: Faith, Failure, and Finding Solid Ground
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adventures in cinder bottom books
Deep in the heart of Appalachia, the red-light district of Cinder Bottom is notorious for its scandals and debauchery. People from surrounding cities flock to the small coal-mining town to gamble, drink moonshine, and visit brothels in the “Free State of McDowell.” Anything that is said or done on its streets stays tucked away down in the holler like the town itself—and that makes Cinder Bottom the perfect place for fourteen-year-old troublemakers Smokey and Do What to get into mischief.
Gone missing
Adventures in Cinder Bottom – Book 1
greenbrier river
Adventures in Cinder Bottom – Book 2
a placed called home
Adventures in Cinder Bottom – Book 3
“Set in a West Virginian coal hamlet aptly named Cinder Bottom, Gone Missing takes place against the backdrop of the Brown v. Board of Education court decision that roils segregated schools. Cinder Bottom homeboys, fourteen-year-old Smokey and his buddy Do What pair up as sleuths to solve the mysterious disappearance of the area’s US congressman and the sudden appearance of other strangers in Cinder Bottom. As the boys work to unravel the mystery, readers will enjoy the cast of local characters, from the Italian grocer to the madam running the brothel that serves as a halfway house for young women fleeing abusive conditions. The story appeals to YA and adult readers, spiced with social critique and a wholesome appreciation of the major characters. (Note: a sequel is on the way.)”
—Cecelia Tichi, award-winning author and faculty member at Vanderbilt University