Strange Tales from Virginia's Mountains: The Norton Woodbooger, The Missing Beale Treasure, the Ghost Town of Lignite and More

by Denver Michaels

The stunning mountains of Virginia offer spectacular views and endless outdoor activities, yet they also hold secrets . A nineteenth-century cache of gold is buried in the hills. Nine-foot giants once walked the ridges, pre-Columbian explorers built homes on isolated mountaintops and a ghost town lies deep in the Jefferson National Forest. The mountains conceal canines that walk upright, black panthers and a resurgent mountain lion population. The hide-and-seek champion of the world, Bigfoot , lurks in the dark hollows, phantom dogs pace the back roads and aggressive monkeys swing through the trees. UFOs crisscross the skies, and ghosts haunt the caverns below. Join Denver Michaels, local author and explorer of the unexplained, as he explores these mysteries and many more.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

Published April 19, 2021

About the author

Denver Michaels is an author with a passion for cryptozoology, the paranormal, lost civilizations & ancient history, and all things unexplained. In 2016, the Virginia native released his first book, People are Seeing Something, which makes a case for the existence of lake monsters in the United States and Canada. Since then, he has gone on to author Giants: Men of Renown, Strange Tales from Virginia’s Mountains, and other books covering cryptozoology and paranormal subject matter.

Michaels and his wife sold their home in 2020 and now travel the country full-time in an RV. Michaels enjoys the outdoors, hiking, fishing, investigating the unexplained, and working on new writing projects.

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a big foot sticker on everyone's car who lives by me. I decided to read about the cryptid and other legends about the area around me. Unfortunately this book reads like a sixth grader's book report that they left until the night before. I cannot recommend at all

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing ride through the Old Dominion!

Mr. Michaels led me on a journey through my home state of Virginia that kept me glued to every word he wrote. As a fan of the strange and the unknown, I was excited to see a book based on my interests and even better, it highlighted my home. But what I didn't expect was how much I truly didn't know and how much he fit into a book of only 160 pages. In subjects that are oftentimes diluted with repetitive information and formats, Mr. Michaels brings a plethora of new information that gives you a pleasant surprise.
The least I can say about Strange Tales from Virginia’s Mountains is that it shattered my expectations and brought me a piece that I will refer to for my own hobbies for the rest of my life. Every page is filled with Mr. Michaels’ own experiences, research, pictures and investigations into the unknown history that is western Virginia’s mountains. He presents the history of cryptids, Native mysteries, ghost towns, UFOs, and even what may lay beneath our world in a way that serves up equal parts fascination and education.
After reading this book I found out that he did another book on West Virginia. I have already added it to my cart and eagerly await the arrival so I can continue the fantastic journey that Mr. Michaels has introduced me to with this book. Fans of cryptozoology, paranormal, history, UFOs, and addictive reading material in general will find that Denver Michaels will be a force in many subjects if he continues with this path!
Awesome Job Mr. Michaels! I hope you have more projects in the pipeline!

Jeremy
Host, Infinite Rabbit Hole podcast

[Duane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clumsily written and mostly perfunctory. Weird in tone. Plus the author is inordinately convinced that there must be mountain lions. Hard to recommend.

[Alex Lasky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was much more of what I was looking for when I bought the “Curiosities of Hampton Roads” book.