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Ghostly Cries From Dixie
From the dark swamps of Louisiana to the misty hills and hollows of Appalachia, the American South is enshrouded by a mystical element that rouses the senses and kindles the imagination. This mystical element has for years inspired tales of ghosts haunting old houses, creatures roaming through dense forests, and headless apparitions waving lanterns in the darkness. In this chilling collection of ghostly and unusual tales from the land of cypress swamps and moonshine stills, author Pat Fitzhugh meticulously recounts Dixie's most terrifying legends and the haunted history behind them. From an abandoned TB hospital in Kentucky where former patients roam the halls, to a New Orleans mansion where mutilated servants roam the courtyard, your spine will tingle. From a Louisiana Voodoo queen who casted spells, to a fiendish entity who tormented an early Tennessee family, Dixie's most notorious characters will leave you spellbound. From a preacher who cursed a rural Georgia town into oblivion, to a West Virginia woman whose testimony from the grave helped convict her killer, you will meet Dixie's most interesting people. From the Devil's reputed playground in North Carolina, to a phantom light on a lonely Texas road, you will visit Dixie's weirdest locations. From a West Virginia prison where more than 80 men died, to the location of a fiery steamboat explosion in Arkansas, you will experience Dixie's most horrific tragedies. These stories will never go away or become outdated. They, along with the landscape of our region, are permanently etched into our human experience. Through personal interviews, travels, and research, Pat Fitzhugh artfully serves up a collectible book of mystery, awe, and spiritual refreshment. Come on a terrifying journey down the road less traveled, where ghosts, haints, and spirits stand watch over the cypress-filled swamps, old houses, and forgotten graveyards of Dixie.
176 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2009
3 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Pat Fitzhugh
6 books13 followers~ An extension of every glass of iced tea sipped on a lazy summer’s day, propped against life’s most inevitable and unfortunate truths. ~
Hailing from the land of moonshine and grits, Pat Fitzhugh is best known for his books about the history, legends, and lore of the American South.
From Louisiana's eerie swamps to Virginia's misty mountains, Fitzhugh’s writing embodies the passions, fears, and tragedies of a region rich in folklore and shrouded in mystery. His reverence for the past and keen interest in the supernatural are strikingly evident in his writing, which not only tingles the spine, but exudes a profound sense of history and place.
"I take yarns of history, legends, and tragedies, and weave them into stories that not only entertain, but provide a glimpse into the region’s people and past. Injecting culture and history into ghost stories evokes a sense of realism that makes them even more terrifying." — Pat Fitzhugh
Pat Fitzhugh was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and split his childhood between Humphreys County, Tennessee, and Nashville's "west side," where he attended David Lipscomb Elementary and Middle School and Hillwood High School. He became interested in ghost stories early on, and was seriously researching the paranormal by age 13. His early influences included the local horror show, "Creature Feature," and a host of old, late-night British ghost movies. At age 14, he became interested in Tennessee's "Bell Witch" legend, the first of many cases he would go on to research. In his adult life, Fitzhugh has researched and explored haunted locations all across America, and he conducts more than thirty paranormal investigations each year.
In the spring of 2013, Fitzhugh penned the foreword to "The Legend of Stuckey’s Bridge," Lori Crane’s gripping account of Mississippi’s most haunted bridge. The book became an Amazon bestseller. Fitzhugh's invitation to write its foreword stemmed from the success of his 2009 title, "Ghostly Cries From Dixie" (Armand Press), a chilling concoction of weird and ghostly tales from the American South. In 2004, he contributed to "Weird U.S." (Sterling), a travel guide to America’s local legends and best kept secrets. A year earlier, he wrote the foreword to "Our Family Trouble," a partial reprint of Martin Ingram’s nineteenth-century account of Tennessee’s “Bell Witch” legend.
In the fall of 2000, Fitzhugh released "The Bell Witch: The Full Account" (Armand Press), a historical and journalistic analysis of America’s most terrifying ghost story. The book garnered rave reviews from well-respected ghost researchers around the globe, and twice appeared on the State of Tennessee’s suggested teen summer reading list. Updated editions of "The Full Account" were published in 2003 and 2012. In 1999, he wrote a condensed version of the legend, entitled "The Bell Witch Haunting." In the years since its release, two movies have used its title.
Over his career, thus far, Pat Fitzhugh has written more than fifty short stories, articles, and books about ghosts and life in the South. His articles have appeared in major newspapers and leading magazines such as Woman's World, Esquire, and The Journal of Southern Folklore.
Fitzhugh's writing and intense paranormal adventures have landed him several radio, television, and movie roles. His film credits include "Night Visitors" (2000), "Liars & Legends" (2002), and "The Most Terrifying Places in America 2" (2009). In 2006, he appeared in the motion picture DVD, "An American Haunting," starring Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland. He has also appeared on Halloween specials aired by the BBC and CNN. His radio credits include appearances on Coast to Coast AM, The Lou Gentile Show, and The John Boy and Billy Show.
As of 2015, Fitzhugh is preparing for two upcoming TV roles and working on an updated version of "The Bell Witch: The Full Account." A sequel to his 2009 title, "Ghostly Cries From Dixie," is slated for publication in 2016. Al
Hailing from the land of moonshine and grits, Pat Fitzhugh is best known for his books about the history, legends, and lore of the American South.
From Louisiana's eerie swamps to Virginia's misty mountains, Fitzhugh’s writing embodies the passions, fears, and tragedies of a region rich in folklore and shrouded in mystery. His reverence for the past and keen interest in the supernatural are strikingly evident in his writing, which not only tingles the spine, but exudes a profound sense of history and place.
"I take yarns of history, legends, and tragedies, and weave them into stories that not only entertain, but provide a glimpse into the region’s people and past. Injecting culture and history into ghost stories evokes a sense of realism that makes them even more terrifying." — Pat Fitzhugh
Pat Fitzhugh was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and split his childhood between Humphreys County, Tennessee, and Nashville's "west side," where he attended David Lipscomb Elementary and Middle School and Hillwood High School. He became interested in ghost stories early on, and was seriously researching the paranormal by age 13. His early influences included the local horror show, "Creature Feature," and a host of old, late-night British ghost movies. At age 14, he became interested in Tennessee's "Bell Witch" legend, the first of many cases he would go on to research. In his adult life, Fitzhugh has researched and explored haunted locations all across America, and he conducts more than thirty paranormal investigations each year.
In the spring of 2013, Fitzhugh penned the foreword to "The Legend of Stuckey’s Bridge," Lori Crane’s gripping account of Mississippi’s most haunted bridge. The book became an Amazon bestseller. Fitzhugh's invitation to write its foreword stemmed from the success of his 2009 title, "Ghostly Cries From Dixie" (Armand Press), a chilling concoction of weird and ghostly tales from the American South. In 2004, he contributed to "Weird U.S." (Sterling), a travel guide to America’s local legends and best kept secrets. A year earlier, he wrote the foreword to "Our Family Trouble," a partial reprint of Martin Ingram’s nineteenth-century account of Tennessee’s “Bell Witch” legend.
In the fall of 2000, Fitzhugh released "The Bell Witch: The Full Account" (Armand Press), a historical and journalistic analysis of America’s most terrifying ghost story. The book garnered rave reviews from well-respected ghost researchers around the globe, and twice appeared on the State of Tennessee’s suggested teen summer reading list. Updated editions of "The Full Account" were published in 2003 and 2012. In 1999, he wrote a condensed version of the legend, entitled "The Bell Witch Haunting." In the years since its release, two movies have used its title.
Over his career, thus far, Pat Fitzhugh has written more than fifty short stories, articles, and books about ghosts and life in the South. His articles have appeared in major newspapers and leading magazines such as Woman's World, Esquire, and The Journal of Southern Folklore.
Fitzhugh's writing and intense paranormal adventures have landed him several radio, television, and movie roles. His film credits include "Night Visitors" (2000), "Liars & Legends" (2002), and "The Most Terrifying Places in America 2" (2009). In 2006, he appeared in the motion picture DVD, "An American Haunting," starring Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland. He has also appeared on Halloween specials aired by the BBC and CNN. His radio credits include appearances on Coast to Coast AM, The Lou Gentile Show, and The John Boy and Billy Show.
As of 2015, Fitzhugh is preparing for two upcoming TV roles and working on an updated version of "The Bell Witch: The Full Account." A sequel to his 2009 title, "Ghostly Cries From Dixie," is slated for publication in 2016. Al
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 8, 2009
I read "Ghostly Cries From Dixie" after reading Pat Fitzhugh's book entitled "The Bell Witch: The Full Account," both of which are top-rate books in their genre.
Released in October 2009, "Ghostly Cries From Dixie" centers on ghost stories from the southeastern United States, and is one of the best written ghost books I've had the opportunity to read. I already knew many of the stories in this book, but the author has updated them and provided a plethora of historical information that adds to their authenticity and gives the reader a full-circle view of how they came into existence.
When I finished the book and turned the last page, I found to my surprise a detailed list of the locations mentioned in the book and where more information can be obtained. The bibliography at the end gives testament to Fitzhugh's strong work ethic and propensity for serious, in-depth research into the topics he writes about.
Fitzhugh's Bell Witch book from 2000 was great, but "Ghostly Cries From Dixie" surpasses it in terms of writing. They say authors get better with age, and Fitzhugh, who himself is but a spring chicken, is a living example. He certainly has come a long way as an author, and many of us are looking forward to great things from him in the future.
If you are intrigued by tales of ghosts and the supernatural, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of "Ghostly Cries From Dixie."
Released in October 2009, "Ghostly Cries From Dixie" centers on ghost stories from the southeastern United States, and is one of the best written ghost books I've had the opportunity to read. I already knew many of the stories in this book, but the author has updated them and provided a plethora of historical information that adds to their authenticity and gives the reader a full-circle view of how they came into existence.
When I finished the book and turned the last page, I found to my surprise a detailed list of the locations mentioned in the book and where more information can be obtained. The bibliography at the end gives testament to Fitzhugh's strong work ethic and propensity for serious, in-depth research into the topics he writes about.
Fitzhugh's Bell Witch book from 2000 was great, but "Ghostly Cries From Dixie" surpasses it in terms of writing. They say authors get better with age, and Fitzhugh, who himself is but a spring chicken, is a living example. He certainly has come a long way as an author, and many of us are looking forward to great things from him in the future.
If you are intrigued by tales of ghosts and the supernatural, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of "Ghostly Cries From Dixie."
February 11, 2013
Ghostly Cries From Dixie by Pat Fitzhugh is plain ole fun! Richly written, it bounces from story to story, relating tales of death, murder, and accidents and their ghostly after-effects. It is part history, part legend, part supernatural, with a dash of scientific fact thrown in to help us find the truth. Yet amidst the creepy ghosts and strange lights, the reader is ultimately left to decide for himself what to believe. If you believe in ghosts, you will love this collection. If you don’t believe in ghosts, you will still be fascinated by the eerie tales.
Warning: if you love to read late at night as I do, I would not suggest doing so with this book – especially the deadly poltergeist that is the Bell Witch. Yikes.
Warning: if you love to read late at night as I do, I would not suggest doing so with this book – especially the deadly poltergeist that is the Bell Witch. Yikes.
January 19, 2011
amazing read!! for those that love to hear about the legend stories of the haunted south...this is your book. Great book.
March 19, 2013
Really excellent read! The author obviously did a lot of research on this one. So glad I came across it and highly recommend. I loved the photos throught the book! Also loved the history.
August 6, 2015
It was a fun historical read. I learned a lot about places I've visited. The tall tales were fun too!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews