by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Oct 14, 2021 | Appalachian, History
Appalachia has a unique and, I think, incredibly special way of speaking. It hearkens back to Elizabethan England with a solid Scottish underpinning and even a dash of Chaucer now and again. I don’t use TOO much dialect in my stories since it can bog readers...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Aug 5, 2021 | Family, History, West Virginia
One of the fun bonuses of writing Appalachian fiction set in my home state and inspired by my own family (seven generations worth of Mountaineers!) is connecting with a world of cousins who have discovered me through my stories. Lately, I’ve been hanging out on...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jul 8, 2021 | History, West Virginia
I’ll confess that the first time I discovered Chimney Corner, it was because I wanted to avoid driving over the New River Gorge Bridge. I tell ya, I was fine with that bridge until I went to the overlook and stood BELOW the bridge and yet ABOVE the river far,...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | Jun 21, 2021 | Family, History, West Virginia
Yesterday was West Virginia Day–the day we celebrate seceding from the Confederacy and becoming a new state by presidential decree! I’ll always be a West Virginia girl. Even though I’ve now lived in other states longer than I did on our family farm,...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | May 31, 2021 | History, holidays
One of the best parts of writing historical fiction is the research! I learn so many interesting tidbits I’d never come across if it weren’t for research-related rabbit trails. For example, you likely know that Memorial Day is a day set aside for...
by Sarah Loudin Thomas | May 24, 2021 | books, History, West Virginia
From the lodge at Hawks Nest Park. At the Hawks Nest Overlook. Heading to the overlook. Breathtaking! The New River runs UNDER Gauley Mountain. The Dries aren’t all THAT dry! The Finder of Forgotten Things–releasing in December–tells the story of a...
