Ore Knob Mine Murders & the Nashville Flame

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Dead bodies at the bottom of an abandoned mine shaft!

Hollywood stuntman to the rescue!

Drugs, kidnapping, and death in the Appalachian Mountains!

 

What a great story from Ashe County, North Carolina. It all came to a head in 1982, when the stuntman and country/western singer the Nashville Flame descended into the mine to find two dead and frozen bodies.

The original article can be found here: https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-0dOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XBMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6697%2C2898566

The Nashville Flame was quite the character and the saga of the Ore Knob Mine was quite the story. There was even a book written about the ordeal:

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Now that’s some colorful history.

Mystery of the Moon-eyed People

According to Cherokee legend, there was a race of small white people living in Appalachia before the Indians arrived. They were described as being very pale, with blond hair and blue eyes. Their eyes appeared too big for their heads. As a result, they couldn’t see during the daytime and only moved about at night. It was believed that they lived underground.

The Moon-eyed people are said to have built ancient structures in the area. One of them is called Fort Mountain. It’s an 850 foot long stone wall that is 12 feet thick and up to seven feet high.

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The age of the wall has never been properly determined, but according to some sources it was built around 400 – 500 AD.

There are several theories surrounding the origin of this strange race, but their true history remains clouded.

One legend tells us that the Cherokee defeated the Moon-eyed people during a full moon and drove them from their homeland. Another version says that the Cherokee chased the Moon-eyed people away from their home at Hiwassee, a village that is now Murphy, North Carolina.

While clearing land near Murphy in the 1840s, and ancient soapstone sculpture was discovered. It depicts two creatures, three feet tall, conjoined like Siamese Twins. Are they images of the Moon-eyed People?

What’s your theory or what legends have you heard about this mysterious race?

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*Sculpture on display at the Cherokee Country Historical Museum

High Country Breeze now Available

 

In the mountains of western North Carolina, things aren’t always as they seem. When a college student is found dead, the incident is quickly ruled a suicide. The boy’s parents hire Breeze and Brody to investigate his death. At first, they are stonewalled by the entire community, but Breeze devises a devious and clever plan to get to the truth.

They think they’ve broken the case wide open, but soon learn their mission is not complete.

 

Reviews for Beech Mountain Breeze

 

For those of you on the fence about the new series, all three books have been well received by readers. So far, the new book has all five-star reviews. Here’s a few of them:

 

I have read every one of Ed Robinson’s novels. For some reason, I delayed a few days after buying this one. I knew deep down, I would get sucked in and not put the book down. I was right and stayed up late at night an awakened the next morning to continue without disappointment. Ed draws you in with his uncanny ability to make you personally connect with the characters. What a wonderful escape from the real world.

Once again Breeze ends up with another dead body. This time, the difference is Breeze is helping the law instead of running from them. Is he finally going legit? Or is he just under the spell of a beautiful babe with a badge? When Breeze pits his skills against another mountain man has he met his match? Is he playing hide and seek with a killer? Another solid Breeze adventure.

I doubted that I would enjoy these books as well when they moved away from the ocean but I was wrong. I believe the mountains could be my second choice also. Enjoyed the time spent in the mountains with this book.

As usual, you can’t stop reading until you finish. Every page is suspenseful. It keeps you guessing the outcome and it is usually wrong.

I couldn’t put it down. Breeze knows how to find things to keep him busy. Or maybe they find him. I like the local county setting. That part of the county is awesome in it beauty and people. I’m sure Breeze will stumble into another fine mess soon. Looking forward to the next one. Thanks!

Ed Robinson has written another amazing story. The transition from Ocean Breeze to Mountain Breeze has been seamless and I have really enjoyed seeing how the characters adapt to their new environment. Ed has done an amazing job in Beach Mountain Breeze. I couldn’t put it down!

Excellent story. Breeze has become a true tracker and mountain man. Many twists and turns in this book which becomes a truly “can’t put down”. Great job Ed. It is one of your best works… Buster

Another good adventure of Breeze and Brody! I have read all of Mr. Robinson’s books and they all have been great. Good characters, good stories that will keep you coming back to read more! From the waters around Florida to Breeze’s new home in the mountains, great reading. Thank- you Mr. Robinson, and I am looking forward to more adventures!

If you haven’t started this series yet, get it at Amazon;

 

 

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Murder and Mayhem in Paradise

 

This is a collection of books benefiting cancer screening. (Writing Out Cancer Book 1)

When author Steven Becker asked me to participate in this project, I was honored to be a part. I’ve lost both parents and my older sister to cancer at a young age, so it’s a sensitive topic for me. One of my books will appear in a future version. This once is star-studded, and benefits an important cause.

For more information about Writing Out Cancer, please see the following link:

https://www.writingoutcancer.com/

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Get yourself screened or tested. It may save your life.

Winter Woes?

We understood our biggest challenge after moving from Florida to the Blue Ridge Mountains would be adjusting to the cold. It really hasn’t been that bad. We survived our first big snowfall in December without any major difficulty.

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It was kinda fun actually, except for the shoveling. Bitter cold set in after that and we spent a lot more time indoors than we are used to.

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It’s been great for my writing. It’s quiet and peaceful here, with few distractions. My biggest chore has been keeping the fire going.

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As winter draws to an end here in late February, the most persistent downer has been non-stop rain. This area had record rainfall in 2018, and the new year has been just as wet so far. It’s gray, it’s cloudy, it’s foggy – and we’re ready for spring. We’ve haven’t seen more than a fleeting glimpse of sunshine in over a month. It’s always gloomy.

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If it’s not fog, it’s clouds. We live amongst the clouds these days.

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Don’t get me wrong, we love our little cabin. It’s cozy and comfortable so being indoors is not a punishment. We’ve made it our home and we’re quite happy with it. We could just use a little sunshine right about now.

I’ll raise one glass to our friends in Florida, and another to all the white-skinned, gloomy folks of the High Country. Spring is right around the corner! (and we don’t have hurricanes).

Beech Mountain Breeze Now Available

 

A freak accident causes Buckeye Lake to be drained. A girl’s body is found in the mud. A mysterious mountain hermit is a suspect, but no one has ever seen him. Breeze is called upon to track a man that he’s not even sure exists.

He teams up with an attractive female police officer, who wants more than just a professional relationship. Pressure mounts as the case progresses, in more ways than one.

Get it at Amazon

Beech Mountain Breeze now Available

 

A freak accident causes Buckeye Lake to be drained. A girl’s body is found in the mud. A mysterious mountain hermit is a suspect, but no one has ever seen him. Breeze is called upon to track a man that he’s not even sure exists.

He teams up with an attractive female police officer, who wants more than just a professional relationship. Pressure mounts as the case progresses, in more ways than one.

 

Pre-order price is just $2.99. Get it now before the price goes up.

The Haunted Hospital of Banner Elk

We drive by this place all the time, but we never knew what it was. I got curious and did some internet research. I found a long list of reported ghost sightings, evil spirits, and otherworldly rumors.

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It was once the Cannon Memorial Hospital, but it’s been closed for many years. The abandoned structure is heavily vandalized. These days the police keep a close eye on it and will arrest trespassers.

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It’s the stuff of local legend. It seems everyone has a spooky story to tell, especially college kids. It’s also been featured on several Ghost Hunting Shows.

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http://theinfiltrators.blogspot.com/2009/05/banner-elk-abandoned-hospital.html

 

http://www.rottenworks.com/index.php/2014/10/15/ghost-asylum-old-cannon-hospital-s01e06/

 

While most of this will be chalked up to rumor and maybe a little legend there is an incident of a patient holding a doctor and some nurses hostage, the hospital supposedly had a history of housing violent patients and the Chief of Police thinks the place is demonic.

I found plenty of videos on Youtube of various ghost hunters, but there is nothing definitively proving that spirits dwell in the old hospital. Still, it is kind of creepy.

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