Tennessee has never been a stranger to strangeness. Stories of the weird, wild, and wonderful abound in the Volunteer state. Join author and seasoned journalist Kelly Kazek as she tracks down the extraordinary stories that other history books overlook. Each section covers a different outlandish theme of Tennessee history colorful characters, strange sites, intriguing incidents, tombstone tales, odd occurrences, and curious creatures. Readers will discover the brilliant phenomenon of synchronized firefly flashes in the Smoky Mountain town of Elmont, take on the world's largest Moon Pie in Chattanooga and learn Tennessee's history of damaging earthquakes. From the humorous to the haunting, the madcap to the macabre, Forgotten Tales of Tennessee offers a collection as remarkable as the state itself.

Alabama tales that have existed only in rumor, legend and lore are uncovered in this volume of strange, funny, far-fetched, unique and gripping stories from Muscle Shoals to Mobile. From Muscle Shoals to Montgomery to Mobile, there's just no place quite like Alabama. Take a journey off the beaten path through the Cotton State with author Kelly Kazek as she uncovers the stories that make Alabama one of a kind. Kazek, a longtime Alabama resident, unearths tales that have existed only in rumor, anecdote, legend and lore. This collection is packed with little-known stories of strange sites, like the world's largest Nehi bottle; curious critters, like the first monkey in space; and colorful characters, such as the outlaw Tom Clark. Whether funny, far-fetched, gripping or grisly, Forgotten Tales of Alabama is filled with stories you won't soon forget.

The road less traveled is not in the best shape, and that's okay, because it leads to gold. Follow author Jerry Winnett on his photographic adventures across the state of Tennessee as he searches for abandoned roadside gold. No building is ever truly abandoned. People still frequent them and leave evidence of their passing, such as bottles of beer, graffiti, trash, furniture, and campfires. These treasures--old boats, empty houses, silent graves, and more--are all out there, just waiting to be explored and give up their ghosts. So, take a day and take a chance. Lose yourself in what was and discover the beauty in the forgotten.

Dig up the men who tried to dig up Lincoln. Mull over the Mad Gasser of Mattoon and the 1977 thunderbird infestation, from a safe distance. Watch in horror as one of the greatest maritime disasters in U.S. history occurs twenty feet from the banks of the Chicago River or follow the course of the blimp crash that convinced a downtown bank employee that it was raining hell. Try not to blink as towns washed away by floods and shrines covered over by condominiums are dragged back from the margins of history into the center of the page, where they belong. After all, reasons author Bryan Alaspa, if the pope was eager to stop by the House of Crosses during his visit to Chicago, surely it is worth a look. Just beware: a quick glance into this book and you might not look up until you've read the whole gripping and grin-inspiring collection.

Some of Michigan's most noteworthy yarns and compelling characters were lost down the corridors of history--until now. Discover the Nain Rouge, that "Demon from the Strait," spotted everywhere from the Battle of Bloody Run in 1763 to the Detroit Riot in 1967. Meet folks like Major Stickney, who named his sons One and Two and his youngest daughter Indiana. Inspect the Toledo War's ill-equipped militia and sort through an armament that included a barrel of whiskey and broom handles from the local hardware store. Spend time with "Mad Anthony" Wayne and pay a visit to Cadillac, the wickedest town in the Midwest. Author Alan Naldrett covers these stories and more in this collection of forgotten tales.

Truth, after all, still remains stranger and more engaging than most legends. And Missouri, of course, leads every other place in truth. Hop aboard Long's dragon boat or take advantage of 1846 wind wagon technology to plunge into the forgotten tales of this fascinating place. Hobnob cautiously with Stagger Lee, Mike Fink and Calamity Jane and view the chamber pot war from a safe distance. Trade witticisms with Alphonse Wetmore and Mark Twain, the frontier folk who keep us civilized today. If you keep company with storyteller Mary Collins Barile, you'll even catch a glimpse of the Mississippi River running backward from an earthquake that was all Missouri's fault.

With such a rich and significant history, its only natural that some of the best stories from the Sunshine State have been forgotten over time. Thankfully, master storyteller and St. Augustine resident Bob Patterson offers this collection of the strangest, most fascinating stories and legends in Floridas history from coast to coast, swamp to swamp. Enjoy the saga of William Ellis, a North Florida nature whisperer who escaped from his nursing home with the help of his varmint friends; step into the murk and mystery of the vanishing tribes of the Everglades; and could there really be gator-hungry sharks lurking in the St. Johns River? These stories and so many more await when you explore the Forgotten Tales of Florida.