Nothing Ever Happens Here

About this book

What if there was a place where all manner of paranormal, supernatural and outright strange things weren't all that unusual?Where they were more often met with curiosity than fear?Where stories of helpful ghosts were just as common as spooky ones . . . Well, that place exists in the Blue Ridge province of the Appalachian Mountains.L. B. Taylor Jr. touched on it in several of his books about hauntings in Virginia. Charles Fort, the great chronicler of all things strange and unusual, would have loved it. Yet modern day paranormal investigators barely know about it. Maybe because, to the residents, it's just part of living here, like pollen season or cicadas. Maybe because the locals rarely do more than call the airfield to ask about strange lights in the sky, or because there's always that one friend to call about a pesky spirit instead of calling the police.This book showcases a small amount of the Fortean phenomena (named for Charles Fort) found throughout the Roanoke Valley and surrounding areas, demonstrating how, even though to locals it's just another day, the paranormal is alive and well in a place where, supposedly, nothing ever happens . . .Praise for Nothing Ever Happens Here"Prepare to be astonished at this treasury of eerie and baffling happenings in what would seem the most commonplace environment. You may never look at your regular surroundings in the same way again. Anita Allen has done yeoman work tracking down hundreds of weird, inexplicable yet reliable recountings of the abnormal hidden right in the familiar." -Paul Dellinger, co-author of Don't Look Up: The Real Story Behind the Virginia UFO Sightings"Fortean in the truest sense of the word, these are the unvarnished witness testimonies, at once mundane and strange in their details, that make up the vast majority of the phenomena. In a world of over-the-top sensationalist, and dare I say performative, paranormal and Bigfoot investigations, this is truly refreshing." -Tony Breeden, author of the Gray Barker's Book of Monsters series"As a Roanoke native and someone who loves a good story, I had the pleasure of reading this collection of statements and accounts of some of the strange, unusual, and memorable tales about our area. While I have had the pleasure of growing up with many of these stories, many are told in a new light or with additional testimonies or statements that haven't previously been shared, weaving their way throughout the book. It's a wonderful read for anyone who loves local history, folklore, and the stories that make a place truly unique." -Andrea Teague Welker, author of 50 Mindfulness Exercises for Beginners: Simple Ways You Can Change Your Life