Hear Nancy tell about the ghosts of John Henry Rutledge at Nancy Rhyne Video

"Searching for stories for my books took me to many places.  I once found myself sitting in the elegant plantation drawing room of a Vanderbilt.  Other times, I visited cabins practically hidden from civilization, where I had to park my car beside the road and walk over dirt paths into the woods or to a river.  On one occasion, I made my way to an old sawmill.  Several times throughout my journeys I had to stop the car in the middle of the road to allow a caneback rattler to continue on its way.  I would not trade a minute of the past thirty-something years.  My husband Sid and I have clocked hundreds of hours on southern backroads.  But we've been successful.  The people were friendly and eager to talk, and they shared with me the stories for which I'd searched and much more.

Nancy Rhyne strives to introduce children to the heritage of their area through local folklore and legends that are designed to inspire children to learn about their own surroundings as well as to entertain them with delightful stories of children, much like themselves, caught in some very unusual circumstances.

THE CRAB BOYS Enjoyable, engaging, compelling. The stories are as relevant now as they were in the middle of the 20th century when they actually happened. Nancy Rhyne's escapades of two boys who lived on a coastal South Carolina barony are sensitive and warm with affection for their families and the nature that surrounds them. In this close friendship of two boys a cozy lamp shines a remarkable light on the way seacoast boys found entertainment, provided a staple for the dinner table, and learned an important lesson from a noted American General.      In these pages, the salt in the sea air can be tasted on your lips, and the soft voices speaking the Gullah language will evoke teardrops, gracious smiles, and lusty laughs. Nancy Rhyne's gift for storytelling serves her well in this excellent and touching work of art. 150 pages. Ages 10 to adult.  (More information) 13 ISBN 978-0-87844-183-9, 10 ISBN 0-87844-183-2 Softcover $6.95

VOICES OF CAROLINA SLAVE CHILDREN by Nancy Rhyne The slave narratives compiled from interviews in the Works Projects Administration (WPA) files recorded eyewitness accounts of 19th century American slavery More info...     LOW COUNTRY VOICES: What Coastal Back Roads Folk Told Me of Ghosts, Sea Captains and Charleston Jazzmen The Carolina Low Country is a magical place with colorful characters and fascinating legends.  This collection of memorable tales culminated from interviews with long-time residents of the Carolina coast is a means to pass on these legends.  They bared their souls with a fire that burned in their hearts.  (More information)     SLAVE GHOST STORIES:  Tales of Hags, Hants, Ghosts, & Diamondback Rattlers A compilation of stories borrowed from former slaves of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.  (More information)       JOHN-HENRY RUTLEDGE The Ghost of Hampton Plantation   A Parable as if told by Sue Alston A fascinating and colorful account of Sue Alston, the daughter of emancipated slaves who spent her life on Hampton Plantation, on the South Santee River. The voice of Sue Alston takes you on a journey through the lives of those who called the Hampton mansion home.   (More information)     PLANTATION TALES Includes 28 stories of plantation life from Wilmington, NC to Savannah, Georgia, nine of which are new to print. Sharing the pages of this book are the wealthy white planters of the 18th century who built the plantations with the help of slaves, and the latter-day Northerners who rescued many of the plantations from ruin and preserved them for the 20th century. (More information)     COASTAL GHOSTS, From Savannah to Wilmington A guide to the sites of ghostly appearances and mysterious happenings along the coast from Wilmington, North Carolina, through South Carolina’s fabled Low-country, to Savannah, Georgia. The twenty-five tales are arranged geographically.( More information)       CAROLINA SEASHELLS Descriptions of more than 200 different kinds of shells that can be found on the North Carolina and South Carolina beaches. Includes illustrations and tips on where to find the shells and how to make collections. (More information)       SOUTHERN RECIPES AND LEGENDS Blending two of the South’s favorite pastimes, storytelling and cooking, this book features a hearty feast of recipes spiced with legendary tales of the Low Country. These charming tales of Charleston, Beaufort and Savannah are rich with the real flavor of these colorful old cities. Meet pirates, rice planters, debutantes and plantation mistresses and sample fare for which this area of the country is so popular. (More information)