Liz Carey is a journalist, author and writing teacher living in Central Kentucky. A graduate of Miami University, she was an award-winning reporter for 25+ years before setting off on her own as a freelance writer. Currently, she writes about rural health, Appalachian culture, the transportation industry, workers’ compensation and Kentucky arts and entertainment.
As an author, Carey published her children’s book My Little Zombie in 2016, and book Hidden History of Anderson County in 2017; as well as ghostwriting nearly a dozen biographies. Her book, Rural Monsters, Myths and Legends, was published in 2023. Parts of the book were previously published in The Daily Yonder as part of a series on the impact cryptids and legends have on rural communities. The book is the first in a series of books looking at the paranormal across the country with a focus on Kentucky, Appalachia, Ohio and South Carolina.
Rural Monsters, Myths and Legends
Across rural America — in its forested woods, its remote lakes, and its sprawling fields — there is plenty of room for the wild and weird to take root. Just beyond the gaze of “normal” existence, strange sightings and odd encounters have lingered in the minds and memories of many rural communities.
Contrary to what you might think, these stories are not simply silly or scary. Call them foolish or farfetched if you must, but they offer a valuable window into the unique culture and community life of places often unseen and under-appreciated.
Originally published in the The Daily Yonder, we invite you to join us in this closer look at the cryptids of rural America. Let your imagination roam, welcome feelings of wonder or dread, and, if only for a moment, ponder the possibilities beyond what’s proven and known.
Rural Monsters, Myths and Legends takes a look at not just the tales from these remotes areas of the country, but what kind of an impact they've had on their communities and the people who experienced them. From alien encounters to tales of water dancing nymphs to evil witches set on revenge to beasts hiding in the mountains of Appalachia, walk with us through the farmland, the swamps, the desert roads and the chilly lake waters where the unknown and mysterious lurks just out of sight.