I’m not his publicist and I don’t know he makes a living, but Terry Shaw has been around awhile and he’s a good soul.

Terry Shaw

Terry operates Howling Hills Publishing out of Kingsport, Tennessee. He used to live in Knoxville. You can skip what follows and just check out his website here.

But if you’re sticking with me, I’d like to talk about two items. Both are inexpensive stocking stuffers that anyone would enjoy.

The first is Suzy Trotta’s book, “Open House,” the insider’s view of real estate.

Real estate is an industry that’s easy to get into and sticky molasses to get out of. Suzy is totally candid (and a good writer). I’d recommend anyone thinking about becoming an agent or a “flipper” to read this book first. It’s $15 from Howling Hills.

The second is the 2026 Old Soul Appalachian Calendar by photographer Tara Ashkettle (she’s pictured up top). It’s full color and priced at just $16 from Howling Hills.

Tara has been a photographer forever, but only recently has taken to the internet to sell her work. Her son, Jerry, suggested she start an Instagram page. She laughed. But when an early post got a million views, she was hooked.

Howling Hills says: “Her Old Soul Appalachian page features abandoned homes, buildings and landscapes shot while driving the backroads of East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, Western North Carolina, and occasionally Georgia. Now a selection of her work is in a calendar published by Howling Hills. And we have a book of her photography in the works.”

And Jerry is urging her to branch out with a YouTube channel. Oh my.

Tara talks about the people she meets and adds: “I love the different architecture and history that I find with the homes or buildings. I often run into very kind people and it’s nice to connect with them and hear their memories. … I would love to see all these old places restored but I know the likelihood is slim, so I capture them on film before they are just a memory.

“As for my nature shots I’m always in awe of the landscape God created and consider myself blessed to capture it and share it with others.”

Howling Hill Publishing is located in Kingsport, Tennessee. And Terry Shaw is looking for true or mostly true ghost stories. He’s also got a Southern Appalachian cookout ahead.

(Writer’s note: We’ll have both Schools and Leaders tomorrow. Meanwhile, reckon Susan Espiritu will let me call this one Let’s Talk Books?)