The memoir of former Baylor School Headmaster Herbert Barks, “Walking the Hill: Memories, Dreams and Stories of Baylor,” is among the recent releases by Waldenhouse Publishers Inc.Over the years, Walden resident and Waldenhouse Publishers Inc. President Karen Stone has had the opportunity to delve deep into the histories of communities and people in the Chattanooga region and across the Eastern U.S.
“I very much like to hear what people have to say,” she said, as to what she enjoys most about her work. “I’ve had so many people contact me. I’ve learned what it’s like to suffer from PTSD or be injured when fighting for one’s country, and what it’s like to take care of someone with Alzheimer’s disease.”
A native Chattanoogan, Stone met her photographer husband while attending the University of Kentucky, and in 1976 the two purchased the oldest and largest printing business west of the Allegheny Mountains located in Lexington, Ky.
She said people would often come to the front desk of the company and ask how much it would be to print a book, and she was motivated to help those authors make their dream a reality.
After moving to Walden, she began working with multiple authors to write their personal histories and have them published, which eventually led to her founding Waldenhouse Publishers Inc. in 1995. Stone began publishing all kinds of books, along with the personal histories that were her focus for the first few years of the business.
She works with everyone from prominent Chattanoogans to authors scattered across the nation, from Maine to New York, California and Texas. Despite the geographical diversity of her clients, Stone said 80 percent of her clients come to her through referrals.
“Some people I never see face to face, but we’ve still formed long-lasting friendships,” she said.
Stone said the families of Chattanooga residents for whom she has written personal histories, such as Hedy Davenport, have told her they treasure the memories the books have preserved.
She has also written the histories of several communities, including one of Walden she sold to raise funds for the establishment of the McCoy Farm park at the former home of Martha McCoy.
Some of Waldenhouse’s books are very small, while some are huge, 2-inch-thick volumes or coffee table books, such as “Wildflowers of Pigeon Mountain.”
Among her recent best-sellers is “Red Clay and Dust: The Evolution of Southern Dirt Racing” by local author and dirt-racing expert Gary Parker, who plans to release his second book, “Rock-em, Sock-em Travelin’ Sideways Dirt Show,” this week. He also offers related merchandise including posters, T-shirts and caps which Stone said are “selling like crazy.”
She recently published the memoir of former Baylor School Headmaster Herbert Barks, “Walking the Hill: Memories, Dreams and Stories of Baylor,” and has also written a history of Boyd-Buchanan School.
Also recently published is attorney Jerry Summers’ “Rush to Justice? Tennessee’s Forgotten Trial of the Century – Schoolfield 1958” about impeached judge Raulston Schoolfield.
The most popular book in the company’s history, Stone said, with more than 100,000 copies sold, is New York author and illustrator April Rofé’s “The SENSEsational Alphabet,” an interactive book directed toward children who have disabilities or trouble with perception.
Waldenhouse now has two employees: a transcriber to record the material dictated by authors and a marketing and social media specialist, as well as Stone’s husband, who assists with photographs and designing book covers.
“We’ve worked together since we were married,” said Stone, who runs the business out of their home.
Most Waldenhouse books are available through online stores such as Amazon.com, and the company also warehouses select titles. Visit the company’s website at waldenhouse.com to learn more.