J.L. Oakley's Blog, page 2
April 6, 2012
Tree Soldier wins 2012 EPIC ebook Award
I'm very excited to say that Tree Soldier won an EPIC ebook award for historical fiction on March 17th. I got the notice on Twitter.
Last week, the beautiful award came in the mail. So very happy. And happy for the boys. Every time there is some mention of the novel, people write and ask how to find their relative that served in the CCCs.
Last week, the beautiful award came in the mail. So very happy. And happy for the boys. Every time there is some mention of the novel, people write and ask how to find their relative that served in the CCCs.
March 11, 2012
2012 EPIC Awards
6 more days until I know whether I placed at the 2012 EPIC Awards in Historical Fiction. It's getting hard to wait, but I'm honored to even be a finalist.
January 2, 2012
Tree Soldier gets a great review
I am so excited that TREE SOLDIER was picked by PW Select for January 2012, one of 25 books singled out in this publication for self-pubbed books.You can read the review here: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by...
But essentially:
"This vigorously researched historical novel set during the Great Depression tracks the life of the leader of a Civilian Conservation Corps group working in the forests of Washington State. John “Park” Hardesty heads a motley band of teens thrust into road and construction work. But unlike his crew, Hardesty, while college educated, is fairly familiar with hard work. Breaking in his squad at Camp Kulshan, Hardesty must also confront his past while falling for the fetching, independent-minded local naturalist Kate Alford, with whom—after she saves his life in the forest—he shares his shameful family secret: after a terrible argument with his brother that resulted in a car accident, Hardesty was cast out of his family by his father. Oakley constructs this rugged romance with tremendous care, fully developing its characters, particularly the honorable Hardesty, and building moments of tension in an engaging and entertaining novel."
Got another great review in the Bellingham Herald, but this was the icing on the cake.
But essentially:
"This vigorously researched historical novel set during the Great Depression tracks the life of the leader of a Civilian Conservation Corps group working in the forests of Washington State. John “Park” Hardesty heads a motley band of teens thrust into road and construction work. But unlike his crew, Hardesty, while college educated, is fairly familiar with hard work. Breaking in his squad at Camp Kulshan, Hardesty must also confront his past while falling for the fetching, independent-minded local naturalist Kate Alford, with whom—after she saves his life in the forest—he shares his shameful family secret: after a terrible argument with his brother that resulted in a car accident, Hardesty was cast out of his family by his father. Oakley constructs this rugged romance with tremendous care, fully developing its characters, particularly the honorable Hardesty, and building moments of tension in an engaging and entertaining novel."
Got another great review in the Bellingham Herald, but this was the icing on the cake.
Tree Soldier gets a great review
I am so excited that TREE SOLDIER was picked by PW Select for January 2012, one of 25 books singled out in this publication for self-pubbed books.You can read the review here: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by...
But essentially:
"This vigorously researched historical novel set during the Great Depression tracks the life of the leader of a Civilian Conservation Corps group working in the forests of Washington State. John “Park” Hardesty heads a motley band of teens thrust into road and construction work. But unlike his crew, Hardesty, while college educated, is fairly familiar with hard work. Breaking in his squad at Camp Kulshan, Hardesty must also confront his past while falling for the fetching, independent-minded local naturalist Kate Alford, with whom—after she saves his life in the forest—he shares his shameful family secret: after a terrible argument with his brother that resulted in a car accident, Hardesty was cast out of his family by his father. Oakley constructs this rugged romance with tremendous care, fully developing its characters, particularly the honorable Hardesty, and building moments of tension in an engaging and entertaining novel."
Got another great review in the Bellingham Herald, but this was the icing on the cake.
But essentially:
"This vigorously researched historical novel set during the Great Depression tracks the life of the leader of a Civilian Conservation Corps group working in the forests of Washington State. John “Park” Hardesty heads a motley band of teens thrust into road and construction work. But unlike his crew, Hardesty, while college educated, is fairly familiar with hard work. Breaking in his squad at Camp Kulshan, Hardesty must also confront his past while falling for the fetching, independent-minded local naturalist Kate Alford, with whom—after she saves his life in the forest—he shares his shameful family secret: after a terrible argument with his brother that resulted in a car accident, Hardesty was cast out of his family by his father. Oakley constructs this rugged romance with tremendous care, fully developing its characters, particularly the honorable Hardesty, and building moments of tension in an engaging and entertaining novel."
Got another great review in the Bellingham Herald, but this was the icing on the cake.
November 16, 2011
A Christmas Tale: The Christmas Well
I write memoir essays, several of which have been published over the years. The Christmas Well is one of them. Now long out of print, it was time to bring it out. I just published it on Kindle in time for the holidays. Here is the flap copy:
A city street is without water three days before Christmas. All the families think Christmas is lost. Then the city brings in a water tank.
Going to get water from the “well” on Christmas Eve becomes a special childhood memory as neighbors young and old fill their buckets and pans and share their joys of the season despite a little more than inconvenience.
http://goo.gl/i9NqI
Enjoy
A city street is without water three days before Christmas. All the families think Christmas is lost. Then the city brings in a water tank.
Going to get water from the “well” on Christmas Eve becomes a special childhood memory as neighbors young and old fill their buckets and pans and share their joys of the season despite a little more than inconvenience.
http://goo.gl/i9NqI
Enjoy
November 7, 2011
Tree Soldier is 2012 EPIC Finalist
I was excited to learn that TREE SOLDIER is a finalist in the historical fiction category for the 2012 EPIC Award. It's been a good year for the novel of CCC boys in the woods in the heart of the Great Depression. I'll know in March whether it won, but just to be a finalist is wonderful.
October 24, 2011
Chatting up the CCCs
It's been almost month since the interview on the Author's Hour, but on October 9th it ran on Washington State Public Affairs TV, TVW. I felt very fortunate for the opportunity as they don't do fiction work generally, but I'm sure the subject of the Civilian Conservation Corps in TREE SOLDIER was just perfect for a discussion their work in Washington State during the Great Depression. So many state and national parks developed. So many ranger stations and trees planted.
It was a wonderful hour. It will run again on the 30th, noon, 7 & 10 PM. Or watch it on-line.
http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer....
It was a wonderful hour. It will run again on the 30th, noon, 7 & 10 PM. Or watch it on-line.
http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer....
September 25, 2011
Big Day
Tomorrow, September 26, is going to be the biggest day for me and my novel TREE SOLDIER. Though I have now given several book talks in stores, libraries and museums, I'm going to be interviewed on the Author Hour. This program is very similar to the author/book programs on C-Spam, only this is Washington State's version. I'm very excited that I will be given the opportunity to talk about my novel and the background behind the story and setting, the Civilian Conservation Corps. This program, a part of the New Deal, has been FDR's most popular and maybe the one with the most impact on the general population. It not only saved the lives of young men and their families, it saved the environment and created or improved state and national parks, things we benefit from today.
I'm working on my outfit, but I'm also preparing for the questions I'll be asked. Wish me luck!
http://www.tvw.org/search/authorshour...
I'm working on my outfit, but I'm also preparing for the questions I'll be asked. Wish me luck!
http://www.tvw.org/search/authorshour...
May 12, 2011
Congratulations to The Giveway Winners
I'm happy to announce that Goodreads has chosen two winners for my first ever giveaway of TREE SOLIDER:
Holly Warner of WPAFB in Ohio and
Kelley Roblyer of Fort Myers.
I hope that you both enjoy reading it.
I was really flattered so many people entered in the giveaway. Thanks to all of you for your interest.
TREE SOLDIER and the real boys of the CCCs have a special place in my heart. And I hope that all of you pay attention to the great work that these young men did back in the 1930s to enhance our campgrounds and roadways like the Skyline Drive, building lodges in the West while planting trees and repairing erosion. Look around your state and towns. They were there, their work lasting monuments to hard times and perseverance.
May we never forget them.
Holly Warner of WPAFB in Ohio and
Kelley Roblyer of Fort Myers.
I hope that you both enjoy reading it.
I was really flattered so many people entered in the giveaway. Thanks to all of you for your interest.
TREE SOLDIER and the real boys of the CCCs have a special place in my heart. And I hope that all of you pay attention to the great work that these young men did back in the 1930s to enhance our campgrounds and roadways like the Skyline Drive, building lodges in the West while planting trees and repairing erosion. Look around your state and towns. They were there, their work lasting monuments to hard times and perseverance.
May we never forget them.
May 5, 2011
Skyping with Your Favorite Author
Tonight, my book club, Circle of Friends, is having a special treat. For the past month, we have been reading Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell. As usual we'll gather for delicious potluck food, chat and then discuss the book of the month. We've been doing this for over 13 years. Tonight, something new is being added: we're Skyping with Stephanie.
I "met" Stephanie over a year ago on Twitter. I was searching for authors who wrote historical fiction. I found Stephanie mentioned on one of the #tags or postings (Can't remember which now) but we began messaging. She had already published several novels, including Marrying Mozart, a novel about the four Weber sisters, daughters of a musical family and Mozart. Now Claude and Camille was going to be published in April of 2010. This is the story of Claude Monet and his muse, Camille Doncieux, a beautiful, upper-class Parisian girl who "threw away her privileged life to be by the side of the defiant painter and embrace the lively Bohemian life of their time."
Sometime in January I got bold and asked if I could be on her upcoming blog tour. She said yes. After reading Claude and Camille for myself, I knew I wanted my book club to read it. I also knew that it would be a wonderful thing to be able to discuss the book with the author herself when the time came by Skype, something I was just beginning to do with family members.
The world of writing and reading books has changed so much in the past few years. Twitter, Facebook and Skype have created new ways for readers and authors to connect without having to travel far. Part of this is the nature of the traditional book tour which is fast going away for most authors.
Stephanie and I have practiced a couple of times to make sure the techie part works. She has done phone interviews with book clubs before, but this is a first for the both of us. I'm so excited. We both are going to clean up our rooms --mine in Bellingham, WA, hers in New York-- so we look presentable in our backgrounds (:>) I am anticipating a terrific evening of books, laughter and learning as we bring this author into our circle of friends.
I "met" Stephanie over a year ago on Twitter. I was searching for authors who wrote historical fiction. I found Stephanie mentioned on one of the #tags or postings (Can't remember which now) but we began messaging. She had already published several novels, including Marrying Mozart, a novel about the four Weber sisters, daughters of a musical family and Mozart. Now Claude and Camille was going to be published in April of 2010. This is the story of Claude Monet and his muse, Camille Doncieux, a beautiful, upper-class Parisian girl who "threw away her privileged life to be by the side of the defiant painter and embrace the lively Bohemian life of their time."
Sometime in January I got bold and asked if I could be on her upcoming blog tour. She said yes. After reading Claude and Camille for myself, I knew I wanted my book club to read it. I also knew that it would be a wonderful thing to be able to discuss the book with the author herself when the time came by Skype, something I was just beginning to do with family members.
The world of writing and reading books has changed so much in the past few years. Twitter, Facebook and Skype have created new ways for readers and authors to connect without having to travel far. Part of this is the nature of the traditional book tour which is fast going away for most authors.
Stephanie and I have practiced a couple of times to make sure the techie part works. She has done phone interviews with book clubs before, but this is a first for the both of us. I'm so excited. We both are going to clean up our rooms --mine in Bellingham, WA, hers in New York-- so we look presentable in our backgrounds (:>) I am anticipating a terrific evening of books, laughter and learning as we bring this author into our circle of friends.
