Meet Texas Historical Fiction Author Phil Oakley
Schedule
Sat Jun 13 2026 at 02:00 pm to 04:00 pm
UTC-05:00Location
301 W. Main Street, Suite 108, Midlothian, TX, United States, Texas 76065 | Midlothian, TX
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Author EventTexas Historical Fiction Author Phil Oakley
Saturday, June 13, 2026
2 to 4 p.m.
Come meet Texas historical fiction author Phil Oakley Saturday, June 13 from 2 to 4 p.m. at O'Brien's Bookshop in downtown Midlothian, Texas. He'll be signing his trilogy book series The Oakleys. If you love western or post World War I fiction, you'll love this series!
While you're there, register for the chance to win a Texas historical fiction book and gift pack!
You can purchase the books at the event.
Little Hatchet (The Oakleys Book 1)
An epic in the mold of Larry McMurtry that follows the Oakley family from turn of the century New Mexico into Prohibition-era Texas. For those who like action, there's plenty of that interspersed throughout the multi-layered character studies that make up the core of the novel. But it's the humanity of the family and the deft hand for historic detail that is the real selling point here. Oakley has imbued his characters with a rare richness and their basic decentness in a world undergoing vast change is all too recognizable. This is storytelling with heart for those who like depth-filled characters contemplating on family, time's passage, and hard lessons learned.
Runners (The Oakleys Book 2)
From the author of Little Hatchet, this gripping historical saga continues — a powerful story of resilience, family, and the price of ambition. Perfect for fans of epic generational tales and action-packed historical fiction.
Walter Oakley and his wife, Ada, used the westward expansion of America to establish themselves as model citizens in the town of Telegraph, Texas. Now, they watch in despair as their children lurch from one crisis to another -- rum running, train-hopping outlaws, shattered dreams. With one child dead and another on the wrong side of the law, Walter and Ada struggle to keep their younger children on the straight and narrow. But trouble and temptation beckon as Prohibition and the Great Depression give way to the horrors of World War II. Will hope survive the chaos?
Austin Sunrise (The Oakleys Book 3)
Passion, Power, and the Price of Change
Discover the sweeping saga of ambition, family, and the American spirit in this richly layered novel set against the dramatic backdrop of wartime and postwar Texas. Follow the unforgettable journeys of Brooks and Ray Oakley, two brothers whose divergent paths take them across military frozen landscapes, bustling Austin cafes, cutthroat oil fields, and the booming postwar restaurant scene. The final book in the Oakleys saga wraps up the story that began with Little Hatchet and continued with Runners. With dynamic historical detail, razor-sharp dialogue, and a cast of complex characters, Austin Sunrise explores themes of loyalty, resilience, and reinvention. In Austin Sunrise, dreams rise over the horizon and lives are forged in fire, snow, and smoke.
About the Author
PHIL OAKLEY is a writer, educator, filmmaker, journalist and executive. He is the author of eight novels. He began working on his first one in the spring of 1964, while a freshman at The University of Texas at Austin. That book finally reached publication fifty years later in 2014. In addition to writing, Phil currently works as a paraprofessional educator at Kennedale High School.
Previously, he served as Director of the Louisiana Film Commission, was a regional executive of The Walt Disney Company, supervising coverage for ABC News in the southwestern United States and Latin America. He also was an editor/producer for The Dallas Morning News. As a journalist, Phil won national awards from Columbia University, the Radio-Television News Directors' Association and a National Headliners Award. He covered presidents and presidential campaigns, beginning with Lyndon Johnson and extending through the terms of George W. Bush. Phil was born in Austin during the last days of World War II. He lives in Arlington, Texas with his wife, the former Nancy Matens of Baton Rouge. Both are graduates of Louisiana State University. They have two sons and one granddaughter.
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Where is it happening?
301 W. Main Street, Suite 108, Midlothian, TX, United States, Texas 76065Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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