It's Weekly Roundup time again at Oak Tree Press—our last roundup of the month. Where does the time go? Please check out our bookstore for a complete list of all the great books we have available. We have something for everyone!
We're so glad you've stopped by again this week. Here as always, for your reading pleasure, we have news, book signings, events, reviews, blogs and more from our authors to share with you.
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"A book is a device to ignite the imagination."
~Alan Bennett, The Uncommon Reader
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Need help choosing a great book to read?
Check out our sample chapters on
We
have plenty to choose from. Just click on a title and you will be
directed to a free read! These sample chapters will be updated
frequently, and new releases will also be featured.
OUR WRITING CONTESTS ARE OPEN!
There's still plenty of time to polish up your manuscript and get it in to our judges. Since 1999, we have been publishing the winners of our contests. In a heartbeat, you can go from an author-in-waiting to published writer!
We are looking for mysteries, romances, Westerns and hard-edged cop/true crime stories. Read about the guidelines at our website.
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Oak Tree Press had a great showing in the Public Safety Writer Association's 2015 Writing Competition. The contest results were announced at the recent PSWA conference in Las Vegas (July 16-19), and we are proud and excited to have so many winners on the list! Congratulations to all whose talents and creative achievements were recognized by PSWA.


Janet thanks Billie and OTP for having faith in her novels.


John was also awarded won first place in the Flash Fiction, Non-Published category for "Monica's Surprise," and he won both second place and an honorable mention in the Poetry, Non-Published category for his works "Goodbye" and "First Responders," respectively.
Ed Traylor was awarded second place in the Fiction Book, Non-Published category for his forthcoming thriller, The Crossing, which tells the story of Racheed Ul-Bashar, a Pakistani whose grandfather and sister are killed in an American drone strike in Pakistan. Driven by revenge, Racheed develops a minutely detailed plot, a synchronized strike on three American cities on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks. He contacts Juan Rodrequs, a violent, ruthless drug cartel leader in Juarez, Mexico, who agrees -- for a price -- to help by moving terrorists and supplies across the border.
Albert vande Steeg received an honorable mention in the Fiction Book, Non-Published category for his novel The Black Band. The half inch wide black velvet band that is placed around the Peace Officer’s badge symbolizes the grief and pain that grips the heart behind the badge. The Black Band begins at the graveside service of Officer Augustino as he is laid to rest. The sound of the bagpipe drifts over the departing crowd as they drift back to their duties fighting crime, corruption or mourn with friends and family.

Other PSA winners included Joseph Haggerty, Jr., who was awarded first place in the Poetry, Published category for "To Live and Die in DC"; second place in the Short Story, Non-Published category for "A Father’s Honor"; second place in the Non-Fiction Creative Non-Technical, Non-Published category for Justice Undone; and third place in the Poetry, Non-Published category for "Working the Street 24-7-365."

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JoAnn Smith Ainsworth was a top-ten semifinalist in the published book category of the East Texas Writer's Guild's 2015 First Chapter Book Awards for her novel Expect Trouble. The first chapter of the novel was featured this week as the Monday Sampler on the Venture Galleries blog this week. "If you’re looking for an award-winning paranormal romantic thriller, this is the book you want to read," the bloggers write. You can read the commentary and the exciting first chapter here.
About Expect Trouble: The U.S. government recruits psychics to find Nazi spies on the East Coast during WWII. Opening herself to ridicule by revealing she’s clairvoyant is the last thing U.S. WAVE Livvy Delacourt wants, but when Uncle Sam needs her skill to track Nazi spies, she jumps in with both feet. Join this emotional journey through paranormal realms of fast-paced suspense and supernatural battles as U.S. Navy psychics pit themselves against their Nazi counterparts.
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REVIEWS & INTERVIEWS

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UPCOMING


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RECENT

In the book, Ronald recounts how his choices were influenced by his father's addiction. Ronald attended a Jesuit high school in Buffalo, New York, at the same time his father was recovering from alcoholism. But Ronald’s mother, unable to forgive her husband for his past mistreatment of her, fostered in her son a need to make up to her for his father’s sins and so delays the separation from her necessary to his growing up.
He entered the Jesuit order at seventeen, his father died of cancer shortly afterward, and nine lonely years later he left the Jesuits having discovered under their tutelage that he was not one of them. His marriage, his children, his career teaching literature, and the writing of this memoir all taught him mercy, especially to his body, and helped him bridge the gap between his appreciation of the Jesuits and the necessity he felt to leave them behind.
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BLOG CORRAL
Nancy LiPetri was the guest on fellow OTP author Marilyn Meredith’s blog Marilyn’s Musings on July 30 and 31, where she talks about reader responses to her novel, The Wooded Path.
She writes, "My fascination with psychology and the power of the subconscious lead my characters to struggle with confusion and temptations. I am happy to hear that my characters often reassure women that they are not alone in their secret dilemmas and midlife experiences, and that they see some of themselves or their friends in the story." You can read the entire blog post here.
Nancy sends a big thank-you shout-out to Marilyn (aka F.M. Meredith) and continues to work on her sequel to The Wooded Path.
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That wraps up the Roundup for this week! We hope you enjoyed our news.
We look forward to your emails! If you have a news item you'd like to submit to the Weekly Roundup, please send the details to weeklyroundup.items@gmail.com. Photos welcome!
Big or small, old or new, your news helps us keep our blog updated and showcases the great books and talented authors we're so proud to have published. Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome too. Please do drop us a line!

Billie Johnson, Publisher