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by Phil Oakley (Author)
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.
Author Biography
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.
