08/27/2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Perkins and Stillwater featured in historical fiction novel by Tulsa author
Tulsa, Oklahoma, August 29, 2012 - Love, death, drugs, corruption, Oklahoma style politics and the media serve as the backdrop for Payne County Weekly, the latest historical fiction novel by Tulsa author Joe Harwell which is set in Perkins and Stillwater. The story could be taken from the headlines of any Oklahoma newspaper over the past two decades. As in his three previous novels set in Oklahoma, Harwell has woven familiar places like Eskimo Joe’s, Shortcakes Diner, Oklahoma State University and more into this character driven story.
“Payne County Weekly is about doing the right thing, which is not always a black and white decision,” said Harwell. “Our need for self preservation can cause us to look the other way in the face of overwhelming danger to ourselves and the ones we love.” Harwell owned a weekly newspaper and a local origination TV channel in southeastern Oklahoma in the 1990’s.
Most of the characters in Payne County Weekly graduated from Perkins High School in the mid 1970’s. Their career paths took them in different directions until they are brought back together in 1994 by the terminal illness of a classmate. Those who have been away don’t realize how corrupt Payne County has become in twenty years. Local power brokers known as the Red Dirt Mafia now control most elected officials, law enforcement, the daily newspaper and operate the largest methamphetamine lab in the central United States.
Those who have stayed in Payne County know it doesn’t pay to cross them. LaShelle Roland is the editor of Payne County Weekly, a struggling weekly newspaper in Stillwater. She’s onto a story about the corrupt District Attorney and his drug task force shielding drug kingpins from prosecution. The Sun, the powerful daily newspaper in Stillwater is part of the cover up too and they are trying to buy LaShelle out or squeeze her out of business to keep the story from being published. Bo Stark, a successful, returning classmate offers to put up money to help LaShelle through the financial fallout which will be caused by publishing the story and she’s torn between selling to The Sun and moving on or breaking the story, putting herself and others in danger.
Harwell will debut Payne County Weekly at book signings at Hastings, located at 316 North Main in Stillwater on Friday, September 7th from 4 PM to 7 PM and on Saturday, September 8th during the Old Settler’s Day celebration in Perkins from 9 AM to 3 PM. The print version of Payne County Weekly may be purchased for $12.95 through Amazon or on Harwell’s web site at www.indianrockvampire.com. The Ebook version will be available soon on Amazon for $2.99.
Indian Rock Vampire is a vampire story inspired by the runestones in Heavener, Oklahoma.
