J.L. Oakley
Award-Winning Indie AuthorNovels set in WWII Norway
Novels set in the Pacific Northwest
Hilo Bay Mysteries with a bit of history
About Janet
So glad you came by. I love history and stories, gardening and just being outdoors. (I’ve been tent camping since I was a baby!)
I’ve lived in the Northwest for over 35 years. When I’m not writing, I enjoy delving into local history, looking for little surprises that tell a larger story of my area and the nation’s past, fodder far more novels or non-fiction pieces. I can be found in my garden conversing with chickadees or teaching history hands-on to local grade school students. I churn excellent butter (don’t forget to wash it!) and can spin up a storm.
Latest News
Logger Coffee
What's in Mrs. Hales' Receipts for the Million 1857? Substitute for Cream in Tea or Coffee. -- Beat the white of an egg to a froth, put to it a very small lump of butter, and mix well. Then turn the coffee to it gradually, so that it may not curdle. If perfectly done,...
Mrs. Hale’s Receipts for the Million
I've decided to add something to this blog. Every year for the past thirteen years, I have gone to English Camp on San Juan Island and have demonstrated mid- 19th century folkways. There's a lot of butter making and biscuit cutting going on -- as well as spinning...
The Pig War
On June 15th, 1859 the incident known as the Pig War occurred on San Juan Island. I'll be writing more about it in another post, but suffice to say, there will be doings at the San Juan Island National Historical Park this summer for the 150th anniversary. The...