"Allegedly" chosen as new course material for East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma
- Sirens Network
- Aug 7
- 4 min read
My book Allegedly: True Crime from Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, is now available for pre-order everywhere eBooks are sold—Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and more. The wide release drops August 20. Since its release, it has only been available in ebook form on Amazon and through their Kindle Unlimited program.
This year, Allegedly was selected as the primary textbook for a new true crime course at East Central University, True Crime: Narratives of Justice, with Dr. Grasso and Professor Owens. I’m beyond honored!
"A true crime book written by a former Ada resident is making its way into the classroom at East Central University.
Allegedly: True Crime from Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, written by author and podcaster Raven Rollins, has been selected as the primary textbook for a new ECU course titled True Crime: Narratives of Justice.
Launching this fall, the course explores how true crime storytelling can reflect issues of justice, community impact, and ethical reporting. Rollins’ book was selected for its investigative depth and compelling, victim-centered narratives based on real cases from the region.
Published in February, Allegedly quickly rose to a #1 Bestseller on Amazon and has remained in the top 100 bestsellers for its category. The book blends legal analysis, community history, and storytelling to examine criminal cases in Pontotoc County.
Rollins, who also hosts Sirens | A Southern True Crime Podcast, says the book’s inclusion in the curriculum is significant.
“It means a great deal to have my work recognized in this way, especially by a university in my hometown,” Rollins said. “True crime—when done with care—isn’t just about storytelling. It’s about honoring victims, examining the justice system, and holding institutions accountable.”
The class has already drawn considerable interest. The Legal Studies section filled within the first four days of enrollment, prompting the university to raise the course cap and relocate to a larger classroom. The course is officially listed in ECU’s online catalog and has reached full capacity, with enrollment currently closed for Humanities, but open for Legal Studies. Students interested in joining are encouraged to contact advisors for enrollment.
In addition to being listed in the university’s catalog, Allegedly is now available through ECU’s official bookstore as a required course material for True Crime: Narratives of Justice. Students can purchase or rent the book in new or used condition through the university’s online store. Alternatively, anyone can buy the book from their favorite online retailer, including Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
The course appears under two sections for Fall 2025: LSPS 4983-01 (for Legal Studies and Political Science majors) and HUM 4983-01 (for English majors and all other majors). It meets on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11:00 to 11:50 a.m. and is taught by Professors Jenna Owens and Dr. Joshua Grasso."
However, if Allegedly remains in Kindle Unlimited, students cannot access it through their school bookstore, financial aid, or library. So, the KU contract for the Allegedly ebook ends August 19th, and the wide release drops August 20th. This also prompted me to pull Sins of the South from KU, which will leave on August 26th and go wide on August 27th. You can go ahead and pre-order at your favorite ebook retailer websites for both books.
If we’re going to talk about justice—about broken systems and overlooked victims—we can’t limit the conversation to just one retailer or program. Going wide means more students, more classrooms, and more communities can read these stories—and that’s what matters.
Pre-order Allegedly: Books2Read.com/Allegedly
Pre-order Sins of the South: Books2Read.com/sinsofthesouth
You can also find a retailer for physical copies at www.ravenrollins.com or go check out The re-FINERY on Main Street in Ada, Oklahoma!
Allegedly wide release date: August 20
SOS wide release date: August 27
Allegedly and Sins of the South will be available to libraries and academic institutions through Bibliotheca, Palace Marketplace, BorrowBox, Odilo, OverDrive (Libby), and Hoopla.
Some links will populate as the pre-order becomes available on those sites, and I expect them to roll out over the next week. You can also wait until August 20th or 26th and check them out then!
Thank you for supporting meaningful, victim-centered true crime. This is for the families who trusted me with their stories—and for the next generation of readers, students, and truth-seekers learning from them in the classroom and beyond. Thank you to Dr. Joshua Grasso, Jenna Estes Owens, and East Central University for believing in this book so much! And thanks to Gary Perkinson, again, for lending me your mind and collaborating on this book!
Kindle Unlimited readers:
If you’ve already borrowed these books through KU, you can keep reading them even after they leave on August 20 (Allegedly) and August 26th (SOS), but don’t return them or remove them from your Kindle library until you are done. You won't be able to check them out again. If you haven’t grabbed them yet and want to read them through KU, now’s the time to borrow them before they’re gone.
