More Cool Videos!
Hi y’all. Since I’m still working on a submission for my writing class, I will entertain you with a couple more videos that I took while at the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg reenactment. I hope you like them!
J.D.R. Hawkins
One bullet can make a man a hero… or a casualty.
Archive for the month “August, 2013”
Exciting Videos!
Hi everyone,
Since I’m in a writing class this week, I’m going to cheat on my blog by posting some more videos of the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg reenactment. Hope you enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-WhmxQ2-sE
Blog Tour Update
My blog tour is winding down. There are only a few weeks left! Today, my book, A Beautiful Glittering Lie, is being featured on Aspiring Book Reviews. The link to that blog is:
Mine is the second book featured on the page, so please scroll down and read about how I researched my novels and came up with ideas to write about. The article explains why I write historical fiction, and how I try to base my books on as much fact as possible. That, to me, is the most fascinating and challenging part, but it is also a lot of fun. If you like the blog tour, please let me know by liking my page. Thank you!
Awesome Review!
I recently received a very flattering review that I wanted to share with you all. Getting reviews like these makes it all worth while!
“A Beautiful Glittering Lie is a wonderful read, as is the sequel A Beckoning Hellfire. There are two story lines in the book. One is of a young boy and his friend who, like all young men their age, dream of going off to fight in the American Civil War, but manage to find ways to get into trouble even though they cannot enlist. The other story line is of the father of one of the boys, and his close friend; both of whom enlist at the onset of the war. What really sets this book apart from the other Civil War literature is how personable it is. Most of the books written about the civil war follow characters like Lee, Chamberlain, and Grant. However, here we see a run-of-the-mill Johnny Reb, and we experience HIS reasons for fighting, HIS fears, and HIS obstacles. We also get a glimpse into what happened on the home front during the war.
“Peppered throughout the story are historical blurbs that let the reader know what’s going on. Just enough historical facts are given to let the reader know what is happening, but not so much that you feel you’re sitting through a lecture.
“I would recommend this book to everyone. I have been a living historian for a majority of my life, and I enjoyed this. If you’re someone who wants to check out a new reading topic, and are interested in learning more about the War Between the States, then it’s perfect for you. If you’re worried about reading what is sometimes called “Confederate Literature,” don’t. This book received honorable mention at the L.A. book fair. It is a wonderful story about a Man who loves his family and fights for what he believes in, and a story about a young man coming of age during what is arguably America’s darkest time.
“A note to parents of young men. There are very few books in the “Yong Adult” section that appeal to young men. Have you ever walked through it? 80% of it is stories about Vampire/Werewolf love affairs, 10% is stories that are almost entirely geared to young women, and the remaining 10% is the Hunger Games. If you want your teenage son to put down Call of Duty and Halo for a bit then get him this book and the Sequel. They’re not hard reads, and are filled with things young men love: mischief, fighting, and encounters with young women. They’re also not difficult reads so he won’t need an encyclopedia to understand the language or what’s going on.
“All in all A Beautiful Glittering Lie is a great read. Whether you’re looking to break into a new series, want to read more of the Civil War, or just need a new book to read by the pool or on your lunch break; odds are you’ll thoroughly enjoy this book.”
Thank you, Adam Klein, for sending this to me. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your kind words!
Confederate Museum Under Attack
Recently, a merger was proposed which would involve the American Civil War Centre, the Museum of the Confederacy and the Virginia Historical Society. If this merger does in fact go through, the name “Museum of the Confederacy” will cease to exist.
This is just one more example of how a few narrow minded individuals strive to eradicate everything they don’t agree with and do not deem as “politically correct.” If they succeed in this plan, yet another significant piece of American history will be gone. It would also be extremely difficult to access records and artifacts, not to mention that these items would fall into the hands of those less amenable to the true recounting of Southern history.
Please email the President and CEO of the Museum of the Confederacy, Waite Rawls, and express your concerns about this possibility. His email address is wrawls@moc.org.
(A Special Thanks to Ian Dewar of the 290 Foundation)
Vandals Damage Civil War Headstone in Colorado
Last Saturday, vandals tipped over numerous headstones in Longmont, Colorado’s Mountain View Cemetery, including a granite Civil War memorial statue. Tracey George, who manages the cemetery, said that she thought at least two vandals were involved, since they left shoe marks on the 106-year-old monument in order to knock it over. In the process, the soldier was toppled over and decapitated. The head disappeared until today when it was discovered outside Longmont’s Fire Station #1.
Vandals began wreaking havoc in the cemetery over the Fourth of July weekend, and have escalated from there. So far, 106 headstones have been damaged or destroyed.
According to the Boulder Daily Camera, the Civil War monument was donated to the cemetery in 1907 by the Women’s Relief Corps. It was the tallest and most expensive item vandalized in the Saturday night attack. The statue’s base is engraved with the words, “In memory of our honored dead.” The statue was pulled from its base. The statue’s fall broke the base, both legs of the soldier above the ankle and the rifle that also attached the figure to the base. Its head, which broke off at the neck, was dug out of the impression it left in the ground and went missing. George estimated that the granite head with its hat would have weighed well over 100 pounds.
“Everything here is hand carved and to find anybody who does that kind of trade anymore is going to be hard,” George told 7NEWS. “We figure it’s going to be somewhere between $20,000 to $50,000 just to replace this statue. I think that is the thing that makes me the sickest,” she said of the damaged statue, which served as a focal point for annual Memorial Day remembrances.
If you can help, please call the Longmont Police Department at 303-651-8501 or Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Or visit: nococrimestoppers.com
Free Books
I am giving away copies of my novel, A Beautiful Glittering Lie, throughout the month of August. Sign up and try your luck! Follow this link for your chance to win:
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/60255-a-beautiful-glittering-lie
Thank you for your interest, and good luck!
J.D.R. Hawkins 