J.D.R. Hawkins

One bullet can make a man a hero… or a casualty.

Archive for the month “September, 2016”

27 Sep 2016

More Ridiculousness

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Sometimes I come across stories and articles I find so absurd that I wonder if they’re true. Unfortunately, this one is. Read for yourself and tell me what you think.

Feds fund study on health risks of looking at Confederate flag
 
The U.S. government is funding research to show that Confederate symbols prompt a negative physiological response in black people, information some believe will be helpful in lawsuits aimed at removing them.
Jackson State University received $420,000 in grant funds, some from the National Science Foundation, to delve deeper into the physiological responses of black people to Confederate imagery after initial research allegedly revealed negative reactions, the Jackson Free Press reports.
Political science professor D’Andra Orey concocted a study that blends biology and politics by measuring the heart rate of participants, and how much they sweat, when shown different images like a t-shirt with the Confederate flag, or the Mississippi state flag that contains the Confederate flag. The reactions are compared to responses to “happy images” like penguins or exposure to blank images, and an initial pilot study of black faculty and students at JSU allegedly showed the Confederate images produce a negative physical reaction.
“When you see the flag, and you start sweating, that fits with the sympathetic nervous system,” Orey said. “When people have a negative response to these particular images, that means that it impacts them negatively, which is physiologically.”
Most recently, Grenada-based attorney Carlos Moore sued Gov. Phil Bryant over the Mississippi State Flag, claiming it is both unconstitutional and negatively impacted his health by raising his blood pressure. U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves threw out the case, but Moore appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Free Press reports.
The lawsuit was dismissed mostly because Moore could not prove harm from the flag, but Orey’s research could change that.
“We’re actually trying to see if this negative physiological response can be measured into an injury or can be captured as an injury,” he said. “They can say it bothers them, and then it doesn’t register in their physiological response while others (can) say, ‘it doesn’t bother me, I’m immune to it … but I get (physiologically) pissed off every time I see it,” Orey said.
In Moore’s case, Judge Reeves ruled that he did now show a “cognizable legal injury” as a result of viewing the state flag, but acknowledged ties between the Confederate battle flag symbol and the state’s history of slavery. The ruling makes it clear that regardless of whether the flag makes Moore uncomfortable, there’s no constitutional protections for anxiety from state symbols.
“Moore’s arguments are phrased as constitutional claims, yet his allegations of physical injuries suggest that he is making an emotional distress tort claim,” Judge Reeves wrote. “To succeed in constitutional litigation, however, Moore needs to identify that part of the Constitution which guarantees a legal right to be free from anxiety at State displays of historical racism. There is none.”
(Article courtesy of Dixie Heritage Newsletter, Sept. 23, 2016 ed.)
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20 Sep 2016

New Novel by Anna del Mar

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My Alaskan Adventure

By

Anna del Mar
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I was flying over the tundra in a sputtering single engine four-seater when I conceived The Stranger.  It was my third trip to Alaska and my husband and I were on the way to Coldfoot, Alaska, population 10. Why we wanted to go out to the middle of nowhere had to do with our thirst to see more of the magnificent land we’d discovered in our travels. We wanted to check out the pipeline and visit Gates of the Arctic National Park, to drive the Dalton Highway and feel the Tundra beneath our feet. Above all, we wanted to bask in the vastness of Alaska, in the contrasts of a terrain that can reward you with infinite views or challenge your spirit with its cruel, ruthless beauty.

From my Alaskan adventures, The Stranger was born. The Stranger is the second novel of my Wounded Warrior Series, a collection of stories that feature strong heroines fighting to make their mark in the world and the brave, hot, sexy alphas who will protect the women they love with all they’ve got. One cool aspect of the series is that you can read it in whichever order you’d like in order to meet an extraordinary brotherhood of unforgettable heroes. Whether you pick up my Amazon best seller, The Asset or The Stranger, you’re in for the full journey.

The Stranger begins with Summer Silva. When her sister runs away with a guy she met on the internet, Summer, a warmth-loving Miami architect chases her reckless sibling to Alaska and finds her life in danger from more than the elements. Only a stranger, a wounded warrior who is also an Alaskan tycoon with a quarreling family as complicated as her own and no time for a lady in distress—let alone one with a troublesome secret—can save her from disaster. Together, two strangers from different worlds and opposite spectrums of the thermometer must unravel the intrigues that threaten their lives to chase after a new dream, in majestic Alaska.

The Stranger is a hot romantic suspense story that will take you away on a grand adventure. Alaska is the third protagonist and the hidden character running the show. Against this stunning background, romance acquires a new meaning, an enduring commitment to survive and thrive in one of the last wild places on earth.

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From my personal pictures.

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Here’s a first review of The Stranger. And it’s an awesome one!

http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=22690

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Embedded links:

http://www.annadelmar.com/pages/books_stranger.html

 

http://www.annadelmar.com/pages/books_asset.html

 

http://www.annadelmar.com/pages/books_brink.html

 

http://www.annadelmar.com/pages/home.html

 

The Stranger by Anna del Mar

Information Sheet
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Author Email: Anna@annadelmar.com

Book Title: The Stranger

Name: Anna del Mar

Author Location (for press releases) Florida

Name of series and book number in series: The Stranger, A Wounded Warrior Novel, Book Two

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Contemporary romance, SEAL romance, Military Romance

Publisher: Carina Press

Date of Publication: August 22, 2016

eISBN: 9781459294301

ASIN: B01EF3MHSU

Number of pages: 323 pages

Word Count: 110,000 words approx.

Formats available: Epub, Mobi

Cover Artist: Carina Press

 

Logline:

Ex-military pilot Seth Erickson is fighting his own demons, but when he finds Summer Silva, a beautiful, warmth-loving, Miami woman stranded in the frozen wilderness, he’ll do everything in his power to keep her safe from murder, treason, and the ruthless Alaskan winter.

 

Back Cover Blurb:

When a mysterious stranger is your only hope…

The scars of the past have left their mark, both physical and emotional, on former military pilot Seth Erickson. Off-grid in the far reaches of the bitter Alaskan wilderness, he wants only to be left alone with his ghosts. But he can’t ignore a woman in need—beautiful, stranded and nearly frozen with fear.

Summer Silva never imagined that the search for her missing sister would leave her abandoned on a wintry back road, barely escaping with her life from a cold-blooded killer for hire. Now, hiding out in the isolated cabin of the secretive wounded warrior who saved her, Summer knows she must do what she fears most. Putting her trust in a stranger is all she has left.

All defenses are down

After a fiery first night together, Seth and Summer are bound by a need as powerful as a Bering Sea superstorm—and vulnerable to enemies just as fierce. For Seth, reawakened by desire, there is no sacrifice too great, no memory too dark, to keep Summer safe. But murder and treason lurk everywhere and Summer may not survive Alaska’s ruthless winter.

A Wounded Warrior Novel. This book is approximately 110,000 words

Short Description:

 

When her sister runs away with a guy she met on the internet, a warmth-loving Miami architect chases her reckless sibling to Alaska and finds her life in danger from more than the elements. Only a stranger, a wounded warrior who is also Alaskan tycoon with a quarreling family as complicated as her own and no time for a lady in distress—let alone one who walks on her sleep—can save her from disaster. Together, two strangers from different worlds and opposite spectrums of the thermometer must unravel the intrigues that threaten their lives to chase after a new dream, together, in majestic Alaska.

 

Buy Links For The Stranger:

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Wounded-Warrior-Novel-ebook/dp/B01EF3MHSU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469123810&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Stranger+by+Anna+del+Mar#navbar

Carina Press:

http://www.carinapress.com/shop/books/9781459294301_the-stranger.html

Barnes and Noble:

 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-stranger-anna-del-mar/1123670965?ean=9781459294301

 

Kobo Books:

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-stranger-69

 

Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Anna_del_Mar_The_Stranger?id=j7T-CwAAQBAJ

 

Author Bio:

Anna del Mar writes hot, smart romances that soothe the soul, challenge the mind, and satisfy the heart. Her stories focus on strong heroines struggling to find their place in the world and the brave, sexy, kickass, military heroes who defy the limits of their broken bodies to protect the women they love. Anna enjoys traveling, hiking, skiing, and the sea. Writing is her addiction, her drug of choice, and what she wants to do all the time. The extraordinary men and women she met during her years as a Navy wife inspire the fabulous heroes and heroines at the center of her stories. When she stays put—which doesn’t happen very often—she lives in Florida with her indulgent husband and two very opinionated cats.

 

Author links:

 

Email:

Anna@annadelmar.com

Website:

http://www.annadelmar.com/pages/home.html

Blog:

http://www.annadelmar.com/blog/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnnadelMar/?ref=hl

https://www.facebook.com/anna.delmar.376

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/anna_del_mar

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/author/anna_del_mar

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19 Sep 2016

It’s Alive! Book Launch Tomorrow

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My new novel, A Rebel Among Us, is now available! You can purchase the book through Amazon. Here is the link for the e-book:

https://www.amazon.com/Rebel-Among-Us-J-D-R-Hawkins/dp/1537167871/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1473888546&sr=1-2

And here is the link to order physical copies:

http://foundationsbooks.com/library

I am so excited about this new book! I’d like to once again thank my publisher, Foundations, LLC, and the J.D.R. Hawkins Books team for all your hard work.

My book launch party is tomorrow from 2-4 p.m. central time. Please join me tomorrow afternoon for lots of fun, laugh, and information about the book. Here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/332590897079537/

I hope to see you there!

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14 Sep 2016

Book Trailer For My New Novel

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Here is a link to the book trailer for my new novel. Check it out and let me know what y’all think!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tILNmZIukmc

The book is available for pre-order through Smashwords. It will be on sale this coming Monday, and I will have a launch party next Tuesday. Stay tuned for more details!

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/665424

 

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13 Sep 2016

Mississippi Flag Under Attack

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The Mississippi state flag has fallen under much scrutiny lately because it is the only state flag left that still bears the St. Andrews Cross. Several state-funded universities, as well as governmental agencies, have refused to fly the flag for the sake of political correctness, stating that it is “offensive” to certain groups. However, they fail to mention that it is not offensive to the majority. Some special interest groups are striving to erase our history, which I find offensive. The following article tells about some of the history behind the illustrious Mississippi state flag. It should be flown with honor and pride, but certain groups are trying to tear it down.

Aviation in Mississippi: Flying to the South Pole

This framed state flag and piece of Aquarius netting were flown aboard the troubled Apollo 13 mission to the moon. The inscription reads, “To the People of the State of Mississippi / This Mississippi flag and Aquarius netting were flown to the Moon on Apollo 13 by a fellow Mississippian. / April 11-17, 1970” and it is signed by Fred W. Haise.

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From the Museum Division Collection, Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Fred Haise was born in Biloxi on November 14, 1933. He graduated from Biloxi High School and received an Association of Arts Degree at Perkinston Junior College before going to the University of Oklahoma. An experienced pilot, Haise was one of sixteen men chosen to be astronauts by NASA in April 1966. He served as the Lunar Module Pilot on the Apollo 13 mission to the moon. Fifty-five hours into the flight, there was a failure of the service module cryogenic oxygen system, and Haise and his fellow crewmen converted the lunar module “Aquarius” into a lifeboat which ensured their survival and allowed them to return safely back to Earth.

http://mdah.state.ms.us/senseofplace/tag/museum-of-mississippi-history/page/2/

 

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08 Sep 2016

Cover Reveal for A Rebel Among Us

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Here it is! I am so excited about the artwork on the cover of my new novel! The book is due out on September 20, so please join me for a book launch party from 2-4 p.m. I will post a link to the Facebook page next week.

Many thanks to Foundations, LLC for publishing my novel. I would also like to thank Dawné Dominique for her magnificent artwork, as well as the J.D.R. Hawkins Books Team. I couldn’t have done this without you!

The book will be available for pre-orders in a few days. I will keep you posted about this as well.

Thanks so much for your support. Please let me know what you think!

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06 Sep 2016
2 Comments

Two More Days!

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I have been working frantically with my team at Foundations Books to get ready for my cover reveal this Thursday! Having taken the weekend off to celebrate my 35th wedding anniversary, I am now behind in writing up all the information they need to do a blog tour, make up a media kit and press release, and everything else involved. I also have to re-read my novel one last time to check for errors. So much to do in so little time!

It has been an awesome experience so far working with this great team of talented people. My two other books in the Renegade Series, A Beautiful Glittering Lie and A Beckoning Hellfire, were both self-published, so I had to do all the legwork myself. It is both an honor and a privilege to get to work with this publisher and the J.D.R. Hawkins Books team. Thanks everyone. I can’t wait until Thursday!

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01 Sep 2016

Cover Reveal in One Week!

I am so excited to announce my new novel, A Rebel Among Us, is near completion. The book is due to launch in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I would like to tell you about the book, as well as the process I went through to get it published.

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Originally, I wrote A Beckoning Hellfire after visiting the Gettysburg battlefield. Coming from Colorado, I had never seen an actual Civil War battlefield before, so as you can imagine how astounded I was. Silly me, I thought it would be the size of a football field. Far from it! Needless to say, after I experienced this event, I was inspired to write a novel about it, but not a typical Civil War novel about officers and presidents, or even Union soldiers, such as The Red Badge of Courage. No, my novel would be about a typical Southern soldier. So I chose to write about a Confederate cavalryman who originated from North Alabama near Huntsville (Ryan Crossroads, to be exact).

A Beautiful Glittering Lie Cover Art

I wrote my heart out, and by the time I was finished, I realized I had enough material for two novels, so I split the book in two. The second book became A Rebel Among Us. From there, I wrote a sequel, which has yet to be published. And then I went back and wrote a prequel to the story, which is titled A Beautiful Glittering Lie. So what started out as a single book became a series, which I call the Renegade Series. I intend to write a fifth novel in the series later on.

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The first two books in the Renegade Series were self-published. I also self-published A Rebel Among Us, but then I found a new hybrid publisher called Booktrope. This publisher provided me with an excellent team of talented people. We were just about to publish the book when the company folded. ARGH! So I had to start all over. Luckily, I had a contact through NaNoWriMo ( which stands for National Novel Writing Month and takes place every November). Because I had entered A Rebel Among Us in this contest, I learned of a new startup small publisher located in Mississippi. Enter Foundations, LLC, who loved my book and agreed to publish it. Finally, my book will see the light of day! Thank you Foundations!

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All of the books in the Renegade Series center on a family from North Alabama and how the war impacts them. For each novel, I spent about six months researching and six months writing. I traveled to the battlefields I wrote about, as well as the Pennsylvania countryside, where A Rebel Among Us primarily takes place. This book is a little different than the first two in the Renegade Series, because it involves more romance and less battle. I learned a lot along the way, received amazing help from many people, and had a blast writing the story. I can’t wait for it to come out and for you to get a chance to read it. Please tune in next Thursday for the big cover reveal. It is nothing less than awesome!

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