I received this review for my novel, A Beautiful Glittering Lie, which is the first book in the Renegade Series. The books describe the trials and tribulations of several families torn apart by the Civil War. This review is so flattering! Thank you very much, Glenda, Charlie and David Cates, for your astounding review!
Leave a Comment / By Glenda C. / April 12, 2024
I would like to share a new book that could be described as a Historical Drama which I received a PDF copy of from Voracious Readers in exchange for this review. The new book is called A Beautiful Glittering Lie: A Novel of the Civil War (The Renegade Series Book 1) written by J.D.R. Hawkins. Inside this post are post are my affiliate links if you click on the links and make a purchase I will make a small percentage from the products you purchase.
Finding a book about the Civil War isn’t something I would personally choose to read but the other day I was missing my dad and my Uncles and I knew if they have been here they might have chosen to read A Beautiful Glittering Lie: A Novel of the Civil War (The Renegade Series Book 1 so I requested a copy and was surprised to find out this is book one in a series.
I’m glad I read the book because it has allowed me to share information with my son Charlie in his Homeschool History Class and even my husband David has been flipping through the book and David has started to read it. As for the other books in the series I do plan on getting them to read as well.
The story is about Hiram the father of three from North Alabama who decides to enlist in the War which was the end of everything he had known. His son David stays home looking for adventures. Caroline Hiram’s wife and David’s mother struggles to keep up with the farm as her world revolves around letters from her husband,
Hiram and David discover the true meaning of War and they realize there choices have torn the family apart. In the book is family drama along with suspense. I could see A Beautiful Glittering Lie: A Novel of the Civil War (The Renegade Series Book 1 being turned into a tv mini series and anyone who is a fan of the Civil War should take the time to read this series.
About the book:
In the Spring of 1861, a Country once united is fractured by war. Half of America fights for the Confederate cause; the other, for unification. Rebel forces have already seized Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines, a new Confederate president has been elected, and the Constitution has been revised. In north Alabama, a farmer and father of three decides to enlist. For Hiram Summers, it is the end of everything he has ever known.
After Hiram travels to Virginia with the Fourth Alabama Infantry Regiment, he is quickly thrust into combat. His son, David, who must stay behind, searches for adventure at home by traipsing to Huntsville with his best friend, Jake Kimball, to scrutinize invading Yankees. Meanwhile, Caroline – Hiram’s wife and David’s mother – struggles to keep up with the farm as her world revolves around the letters she receives from her husband, whom she misses dearly. As Hiram and his son discover the true meaning of war, they soon realize that their choices have torn their family apart.
In this historical tale, the naïveté of a young country is tested, a father sacrifices everything to defend his home, and a young man longs for adventure – regardless of the perilous cost.
J.D.R. Hawkins is an Amazon, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author. She is one of a few female Civil War authors, uniquely describing the front lines from a Confederate perspective. Her “Renegade Series” includes “A Beautiful Glittering Lie,” winner of the 2013 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award and the 2012 B.R.A.G. Medallion. The sequel, “A Beckoning Hellfire,” is an Amazon bestseller and winner of the 2022 B.R.A.G. Medallion. “A Rebel Among Us,” the third book in the series, is the recipient of the 2017 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award and winner of the 2022 B.R.A.G. Medallion. “Double-Edged Sword,” the fourth book in the series, is the recipient of the 2023 B.R.A.G. Medallion and the 2023 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award.
These books tell the story of a family from north Alabama who experience immeasurable pain when their lives dramatically change from the war. Ms. Hawkins has published a nonfiction book about the War Between the States, titled “Horses in Gray: Famous Confederate Warhorses.” She has also published a short story, titled “A Becharmed Callie Christmas” to go with her “Renegade Series.” Ms. Hawkins is a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the International Women’s Writing Guild, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and Pikes Peak Writers. She is also an artist and a singer/songwriter.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates