J.D.R. Hawkins

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

Archive for the tag “battle”

My Interview with Vanessa Kings

Recently, I was interviewed by blogger Vanessa Kings about my novels and my writing style. The interview follows:

Our guest this week is J.D.R. Hawkins she is the author of  A Beautiful Glittering Lie  among other books.

Please tell us a little about yourself and your latest book.
I am an award winning author who has had several titles published. My latest book is A Beautiful Glittering Lie. It is the first book in the Renegade Series.

How did you come up with the title of “A Beautiful Glittering Lie”?
The title is based off a quote from a Confederate soldier who fought in the Civil War. He referred to battle as a “glittering lie.” I loved that reference, so I expanded on it.

What is your favorite character of “A Beautiful Glittering Lie”?
My favorite character is David Summers, the son of a Confederate infantryman. Although he is obligated to stay at home, his longing for adventure leads him into trouble.

What genre do you enjoy writing the most and why?
Primarily, I write historical fiction. It is fascinating to research history and see what ghosts, secrets, and little known facts I can discover.

How would you describe your writing style?
I think my books are fast paced, easy, exciting reads.

What authors inspire your writing? Do you have a mentor?
Other authors who have inspired me include Stephen King, Gillian Flynn, Margaret Mitchell, J.K. Rowling and Charles Frazier. I don’t have a mentor.

What would you like to be if you weren’t a writer?
A musician and/or an artist. (I have music available on iTunes as Julie Hawkins)

What are you working on now?
My nonfiction book about the Civil War, Horses in Gray, will be published in a few months. I also have the third book in the Renegade Series coming out later this year.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up! Write every chance you get. Take classes, go to conferences and join a writing group. The more you immerse yourself in the craft, the better you will become.

If you have to choose only one book to keep, knowing the others would be destroyed, which one would you save?
The Holy Bible.

Thank you very much J.D.R. Hawkins for stopping by to answer our questions!

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150th Anniversary of the Battle of Bentonville

bville21

This weekend marked the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Bentonville. In commemoration, a reenactment of one of the last major battles of the Civil War took place near Four Oaks, North Carolina. The event also featured lectures, living history displays, sutlers’ tents, and soldier encampments. Thousands attended the event, which was expected to be the largest crowd to attend a Civil War reenactment in North Carolina.

The Battle of Bentonville took place near Four Oaks on March 19-21, 1865. Union General W.T. Sherman, on his rampage across the South, ripped through the state, dividing his army into two as it headed north from Fayetteville to Goldsboro. Confederate General Joseph Johnston tried to stop Sherman’s advance, but was unsuccessful when the two Union forces reunited. The battle led to Sherman’s ability to capture Raleigh on April 13.

Many spectators expressed their appreciation for the event, including Leon Dockery. “I’ve never been to a reenactment and I was curious about how that worked … I wanted (my children) to be exposed to more than what they may hear from me or read in a textbook,” he said.

Gettysburg Campaign Complete

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/974451574/gettysburg-campaign?ref=live

My Kickstarter Campaign, which I titled “Gettysburg Campaign,” has been completed. The reason for the campaign was so that I could create a book trailer for my Civil War novels, A Beautiful Glittering Lie and A Beckoning Hellfire. Both books are part of the Renegade Series. We traveled to Gettysburg over the 4th of July weekend, which was the 150th anniversary of the battle. While there, we videotaped the battles and took a bunch of still shots. Then we created the book trailer. It looks awesome! I was backed by the following list of people. I couldn’t have accomplished this momentous feat without you!

Special thanks to:

William Witt, Jim Sheehan, Stanley F. Kubiak, Debbie Ochsner, Adam Tarantino, Rich Sanchez, Jesse Hawkins, Leon Higley, Jane Shenks, Jeremy Ryan, Deb Tufts, Alan Simon, Robert Lathrop, and Christoph Wolf.  I would also like to thank Buzzbomb Studios for creating the book trailer, Wayne Henry Sound Studios for recording my original song, “Gray is the Rose,” and Donna Wolf for her magnificent violin performance on the track.  

Stay tuned! I will post the book trailer video to my site next week!

Gettysburg 150th

I’ve been meaning to post pictures of my trip to Gettysburg but didn’t get the chance until now. I’ll be posting more next week as well. Hope you enjoy them, and please don’t hesitate to make your remarks or post your questions! Thanks.

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Gettysburg 150th

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(J.E.B. Stuart posing with one of my books)

My trip to Gettysburg was amazing! I met so many great people there during the course of four days, including other authors, local celebrities, and reenactors. From what I was told, the event drew over 300,000 people. The battles were awesome, and the dance on Saturday night was so much fun!

While in the author’s tent, I met Jeff Shaara, as well as Dan Nance, whose painting is featured on the cover of one of my books. I also met Abraham Lincoln, General Robert E. Lee, General Custer, and General J.E.B. Stuart!

While at the reenactment, I obtained enough footage to make a book trailer or two for my Renegade Series. Thanks to everyone for your continued support! Because of you, I sold out of books and received numerous orders. The event was a huge success!

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