As promised last week, I have big news I’d like to share. My latest novel, Double-Edged Sword, has received the recognition of receiving the 2023 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award. This award is given annually (if there is a worthy recipient) by the Military Order of the Stars and Bars.
According to their website, “The Military Order of the Stars and Bars is the only Confederate heritage organization founded by Confederate Veterans. In 1938 in Columbia, South Carolina, fifteen former Confederate officers, twenty-six sons, and twenty-one grandsons of Confederate officers gathered to organize the Order. Included in this group were the sons and grandsons of six general officers; subsequently the sons and grandsons of an additional thirteen general officers also joined the Order. Initially membership was restricted to lineal descendants of a qualifying Confederate. Later the Order invited those with collateral relationships to Confederate officers or government officials to join.
“Each year the Order gives back to our country. We award college scholarships and recognize outstanding teachers through our Teacher of the Year program. We recognize outstanding authors who write about our Southern heritage. We also donate money to other heritage organizations to help them with their own heritage projects.
“We are mindful of the nearly one-million Americans who died in this conflict as well as those who survived it. Our mission is to perpetuate the idealism that animated the Confederate Cause and to honor the courage, devotion and endurance of those who dedicated their lives and services during four years of devastating war, and who, throughout the dreadful decade of reconstruction, labored heroically for the restoration of self-government as the most precious heritage of the American Revolution.”
This is a very tremendous honor, and I am once again humbled to receive the award. Thank you very much, MOSB, for choosing my novel as the recipient of the 2023 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award.
This week, I was notified by Feedspot.com that my blog is one of the fifteen best Civil War book blogs and websites. That’s amazing! Thank you for the distinction, Feedspot!
In other news, I was also notified by Facebook that I have achieved rising creator status. Thank you for the distinction, Facebook!
I want to thank you for subscribing to my blog and following me on Facebook, Twitter, etc. (All of the links to my pages can be found on the “About the Author – Contact” page on my website.) Without your continuing support, I could never have achieved any of these things.
Stay tuned … I have BIG news next week about my most recent novel, Double-Edged Sword!
Being part of Angel’s Halo MC was exactly like being part of a family. A scary, powerful, crazy family. There are rules, just as there are in every family and every society. But only breaking one specific rule will leave you in a broken, bloody pile on the floor…
From WSJ & USA Today Bestselling Author Terri Anne Browning comes the final segment of the Angel’s Halo Collection.
The Angel’s Halo MC have joined forces with the Vitucci Mafiosos to overcome a world determined to set itself on fire.
Suspense, intrigue, warring families, loss, and redemption, fill the pages barreling toward a finale that will leave you breathless.
From WSJ & USA Today Bestselling Author Terri Anne Browning comes the final segment of the Angel’s Halo Collection. The Angel’s Halo MC have joined forces with the Vitucci Mafiosos to overcome a world determined to set itself on fire. Suspense, intrigue, warring families, loss, and redemption, fill the pages barreling toward a finale that will leave you breathless.
Terri Anne Browning is a Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestselling author. She writes contemporary romance featuring rockers, bikers, and mafiosos–but mostly about the strong female characters who rule what has become known as the Rocker Universe.
Terri Anne lives in Virginia with her husband, their three demons–err, children– a Frenchie named Ciri and a chatty as-sin bird named Raven.
I had a wonderful surprise last weekend. My novel, A Beautiful Glittering Lie, moved up to number one on Amazon! This is the first book in the Renegade Series, which tells the story of a family from north Alabama, and how the Civil War impacts them.
The book held the number one spot in three categories over the weekend. What an accomplishment! Once again, I am an Amazon bestseller!
If you would like a free copy of the e-book, shoot me an email. I’m always looking for reviews!
Mia: Being pregnant and still angry at her father isn’t the best recipe for making the perfect wedding. Can Emmie work her magic to give her daughter the wedding she dreams of?
Nevaeh: Marrying Braxton is supposed to be the happiest moment of her life, but his parents have other plans for their son.
Arella: Her wedding to Jordan is all planned out, but the nightmares of what happened with her uncle continue to haunt her. Someone is still trying to torture her, but Garon Steel is dead. Who could be left that wants to hurt her?
Shaw: Will marrying her rocker be the small, intimate experience she’s hoping for? Or will the paparazzi turn it into a three-ring circus?
Doe: Why does it feel like everyone is planning her future…but her?
Trinity: After all the heartbreak she’s suffered, this wedding must go off without incident. She refuses to start her life with Jarrett anyway other than flawlessly.
Piper: Her childhood nemesis is now the love of her life. But all eyes are on the groom, making sure he doesn’t pull any of his old stunts and break her heart. Everything has to go perfectly, or her parents will make sure Cannon loses more than just his freedom.
“We invited you here to get to know one another a little better,” Lana said in a cool tone. “But I’ll have the waiter show you out if you speak to my daughter like that again.”
“Your daughter is nothing but a home-wrecking little whore.” Mom’s gaze traveled up and down Lana’s slender body. With her hair free from gray and only a few lines on her face, she didn’t look like she should have an eighteen-year-old daughter. Hell, she looked more like Nevaeh’s older sister than her mom, but Lana had been in her twenties when they’d had their first of five children. “And I’m sure the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
“Ah, fuck,” Nevaeh whispered. “Things are about to get crazy.”
The words hadn’t fully left her mouth when her mom swung back and delivered a punch direct center to my mother’s face. My mom screamed in pain, while the entire restaurant seemed to gasp in shock as one. Blood poured out from around her fingers and splattered on her designer dress.
“If you ever call my child a whore again, a broken nose will be the least of your worries, bitch,” Lana seethed, shaking out her hand.
Drake grasped her hand, inspecting it for any damage she may have caused herself. Briefly, he lifted his head and snapped his fingers at a waiter. “Get my angel a bag of ice for her hand,” he commanded before turning his focus back on his wife’s already-bruising knuckles.
“You need to have a better rein on your wife, Stevenson,” my father grumbled.
Slowly, as if he were a predator capturing his prey in his sights, Drake turned his head and looked at Miles. I heard him gulp at the feral look in the rock legend’s blue-gray eyes. “I suggest you take your bitch wife and go, dickhead. Before I start spilling your dirty secrets here in this packed restaurant with people who know you.”
“Belinda,” Miles snapped. “Let’s go.”
Even holding her still-bleeding nose, my mother was able to toss her hair back and hmph as she walked past Lana. With a little growl, Lana started to grab for her, but Drake stepped into her path, lightly tightening his grip on her injured hand. “Easy, Angel. You already made your point.”
The waiter returned with the bag of ice—and the manager. “Sir, I’m afraid you and your party will have to leave, or I will be forced to call the police.”
“Gladly,” Drake gritted out. “If you allow trash like that in here, then I’m sure the food isn’t nearly as good as your accolades claim.”
“Sir,” the manager began again, a look of outrage on his face. “Please don’t make more of a scene.”
Carefully releasing Lana’s hand, Drake pulled out his wallet and extracted several bills. Tossing them on the table, he lifted his chin at the waiter who had brought the bag of ice. “For you, kid.”
—Hopelessly Devoted to Nevaeh
Terri Anne Browning is a Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestselling author. She writes contemporary romance featuring rockers, bikers, and mafiosos–but mostly about the strong female characters who rule what has become known as the Rocker Universe.
Terri Anne lives in Virginia with her husband, their three demons–err, children– a Frenchie named Ciri and a chatty as-sin bird named Raven.
Top 5 Questions
Q: How do you “dress down?” Favorite fuzzy slippers? Add a pic!
A: An anime or oversized shirt with anime pajama pants. Sometimes a cardigan or hoodie.
Q: What hobbies do you have?
A: Reading is top of the list. But I also am huge into watching Turkish, K-Dramas, and C-Dramas. I prefer those over American TV.
Q: Who is your closest adult friend, and how do you relate to them?
A: My husband is my best friend. Maybe because we were friends before we started dating. But he is the one I trust the most with every dark secret and every deep emotion I feel. He’s my rock, the one who holds me up when I don’t have the energy or the will to stand on my own.
Q: What bands do you like? Do you even pay attention?
A: My playlist is a little bit of everything…except country. For some reason, I just can’t stand country at the moment. Bands like No Resolve, Anthony Mossburg, BTS, Sia, and Citizen Soldier are just a few off the top of my head that are always playing while I’m working.
Q: What do you find most relaxing? (Not as in stress relief, but as something that actually calms you down.)
A: My husband’s touch. I can be having a hard time, the weight of the world crushing down on me, then he touches my hand, it all just fades away, and I can breathe again.
After setbacks one after the other at a young age, Dhaval Sonsoil accidentally stumbles upon a glimpse of enlightenment. In his childhood dreams, he sees visions of what he calls the void, the place of nothingness but, conversely, all-knowing. Challenged by a domineering father and pulled by emotions for a young peasant girl he is forbidden to see, Dhaval quickly learns that, enlightened or not, we can’t always get what we want. Ever persevering, Dhaval embarks on a quest for illumination in the modern world. But in doing so, he embarks on something much more profound: a search for paradise on Earth with coming-of-age philosophy to celebrate life in every moment for everyone in this majestic world.
I always thought enlightenment was no more than a fairy tale. I assumed that to achieve it, one had to grow old in a mountain cave, meditate under a Bodhi tree, or be delirious enough to hear the sound of one hand clapping. Now I have come to realize that it’s something much simpler. Enlightenment is just another word for love, true and selfless love that enables people to experience joy in all situations in every moment of their life.
And yet, love has become a dirty word. Many will tell you it’s complicated and messy, that it gets sticky, that it distracts you from purity, that it can be done right, and it can be done wrong. Others will tell you that love is a chemical process in the brain and nothing more. And if you search for it any more profound than that, you’ll be waiting for a long like a person waiting to hear the sound of a tree falling in a forest that makes no sound.
And, yet, if you ask any two random lovers—I’m talking about the true lovers, not the Hollywood or Bollywood version, but two lovers that eat at each other’s snot and scent each other’s breath, who want to be in each other’s skin, not just be with each other—about enlightenment. They’ll tell you they don’t care. As far as they’re concerned, they’ve already found the answer, and it’s this: all you need is true and selfless love. That kind of love makes lovers feel content to stay with each other in every moment of their life, run through deserts and sail oceans, and climb mountains, because what else is there worth finding? They’ve experienced what they’ve been looking for, the joy of living, experiencing the depth of love, the catalyst, the glue that binds all creation from time immemorial, now and forever.
If I sound like a guru, I’m not. I was confused not just by love, but by life itself for most of my life. Sure, I read about enlightenment in books and saw it mentioned in films. Sometimes it was called moksha, illumination, and other times an ecstasy pill. Some others called it living joyfully every day without any worries for tomorrow! But either way, it was always something cryptic, an abstract idea people threw about at meditation retreats, seminars, and in ‘spirituality’ or ‘austerity’ or ‘postmodern art’ workshops, but inevitably made at least one person feel uneasy because big words meant significant opinions.
Would enlightenment mean having an encyclopedia inside your head? Or was it more a case of being able to project the past and the future like a film reel of dinosaurs and nebulas upon the back of one’s mind? Or, then again, was it more an aesthetic thing? A glowing halo and a white tunic? Was that all it was? Just an image? A pretense? Or knowing and understanding how to live a joyful life at all times in all circumstances? Is it an idea of something that didn’t exist but people clung on to because of sheer fear, fear of being a conscious presence in a universe that is nothing more than a black vacuum of black holes and giant spinning orbs, one of which we found ourselves stuck to, thanks to that miraculous and very convenient force we call gravity?
But I was never interested in what others wanted to tell me about enlightenment. I wanted to see it for myself. You know, I’ve always only ever wanted the truth. Absolute, not relative truth. Black coffee, no sugar truth, truth beyond illusion. Release from insanity. Release from chaos. Freedom from daily pain, struggles, and disappointments of life—release from greed for power and wealth. Escape from intolerance, violence, and desires of the world.
Did I find it? I’ll let you be the judge. Because who am I to tell you what you should think anyway? Who am I to tell you what the meaning and purpose of your life are? Too many people in this world are convinced they have theanswers. The world has become too loud, too distorted to hear gentle and absolute truths. I don’t think you’ll believe what I have to say even if I do tell you. You have to see it for yourself. You have to experience it for yourself! And isn’t that the whole idea of the one hand clapping and the tree falling in the forest, making no sound?
The answer is simple. As soon as you try to explain enlightenment or the joyful living in every situation in every moment of life, you have lost it, just like you try to clap with one hand, but you will not make a sound.
Retired Navy SEAL Ryan Hunter is adjusting to his new civilian life.
Bored out of his mind, a steamy night on the dance floor leaves him hopeful about the future until he finds out the Blue-eyed beauty is Ivy, the little sister of one of his best friends.
Vince makes it clear he doesn’t want Ryan anywhere near his little sister, but when Ivy’s life is threatened, Ryan is the only one he can trust to keep her safe.
The waters rise and boil as Ryan tries to keep it professional, as they are thrust into the seedy criminal world of Seattle, where things are not what they seem. When the secrets that have been surrounding them come crashing down, they must be careful who they choose as their allies. As the battle begins, they will have to fight for their lives, but when the dust settles, not everyone may be left standing.
Neffie Rae lives in Utah with the love of her life and soulmate. Together they have three beautiful kids and one fur baby. Neffie has a deeply rooted love of reading and telling stories. She’s always been one to be making up stories from all sources of inspiration. She wrote her first short story at nine and hasn’t been able to give it up.
Outside of reading, she’s a bit of a hermit and has a great love of nature and animals of all kinds. Stick her in a small cabin in the mountains by the water, and she’s in heaven. Music has always been a mistress in her life. Give her a soulful tune, and she’ll spin you a story of love, passion, or heartache.
Everyone knew that when she stepped up to the crease, she always came out swinging…
Tara Wadhwa, Captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket team, was living the dream. She got to play the sport she loved and to live close to her friends, the family of her heart. But when her friends start to fall in love, a sliver of loneliness works its way into her heart pushing her to make a reckless mistake. Nikhil Upadhyay, owner of a pristine reputation and the nation’s best fixer, is called in to save the day. Fix Tara’s reputation and babysit her till she brings home the World Cup. A dream assignment for a man who otherwise spent way too much time cleaning up far messier situations. Until he met his newest client and the dream turned into a nightmare… Can Tara work past her childhood grooming to see that there could be a life beyond the game? Can Nikhil see the value of the girl behind the polished façade he was working on presenting to the world? And will the two of them ever stop fighting long enough to allow their simmering attraction a chance to come out and play?
For when the Bad Girl met the Good Boy, she realised, that just this once, she wanted to let her inner ‘wicked’ out to play. And we all know what happens when Tara Wadhwa steps up to the crease…
“Tara, this is beyond damage control. For the next few months, you will do whatever Nikhil asks you to do. No arguments, no semantics.” The weight of what they were asking of me started to press down on my shoulders, but I just squared them and tried to act unaffected by it all. Like I always did. Like I always would. No one needed to know what it cost me. Not because I was ashamed of it but because they didn’t care. “Okay,” I murmured, letting my public persona slide back into place. My tiny spurt of rebellion had been duly squashed. Now it was time to make amends. My entire future, my entire life was at stake. Because I was nothing without this game. “When do we begin?” “Now.” Manisha said, moving towards the door. “Now?” Panic flared inside me as I stared at the door. “I haven’t even changed out of the clothes from last night’s fiasco or had a chance to wash up or-” “Tara.” Manisha’s firm voice cut off my rising hysteria. “He doesn’t care if you look a mess. That’s what he’s here for. This is his job. To clean up the mess. All of it.” Like I was what a puppy had pooped out in the middle of the living room rug. And this nerdy looking guy was going to clean it up and hide the evidence. Temper was starting to spark again eating into my resolve to be well behaved. Wonderful. I’d lasted all of five minutes and I hadn’t even met this fixer guy yet. How was I going to keep this up for months? “Now,” Manisha said. “I’m not going to say it again. Behave.” When had she said it before, I wondered, as the door opened almost in slow motion. And Black Suit walked in. My gaze travelled from his perfectly polished black shoes to his perfectly pressed black suit. Was he wearing the same outfit as his resume picture, or did he just own replicas of one outfit which he wore every day? God, this guy gave new meaning to the definition of nerd. And then my gaze rose further and met amused chocolate brown eyes set in a face that devoid of life had been ordinary but lit up with spark and laughter like it was right now… Hot nerd. Black Suit was a very hot nerd.
About the Author:
A published author with Harlequin India – Mills & Boon India Collection and Juggernaut, Shilpa Suraj’s books have hit both the Hot New Releases and Bestseller lists on Amazon. Her next novel, tentatively titled ‘Wrong,’ has been contracted by Rupa Publications and will release later this year. She is also part of the Flipped Anthology by Harper Collins and had an audiobook book Insta Reddy release with Storytel.
She is, amongst other things, currently working on ‘Frazzled and Fabulous,’ a humorous, true-to-life parenting story that is part memoir and part nonfiction.
An avid reader with a passion for creative writing and storytelling saw her participating in writing competitions at school and dabbling in copy writing for an ad agency as a teenager. Twenty years in the corporate space, including a stint in Corporate Communications for Google, India, and a spell at entrepreneurship all hold her in good stead for her multiple current roles of author, mother and Head of Human Resources & Public Relations at an architecture and interior design firm.
I came across this review for my novel, A Beckoning Hellfire, that I wanted to share. A Beckoning Hellfire is the second book in the Renegade Series, and tells the story of a family from north Alabama and how the war impacts them. A Beckoning Hellfire centers around the son, David Summers, as he enlists with J.E.B. Stuart’s Confederate cavalry. Thank you for the review, Scarlett Jensen!
A Beckoning Hellfire follows the same family as in her previous book, A Beautiful Glittering Lie. With her novels, you’re doing more than just reading; you experience. It is recommended to fiction lovers even if historical is not your favorite. You are transported into the human side of war.
The validity of war, as well as Hiram’s death in the Battle of Fredericksburg, motivates David to convince his best friend, Jake, to go with him and enlist in the Confederate army, more to avenge his father than for idealism.
Expressing horror, suffering and cruelty of war the author recounts the human side of this war. Historical facts that mix with a look into how the war is seen from the eyes of a young soldier, tell the story of a family from north Alabama. But what a cruel thing is war. To separate and destroy families and friends and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world. To fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world…My heart bleeds at the death of every one of our gallant men. —Robert E. Lee, letter to his wife, December 25, 1862.
Things taken for granted before: Impending darkness engulfed David’s heart. Feeling the need for solitude, “I’ve heard tales as many as half a dozen from this county alone, died fighting with Hiram.”
Resentment and hostility simmered throughout the county. The Northern invaders had taken David’s father, and all he could think about was his own vendetta.
Excerpt:
“Fightin’ for the grand ole Southland. And of you. He talked about you all the time, David. How much of a man you’d become, and how you hoped it would last long enough to see his intentions through. I see it, you’re the next of your pa’s kin to pay for his mistake.”
What with the Yankees breathin’ down our necks? David plans to join the army. “What about the crops? Jake will git in with the cavalry. Ma, how will we kill any Yankees ? God’s purpose is something different from the purpose of either party – and yet the human instrumentalities, working just as they do, are of the best adaptation to affect His purpose. Ma’s voice softened his heart and calmed him, like an angelic phenomenon.
David wanted a chance to avenge Pa’s death. He had already committed a murder. Captured before he reached Virginia, runnin’ from, he thought to himself. He would run away for now, fight for his father’s honor, and deal with this whole awakening in the people of the highest emotions and qualities of the human soul.
We have a tale demonstrating the strife cultivating feelings of patriotism, virtue, and courage. Instances of self-sacrifice and of generous soldiers of the Confederate States of America, to give an oath of allegiance.
For David, this could be the last time he’d ever see Alabama again. He already felt homesick. David was on the run. Was Jake an accomplice to a murder by David?
The war: Yankees had exhilaration in their hearts that bubbled out into hilarity. Some damn Yankee tyrants, men in combat screamed, slashed, and cursed. Bullets whizzed, and thousands of hooves thundered. This story reminds you of the glorious land of Dixie, and proves that they were of noble race and lineage In the history of the country.
I received an awesome review last week for my novel, Double-Edged Sword, from Diabolic Shrimp. If you are unaware of Diabolic Shrimp, it is a website run by Josh Grant to advertise his books, and post reviews of other books as well. He also does many wonderful things, including helping to fund ocean exploration, supporting UNICEF and homeless single moms, and numerous other humanitarian interests. He has a line of comic books that he writes too, so check out his website!
Double-Edged Sword
JDR Hawkins
JDR Hawkins brings us a really interesting and human look at the Reconstruction era with Double-Edged Sword! With the end of the Civil War, ex Confederate David Summers returns to a war torn home and begins to attempt to pick up the pieces. But when a confrontation erupts with an old enemy, David is forced to stand trial. Hawkins always brings the past to life so vividly and seamlessly, and seeing Reconstruction through David and his family’s eyes was very deep and intriguing! I especially found the court case and the arguments around fairness in a postwar Union to be particularly fascinating, and I honestly had to keep flipping forward to figure out what would become of David! If you love historic fiction, the Civil War era, or even court dramas, definitely dive back into the deep South with Double-Edged Sword!
