After completing a short story earlier this year, which goes along with the Renegade Series, I decided to switch gears and focus on finding an agent. Well, I’m here to tell you this is no small feat! In fact, it seems almost impossible. So far, I have sent query letters out to approximately 60 different agents, and gotten rejection letters from half of them. Some haven’t bothered responding at all. It’s very frustrating, to say the least. I’ve even received form letter rejections like this one:
“Thank you so much for querying me with your project. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel it was a good fit for my current list. As I’m sure you know, publishing is a subjective business and what isn’t right for me may be perfect for another agent or publisher. Please know I wish you all the best with your future endeavors.”
Are you kidding me? It makes me wonder if this agent even read my query and sample chapter. Although it’s less common, I have received reject letters with helpful (or what the agent thinks is helpful) suggestions on how to snag an agent.
I realize that getting rejections is all part of the process. That’s why I have been self-published for so long. As I’m sure you know, many famous authors got rejected at first, including Stephen King, Maya Angelou, Ray Bradbury, Judy Blume, J. K. Rowling, and Margaret Mitchell, just to name a few. Of course, they all eventually got picked up by an agent or publisher, and the rest is history.
My husband knew an author in Ft. Collins, Colorado, who had received so many reject letters that he said he wallpapered his bathroom with them. Not a bad idea! After much perseverance, he participated in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, made millions, and started his own newspaper. Now that’s inspiring!
Even though it is ego deflating and exasperating at times, I’m still determined to persist with the hope that, some day, I’ll find an agent. Wish me luck! (And thanks for allowing me to vent.)
The favorable reviews just keep coming! Here are a few more five-star reviews for my novel, A Rebel Among Us, which is the third book in the Renegade Series. Thank you so much, everyone, for your awesome reviews!
A Rebel Among Us is a terrific novel about the Civil War period. J. D. R. Hawkins is a fantastic author that brings the characters to life thanks to her vivid descriptions. The emotions really pop and are a great catalyst for all the action around it. I really enjoyed reading it.
A historical novel about the Civil War, book 3 of the series. It is a well-written fictionalized history tale about a man that has been wounded in action and is picked up by four sisters that helped him to become healthy again, one of them asked him for a favor and now he is living a big dilemma about helping the one that saved him or not because he will be seen as a traitor. Captivating story with a well-defined background and well-described characters. I think is better to read books 1 and 2 first, but this can be understood without them.
A Rebel Among Us by JDR Hawkins is book three in the Renegade series. You should absolutely pick up these books in order for the best experience. In this one, David Summers is being nursed back to health when he learns his Confederate brothers left him in Pennsylvania after Gettysburg. He has to decide if he’ll try to blend in to help a friend or if he’ll make his way back home. I have enjoyed this series and this book. If you are looking for a great historically set novel series with a wonderful plot, I can’t recommend this one enough.
A Rebel Among Us is a powerful and well-written novel written by J.D.R. Hawkins. Set during the Civil War era, a Confederate soldier by the name of David Summers was found injured and bleeding by a group of girls, who take him in and mend him back to health. A love story between David and one of the girls, Anna, develops, which comes with its own set of challenges. Hawkins did a fabulous job of making the characters relatable, as well as really making this historical timeframe detailed and realistic. Would highly recommend!
I have recently received more five-star reviews for my novel, A Rebel Among Us, which is the third book in the Renegade Series. Thank you so much for the reviews! (The one about the sci-fi trilogy cracks me up!)
“A Rebel Among Us: A Novel of the Civil War,” is the third book in the “Renegade Series” by author J.D.R. Hawkins. Fans of historical fiction and history as a whole are sure to enjoy this exceptionally well-written story and series. The plotline truly is imaginative and captivating, and you will find yourself thoroughly immersed with each and every turn of the page.
A rebel among us is a gripping tale of love and war set in the American Civil War. The author does an excellent job of creating a believable historical context, while still crafting a compelling romance that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The characters are well-developed and the plot is filled with unexpected twists and turns. The tension between David and Anna is palpable, and you can’t help but root for them, even though their love is forbidden. If you’re a fan of historical romance or just love a good love story set against the backdrop of war, this book is definitely worth checking out.
A fabulous third edition to the mind-blowing sci-fi trilogy. The protagonist wakes up to a new reality and finds himself under the care of four estranged nurses. How the story progresses from this point onwards makes the central plot of the story. It’s one of the best sci-fi thrillers out there with equally amazing additions. I would highly recommend all sci-fi lovers grab a copy of this amazing saga and get immersed in the mysterious world. A must-one to have!
A Rebel Among Us is a story that mixes many genres; it starts like a war novel and then transcends into a complex romantic story. It’s a great book to sit and analyze, the writing of J.D.R Hawkins continues to be intriguing, being this one the third of a fantastic series.
A Rebel Among Us is an excellent novel written by J.D.R. Hawkins. It is book number three in The Renegade series and it tells the story of David Summers and his internal fight between love and duty. This is an interesting book with a compelling plot and captivating characters. I enjoyed it a lot and I strongly recommend it.
The writing of this book is a mix between elements of a mysterious story and historical facts. The premise is well thought and the narrative is full of details about the time and setting. The character development is good and it’s really easy to get involved in the reading. I recommend all of J.D.R Hawkins adventures to all readers. Enjoy!
I’m going to start by saying that this fiction fascinated me. The characters are exceptional and the plot super entertaining. I loved how the author put all that together to create a great saga. I look forward to reading more books by this author. I definitely recommend this complete saga.
My novel, A Rebel Among Us, has received numerous reviews lately. (This book is the third one in the Renegade Series.) Here is a five-star review I received recently. Thank you, Mr. Grady Harp, for your flattering review!
Author/singer/songwriter JDR Hawkins writes novels and articles for newspapers, magazines, e-zines and blogs about the Civil War from the Confederate perspective. Her RENEGADE Series is rapidly winning multiple awards and there are four volumes – DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD, A BEAUTIFUL GLITTERING LIE, A BECKONING HELLFIRE, and this volume A REBEL AMONG US. These novels relate the story of a family from northern Alabama who experience immeasurable pain when their lives are dramatically changed by the war.
At this particular time in our history, when questions are being raised about the validity of statues and memorabilia of the Civil War, creating heated discussions and confrontations, this book offers a fresh view of the Civil War from the Southern, and Confederate, stance. Hawkins makes this revisit to the Confederate South lively with her eloquent prose as she opens this volume: “Anna!” She dropped the darning in her lap. Her sister called her name again, this time with more urgency. Springing form the rocker, Anna ran from the room and scurried down the wooden staircase. Maggie clung to the newel post. “There’s someone in the barn!” That degree of dramatic intensity makes this novel ring.
The plot is outlined as follows: ‘David Summers never expected any of this…not in a million years. He thought for sure he was a goner. After leaving Alabama and enlisting with the cavalry, his delusion of chivalry was suddenly quashed when he saw for himself the horrors of battle. Now, after being shot and ending up at a strange farmhouse, he’s found himself being nursed back to health by four beautiful girls, and has learned that his Confederate brethren have deserted him in Pennsylvania after fighting at Gettysburg. It’s more than he can fathom. On top of that, he’s been presented with an even bigger dilemma. He knows he’s falling in love with the older sister, Anna, and she has enticed him with an interesting proposition. However, her scheme goes against his principles, and the reasons why he enlisted in the first place – to avenge his father’s death and defend his sacred homeland. To David’s dismay, he must make a decision. Should he stay and help Anna with her underhanded plan, deceiving everyone around him by pretending to be a Yankee? If discovered, he would be considered a traitor to the cause, and she could be in jeopardy of treason. Or should he leave the farm, say goodbye to her, and risk certain capture? Either way, his perilous situation doesn’t seem to offer an encouraging outcome. If that isn’t bad enough, Anna’s neighbor, a Union officer, is in love with her, too, and he would stop at nothing to have David arrested … or worse.’ This is a timely novel that will hopefully add new dimensions of thinking about the Civil War and its persistent scars.
I received this five-star review from Hollywood Book Reviews for my novel, A Beautiful Glittering Lie. This is the first book in the Renegade Series. Thank you so much, Christina Avina, for your awesome review!
Title: A Beautiful Glittering Lie: A Novel of the Civil War (Book One of The Renegade Series)
Author: J.D.R. Hawkins
Publisher: Westwood Books Publishing
ISBN: 978-1643619941
Pages: 199
Genre: Military Historical Fiction
Reviewed by: Christina Avina
Hollywood Book Reviews
Throughout the history of the United States, one of the few wars ever fought on American soil, as well as one of the bloodiest and most heart wrenching, was the American Civil War. The battle that was fought between brothers, fathers, and sons not only saw battle lines drawn between the Northern and Southern states, but saw a major
impact on the homes and lives of everyday families on both sides of the war, something not seen in the United States since the country’s founding.
In author J.D.R. Hawkins’s A Beautiful Glittering Lie: A Novel of the Civil War, the author showcases this struggle for both the soldiers and the families they left behind back at their homes as the Civil War bloomed large over the nation. When the patriarch for an Alabama family goes off to fight on the front lines, he must face the brutality of war while his family is left to struggle with their land, their family life, and the horrors of war which threaten to come to their doorstep. Meanwhile, the son of the father who left to fight in the war dreams of the idealized version of patriotism that so many believed in, but soon he and his father are treated to the grim realities the war brought on as violence and emotional turmoil drove fear straight into their lives.
The author did an incredible job of showcasing the tragedy and heartbreak of war in general, as well as the historical realities of the American Civil War. As this is the first in the author’s Civil War era historical fiction series, the author did an amazing job of crafting a narrative that did a wealth of world-building and backstory for the future of the series while making this specific narrative feel complete and well-rounded. The chilling nature of war and the impact this war had on individual families, especially those families left behind in the Southern States who were not part of the wealthy elite and higher officers who fought for the power and ethical issues that the Civil War is best known for today, was felt gravely through both Hiram and his son David’s experiences.
This is the perfect and most memorable read that a reader will experience for those who enjoy historical fiction series, especially those that enjoy American history and in particular the American Civil War. This will also resonate with those who enjoy historical fiction that focuses both on the history and the development of both the physical and emotional journey that the cast of characters involved in this particular point in history experience. The intimacy and thought-process of those who not only fought in the war but experienced life back at home, and those who had to fight to differentiate the propaganda and idealism of war from the realities it often brings. Bone-chillingly real, emotionally-driven, and thought-provoking, author J.D.R. Hawkins’s A Beautiful Glittering Lie is a must-read novel for those who enjoy historical fiction and glimpses at life during the American Civil War. The heartbreak and horrors that these characters experience showcase a theme that plays out so sophisticatedly throughout this narrative, which is that in war in general, but the Civil War in particular, there was no winner and loser involved. When blood is shed and we are forced to fight our fellow man, we all lose.
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!
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!
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.
J.D.R. Hawkins 