About the Book:
After David Summers enlists with the Confederate cavalry, his delusion of chivalry is soon crushed when he witnesses the horrors of battle. Shot by a Union picket, he winds up at a stranger’s farm. Four girls compassionately nurse him back to health. David learns his comrades have deserted him in Pennsylvania following the Battle of Gettysburg, but his dilemma becomes much worse. He falls in love with the older sister, Anna, who entices him with a proposition. To his dismay, he must make a decision. Should he stay and help Anna with her underhanded plan, or return to the army and risk capture?
Buy Links:
Goodreads * Amazon
Interview:
When did you decide to become a writer?
I didn’t actually decide to become a writer. It just sort of happened. I have been writing all my life, and started when I was around four or five. At first, I wrote simple songs, and then I graduated to poetry and short stories. I have written several children’s books, a few Young Adult novels, and now, I have had three full-length novels published.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I would like to become a best-selling author and acquire more speaking engagements. I have spoken from time to time, but not since my new novel came out. I would also like to win more awards, acquire more reviews, and become more renowned in the book industry.
Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
David Summers is a teenager from Alabama. After his father is killed, he enlists with the cavalry. But after being wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg, he is left for dead by the Confederate army. With the help of some neighboring farm girls, he survives, but now he is in a far more dangerous predicament. He has to choose between escaping back into Virginia and leaving his horse behind, or going along with the girls’ plan to disguise himself, which makes him extremely uncomfortable.
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
I usually start writing in the afternoon/evening. I write for several hours, and then I take a break. After that, I go over what I wrote. I am a night owl, so I’m typically up until one or two o’clock in the morning.
Where do the ideas come from?
I get ideas from nature, from articles and stories I’ve read, and from other people. Ideas can generate from just about anywhere if you look hard enough.
Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?
Mostly, I work from an outline, but that is the general plot. It isn’t unusual for several subplots to pop up that I didn’t anticipate. The characters take on personalities of their own, and sometimes re-write the plot as well.
Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
Don’t be afraid to just sit down and write about the first thing that comes into your head. Or do word association games and see where that leads. Pick out several words from the dictionary and try to connect them. Or read the news and see if there are any stories that might be worth pursuing.
What can we expect from you down the line?
I have a nonfiction book coming out next year about Confederate warhorses. I am also working on the fourth book in the Renegade Series.
About the Author:
J.D.R. Hawkins is an award-winning author who has written for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, e-zines, and blogs. 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, A Beckoning Hellfire, and A Rebel Among Us. All three novels are award winners, and tell the story of a family from north Alabama who experience immeasurable pain when their lives are dramatically changed by the war. 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 singer/songwriter. Ms. Hawkins is currently working on a nonfiction book about the War Between the States, as well as another sequel to her series.
Contact the Author:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * Goodreads * Amazon
Other Books in the Series:
Buy Links:
Goodreads * Amazon
Interview:
When did you decide to become a writer?
I didn’t actually decide to become a writer. It just sort of happened. I have been writing all my life, and started when I was around four or five. At first, I wrote simple songs, and then I graduated to poetry and short stories. I have written several children’s books, a few Young Adult novels, and now, I have had three full-length novels published.
What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I would like to become a best-selling author and acquire more speaking engagements. I have spoken from time to time, but not since my new novel came out. I would also like to win more awards, acquire more reviews, and become more renowned in the book industry.
Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
David Summers is a teenager from Alabama. After his father is killed, he enlists with the cavalry. But after being wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg, he is left for dead by the Confederate army. With the help of some neighboring farm girls, he survives, but now he is in a far more dangerous predicament. He has to choose between escaping back into Virginia and leaving his horse behind, or going along with the girls’ plan to disguise himself, which makes him extremely uncomfortable.
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
I usually start writing in the afternoon/evening. I write for several hours, and then I take a break. After that, I go over what I wrote. I am a night owl, so I’m typically up until one or two o’clock in the morning.
Where do the ideas come from?
I get ideas from nature, from articles and stories I’ve read, and from other people. Ideas can generate from just about anywhere if you look hard enough.
Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?
Mostly, I work from an outline, but that is the general plot. It isn’t unusual for several subplots to pop up that I didn’t anticipate. The characters take on personalities of their own, and sometimes re-write the plot as well.
Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
Don’t be afraid to just sit down and write about the first thing that comes into your head. Or do word association games and see where that leads. Pick out several words from the dictionary and try to connect them. Or read the news and see if there are any stories that might be worth pursuing.
What can we expect from you down the line?
I have a nonfiction book coming out next year about Confederate warhorses. I am also working on the fourth book in the Renegade Series.
About the Author:
Her Renegade Series includes A Beautiful Glittering Lie, A Beckoning Hellfire, and A Rebel Among Us. All three novels are award winners, and tell the story of a family from north Alabama who experience immeasurable pain when their lives are dramatically changed by the war. 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 singer/songwriter. Ms. Hawkins is currently working on a nonfiction book about the War Between the States, as well as another sequel to her series.
Contact the Author:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * Goodreads * Amazon
Other Books in the Series:
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