About J.D.R. Hawkins:
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" is the newly-published, fourth book in the series. It is the recipient of the 2023 B.R.A.G. Medallion and the 2023 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award. These books, published by Westwood Books Publishing, LLC, tell the story of a family from north Alabama who experience immeasurable pain when their lives are dramatically changed by the war. Ms. Hawkins has published a nonfiction book about the War Between the States, titled "Horses in Gray: Famous Confederate Warhorses," with Pelican Publishing. She is a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the International Women's Writing Guild, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and Pikes Peak Writers. Ms. Hawkins is also an artist and a singer/songwriter. Learn more about her at http://jdrhawkins.com.
What inspires you to write?
I'm inspired to write when I see a story that needs to be told. In the case of the Renegade Series, I visited the battlefield in Gettysburg, PA. It occurred to me that there are few books written from the Confederate perspective, so that's why I decided to write the series.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
Geraldine Brooks, Charles Frazier, Margaret Mitchell
Tell us about your writing process.
Since I write historical fiction, I do a lot of research first. I create character sketches, which is essential since it is a series, so certain character traits have to be carried through to the next books. Then I outline the story, and after that, I start my first draft. By the time I'm finished, it usually takes me a year to complete a book.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I definitely listen to my characters. On occasion, they decide to change the entire plot, so I go along with that and rewrite the story. I use a lot of dialogue in my books, so I have to make sure the Southern inflections are correct and also accurate to the time period of the Civil War.
What advice would you give other writers?
Because I am primarily self-published, I would say to follow your dream and never give up. I've been writing for many years, and now I am an award winning, bestselling author.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I self-published the Renegade Series because I had more freedom to tell the story the way I wanted it to be told. I also have a nonfiction book about Confederate warhorses that is traditionally published.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think there are so many talented writers who are self-publishing that eventually they might push out the big five traditional publishers. I'm concerned how AI will influence the book industry, and whether it will be beneficial or a hinderance.
What genres do you write?: historical fiction, historical nonfiction
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
J.D.R. Hawkins Home Page Link
Link To J.D.R. Hawkins Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on Smashwords
Your Social Media Links
Goodreads
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
