I received a couple of emails recently in regard to my novel, A Beautiful Glittering Lie, that I would like to share with you. This is the first book in the Renegade Series, which tells the story of a family from north Alabama and how their lives are drastically changed by the Civil War. Here is the first email I received from Demi Brown:
Dear J.D.R.,
I’m reaching out because A Beautiful Glittering Lie is a powerful and thoughtfully rendered Civil War novel – one that captures not only the sweep of history, but the intimate human cost of a nation tearing itself apart.
What stands out most is the novel’s deeply personal focus. By anchoring the story in the Summers family, the war is never abstract or distant. Hiram’s decision to enlist, David’s yearning for adventure, and Caroline’s quiet endurance at home collectively portray how war fractures families long before it claims lives. The emotional weight of separation, uncertainty, and irreversible choice is felt on every page.
Your portrayal of naïveté – both personal and national – is especially compelling. The early ideals of honor and duty gradually give way to the brutal realities of combat, loss, and moral reckoning. Rather than romanticizing war, A Beautiful Glittering Lie examines how easily conviction can turn into devastation, and how the cost of belief is often paid by those left behind.
As the first book in The Renegade Series, the novel is well positioned for continued discovery. Its strong 4.5-star reception reflects how effectively it resonates with readers who value historically grounded fiction, layered characters, and narratives that explore the emotional consequences of war alongside its events.
Here is another email I recently received from Nathan Lewis:
Dear J.D.R. Hawkins,
Reading A Beautiful Glittering Lie felt like stepping into a meticulously painted panorama of the Civil War, where the Summers family serves as both lens and mirror for the nation’s turmoil. I was immediately drawn into the vivid world you crafted, where every emotion—fear, hope, grief, and courage—resonates with authenticity.
Hiram’s transformation from a peaceful farmer into a soldier entrenched in the brutal reality of war is both heart-wrenching and compelling. His internal struggles, mirrored by David’s youthful longing for adventure, embody the personal costs of a nation divided. The dual perspectives—those who march to battle and those who remain at home—give the story remarkable depth, particularly as seen through Caroline’s quiet endurance and emotional trials.
The realism in your depiction of battlefields, farm life, and the war’s lasting scars on families is striking. I was especially moved by the letters between Hiram and Caroline; they add a profoundly personal layer that underscores the intimate human experiences behind the historical events.
Overall, A Beautiful Glittering Lie masterfully blends historical accuracy with emotional storytelling. It stands as a powerful tribute to the sacrifices of everyday families during the Civil War, and I am eager to continue the Renegade Series to follow the journeys of these unforgettable characters.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like a PDF copy of this book to review. Thanks again for your ongoing support!
My novel, A Beautiful Glittering Lie, has a brand new book trailer! This features the first book in the Renegade Series, which tells the story of a family from north Alabama and how the Civil War impacts them. Let me know what you think! And please like my page on YouTube! Thank you so much!
Last week, I received another award for A Becharmed Callie Christmas. This time, the award is for the top ten favorite books chosen for December 2025. Here is a copy of the letter I received with it.
Hi Julie,
I’m happy to share that the award results are officially out
I want to sincerely congratulate you on the incredible work you put into your book. It was a pleasure to see how strongly it resonated with readers, your book has been selected as one of our Top 10 books readers loved during the December period, which is a wonderful achievement and something you should be very proud of.
Your dedication and storytelling truly stood out, and this recognition reflects the hard work you’ve invested in your writing journey…
Congratulations once again on this well-deserved recognition. I’m excited about what’s ahead for you and look forward to supporting you as we move forward.
Warm regards,
Marla Porter
Founder & Organizer: Austin Classics Book Club
Thank you so much, Marla, and the Austin Classics Book Club, for this honor!
As always, please like, share and follow me! I truly appreciate your ongoing support. Thank you so much!
Yesterday, I was informed that I am the recipient of the Top 1 and Best Author of the Month for December 2025. This award is given by the Boulder Bookaholics Book Club. The email I received is as follows:
Good morning dear JDR Hawkins,
On behalf of the Boulder Bookaholics Book Club, we are honored to extend our warmest congratulations to you on being recognized as Top 1 Literary Award Recipient and Best Author of the Month for December 2025.
This distinction was awarded after careful review and enthusiastic discussion among our readers and editorial members. Your book consistently stood out for its strong narrative, originality, and the meaningful way it engaged our community. It was not only well received but frequently discussed, recommended, and celebrated within our club an achievement that speaks volumes about the quality and impact of your work.
Beyond the literary merit of the book itself, we also appreciate your professionalism, responsiveness, and genuine engagement with our community. These qualities contributed greatly to our decision and reinforced why your work deserved top recognition. Your efforts aligned perfectly with the values we uphold as a literary community.
For these reasons, we are proud to name you our Top 1 Literary Honoree of 2025. Your accomplishment represents dedication, creativity, and excellence, and we are confident that your work will continue to reach and inspire even more readers ahead.
Please find your official award attached to this message. Once again, congratulations on this well-earned recognition. We truly appreciate your contribution to our club and thank you for sharing your outstanding work with us.
With sincere congratulations and appreciation,
Monica R. Founder Boulder Bookaholics Book Club
Thank you so much, Monica R. and the Boulder Bookaholics Book Club, for bestowing this honor on me!
I received this email from a fan in regard to my book, A Beautiful Glittering Lie, and wanted to share it with you. It is so flattering when I receive emails like this, and serves as validation that I must be doing something right! Thank you so much, Michelle, for your email!
Hi J.D.R.,
A Beautiful Glittering Lie is a haunting and intimate portrait of the American Civil War not through the lens of generals and politics, but through the quiet heartbreak of an ordinary Southern family. You strip away the grandeur often attached to the era and expose the human cost of conviction, loyalty, and loss.
The novel’s strength lies in its restraint. Instead of glorifying the battlefield, you turn readers’ attention to the fractured emotions that ripple through every letter, every goodbye, every silence. The Summers family’s story becomes the story of a nation learning that ideals, however noble, can exact unbearable prices.
Highlights of Impact
Deeply personal storytelling that humanizes a vast historical conflict.
Vivid depictions of both battlefield chaos and domestic endurance.
Emotional resonance through authentic voices each character carrying a different truth about war and love.
Positioning & Reader Appeal
Ideal for readers of Cold Mountain and The Killer Angels who crave historical fiction rooted in empathy and realism.
Appeals to those who seek Civil War stories told from the heart rather than the history books.
Perfect for book clubs drawn to moral complexity and generational conflict.
Marketing Opportunities
Emphasize the emotional intimacy of the narrative: “The Civil War as seen through one family’s eyes.”
Create visual posts or reels pairing poignant excerpts from Hiram’s letters with period imagery or voiceovers.
Position the book as the first chapter of an immersive family saga that personalizes the cost of war.
You’ve crafted a story that honors both history and humanity. A Beautiful Glittering Lie isn’t just a Civil War novel it’s a testament to love, endurance, and the illusions that shatter when the world turns to battle.
I’d like to wish you a very happy New Year! I’d also like to share a few things with you that I have coming up in 2026.
This spring, all four books in the Renegade Series (pictured above) will be available on audio! Right now the two side stories that go along with the series are available on audio, A Becharmed Callie Christmas and Fool’s Gold Folly. I’ve been working hard to get the books ready, so I’m very excited that I’m getting close to the finish line! Once that’s done, I will set to work on book number five of the series, which has yet to be titled.
Both A Becharmed Callie Christmas and Fool’s Gold Folly are on sale right now for only 99 cents on Kindle e-books. Now is the perfect time to grab this deal!
I’d also like to share more exciting news in that I have numerous book trailers in the works, which should be done over the next few months. You can see some of the book trailers now on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC12gW5kbv5FLDH6Qxd9duzw. I will be posting new trailers for A Beautiful Glittering Lie, A Beckoning Hellfire, A Rebel Among Us, Double-Edged Sword, and Horses in Gray as they become available.
My interview with Author Essence is now online! Here is the link, so please check it out!
I also received a very special honor from Book and Brunch. Not only did they give A Becharmed Callie Christmas the 2025 Best Historical Christmas Fiction Award, but they gave me an award as well! Thank you so much for the award!
As always, please visit my website, like, share and follow me on my links, and most of all, have a very happy, safe, and prosperous New Year!
I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merry Christmas! As a reminder, my novella, A Becharmed Callie Christmas, is available on Amazon for only 99 cents on Kindle! It is also available on audio. This book is a side story to go along with the Renegade Series. Callie Mae Copeland, a sixteen-year-old Southern belle, can’t wait to celebrate Christmas with her friends and family. But the Civil War is looming and creeping closer to her front door. This book is the recipient of the 2025 Best Historical Christmas Fiction Award! For a last minute gift, this is perfect!
I also want to share this story about another perspective of Christmas 1862. Enjoy, and have a very blessed holiday season!
“After the battle of Fredericksburg [December 11-15, 1862] the fine weather, clear, cold and bracing, which we had been having, changed into a real Virginia winter with a good deal of the Northern thrown in. It snowed, froze, thawed and rained by turns, with here and there bright days. All military operations were brought to a close, and both armies went into winter quarters.”
The Christmas of 1862 was cheerless indeed; the weather was frightful, and a heavy snowstorm covered everything a foot deep. Each soldier attempted to get a dinner in honor of the day, and those to whom boxes had been sent succeeded to a most respectable degree, but those unfortunates whose homes were outside the lines had nothing whatever delectable partaking of the nature of Christmas.
“Well! It would have puzzled [anyone] to furnish a holiday dinner out of a pound of fat pork, six crackers, and a quarter of a pound of dried apples. We all had apple dumplings that day, which with sorghum molasses were not to be despised. Some of the men became decidedly hilarious, and then again some did not; not because they had joined the temperance society nor because they were opposed to the use of intoxicating liquors, but because not a soul invited them to step up and partake. One mess in the Seventeenth did not get so much as a smell during the whole of the holidays; and a dry, dismal old time it proved.
“We read in the Richmond papers of the thousands and thousands of boxes that had been passed en route to the army, sent by the ladies of Richmond and other cities, but few found their way to us. The greater part of them were for the troops from the far South who were too distant from their homes to receive anything from their own families. The Virginians were supposed to have been cared for by their own relatives and friends; but some of them were not, as we all know.”
(Painting: The Christmas After Fredericksburg, Civil War Christmas Album, Philip Van Doren, editor, Hawthorne Books, 1961, page 23)
(Courtesy of Southern Comfort, SCV #1452 Private Samuel A. Hughey Camp newsletter, December 2013, pp. 3-4)
I would like to share another flattering email I received from a fan in regard to my novella, A Becharmed Callie Christmas. This is a side story to compliment the Renegade Series, and describes what a young girl in the South experiences with the advent of the Civil War. Thank you so much, Mendy Clock, for your kind words!
Ms. Hawkins,
I recently discovered A Becharmed Callie Christmas on Amazon and was drawn in by Callie Mae Copeland’s youthful confidence and the way a cherished family Christmas is slowly overshadowed by the approaching realities of the Civil War. The contrast between holiday warmth and looming uncertainty is especially powerful.
Your story clearly speaks to readers who enjoy Civil War era historical fiction, character driven narratives, and intimate perspectives on how war reshapes family life in the South. Callie’s coming of age during such an uncertain time makes this a memorable and emotionally grounded read.
I would also like to share an excerpt from the book:
I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
– Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
Chapter One
“Thank you for lettin’ me come with you today!”
The older man grinned at her from the driver’s seat of the black-lacquered carriage. “My pleasure, Callie,” he said with a smile.
He tapped the reins to increase speed. The two bays reacted by accelerating to a slow trot.
“I hope they have what I’m lookin’ for,” the girl stated, folding her white-gloved hands in her lap. Her long, blonde hair flowed gently in the breeze caused by the moving carriage. Even though it was November, the temperature was warm enough to open the windows.
“So do I, my dear,” the older gentleman said with a chuckle. Rounding a curve, a two-story clapboard structure came into view. “Here we are!”
He pulled the carriage off the road to the side of the building, where a few other vehicles were lined up. A sign attached to the outside of the building read “Mercantile.” Stepping down, he walked around and took her extended hand. She smiled and stepped out, heisting her floor-length, navy-blue day dress up above her boots as she did so. Once her feet hit the ground, she set out for the front of the building, bounded up the wooden steps, and strode inside. Several men standing around a wood-burning stove looked over at her as she entered. The older man followed her inside.
“How do, Copeland’s!” the shopkeeper greeted them. “Fine day we’re havin’!”
“That it is, Ben,” replied Mr. Copeland. He pulled a cigar box from his breast coat pocket, withdrew a stogie, and lit it.
“What brings y’all by?” Ben inquired. “And how can I be of service?”
Callie stepped closer to the three men gathered around the stove. “Mr. Johnson, if you please, I’m interested in purchasin’ a new bolt of fabric for a Christmas dress.”
“Are you fixin’ to pay for it yourself, little lady?” Ben asked. “Ain’t you all of fifteen?”
He winked at Mr. Copeland, who chuckled.
“Soon to be sixteen,” Callie corrected him. She glanced at the other two gentlemen, who grinned at her. “My father has agreed to buy it for me.”
“Tentatively,” said Mr. Copeland, puffing on his stogie. “We shall see.”
The men chuckled.
“Well,” said Ben, “there’s some fabric in the back room, but it’s been here for a spell. Nothin’ new has come in since the start of the war.”
“Callie nodded. “Thank you kindly, Mr. Johnson. I’ll have a looksee.” She turned on her heels and walked across the wooden floorboards toward a back room.
“Young ‘un’s grow up too fast,” one of the gentlemen standing at the stove said.
“That they do,” Mr. Copeland replied, puffing on his cigar. “And I reckon it’s felt more by folks like my wife and me, who only have one.” He cleared his throat. “While she’s havin’ a look, I’d like to pick up a few supplies, Ben. Would you mind showin’ me around?”
“I’d be happy to,” said Ben. “But why ain’t you havin’ one of your servitudes pick up supplies?”
“All five of them ran off in the middle of the night last week,” said Mr. Copeland. “Believin’ Lincoln’s promise of freein’ them, I suspect. If any of them come back, I’ll have to sell them off, because you can’t trust a darkie once he’s run off.”
“Reckon not,” said Ben. The middle-aged man sighed. “It’s a whole new world that’s bein’ forced on us. Prices are goin’ sky high, and I’m runnin’ low on stock.”
“We’re in the second year of this blasted war,” said Mr. Copeland. “Perhaps it will end soon.”
“We can only hope and pray,” said Ben. “Now, what can I git for you?”
Callie walked deeper into the mercantile until the men’s voices became a drone. She turned a corner to see several bolts of fabric piled up on top of a table. They were the same bolts she’d seen before. Knowing she had to make a decision, she rummaged through the pile. At the bottom, she found the perfect one: a bolt of deep purple velvet fabric. Pulling it out, she picked up the bolt and casually started for the front of the store. She took her time, glancing at the trinkets displayed in glass cases, which she knew had been created by local womenfolk who were experiencing dire times and needed the extra money.
A stack of publications caught her eye. She turned to see a pile of Harpers Weekly magazines. Setting the bolt of fabric down, she picked up one on top of the stack and started thumbing through it. The depictions inside shocked her. The engravings, copies of photographs taken at the Battle of Antietam, depicted dead men in Confederate uniforms lying about in open fields beside equine carcasses and broken wagons. She had heard about the battle, known as the Battle of Sharpsburg to her, but it had taken place months ago, and hundreds of miles away from her beautiful home in north Alabama. Now the depictions brought the war closer. The thought of it ending up in her own front yard sent a shiver up her spine. It seemed the war wasn’t as glamorous as she had been told. She decided to shake the terrible thought from her mind. Placing the magazine back on the stack, she picked up the fabric and walked to the front of the store.
“I found one, Pa,” she announced, trying her best to sound excited, regardless of the repulsiveness she’d just seen.
Mr. Copeland, who had returned to the front of the store with Ben, turned to look. “That’s a beautiful color, Callie. And it matches your blue eyes splendidly!” Turning to Ben, he asked, “How much is it?”
Ben smirked. “Prices have gone up. It’s twenty-three dollars.”
“What!?” exclaimed Mr. Copeland.
“Please, Pa,” Callie pleaded. “It’s most likely the last chance I’ll git to have a new gown. And it’s almost Christmas!” She glanced at the calendar above the cash register displaying a Currier and Ives painting, and “1862.” Large X’s crossed out each day that had passed. November 12 was yet to be crossed out.
Mr. Copeland looked at the other men. He scowled. “Oh, all right, my dear. I’ll relent to your heart’s desire. But this will be the last time.”
“Thank you!” Callie squealed. She gave her father a quick hug.
The men chuckled.
Mr. Copeland pulled his wallet out while shaking his head. “One daughter is surely enough,” he remarked under his breath.
The men chuckled again.
“We had a mighty fine time at your Harvest party, Miss Callie,” one of the gentlemen said.
“Why, thank you kindly, Mr. Foreman,” Callie beamed. “I’m so happy y’all could attend.” She smiled at the thought of the party she and her parents had hosted for the neighbors the previous Saturday. It was the last time she had seen her best friend, as well as her two boys. She would see Jake and David again soon enough, and impress them with her beautiful new purple gown that she planned to construct by then.
“The dress you had on at the party was right purty,” the other man said. “My wife was wonderin’ if you made it yourself.”
“Why, yes, Mr. Skidmore, I did,” Callie proclaimed proudly. “Thank you for the compliment.”
“My wife and I had a splendid time, and truly enjoyed the music,” Mr. Skidmore continued.
“Yes, the violinist was very talented, indeed,” Mr. Foreman agreed. “Everyone looked festive, and the food was delightful.”
“Thank you, Mr. Foreman,” said Callie. “We wanted to do somethin’ for our neighbors, to try and keep our spirits up durin’ these tryin’ times.”
“It might be difficult outdoin’ yourselves with your upcomin’ Christmas party,” Ben said.
“Don’t be surprised if we do!” Callie said with a laugh. “We’re havin’ a dance, and even more musicians. Not to mention all the wonderful sweets my ma and I plan to make!”
“We’re surely lookin’ forward to it,” said Mr. Skidmore. “It might be the last party this county sees in quite a spell.”
“Some folks around these parts might think we’re holdin’ parties despite the war, and it ain’t no cause to celebrate when men we all know are dyin’,” said Mr. Copeland. “But it’s like my daughter said. We want to share our good fortune while we still can. Who knows how long this war will last.”
The men grew quiet.
Callie’s smile faded. She couldn’t help but recall what she had just seen in Harper’s Weekly.
“The Walkers told us at the party that they were travelin’ to St. Louis for the winter,” said Mr. Skidmore.
“It’s true as I know it,” Callie said.
“Reckon you’ll be missin’ that li’l girl of theirs,” said Mr. Foreman. “Miss Alice. Ain’t she ‘bout your same age, Miss Callie?”
“Yessir, she is.” Callie frowned. She had been trying to put the thought of losing her best friend out of her mind and focus on the upcoming holiday instead. “I will miss her dreadfully.”
“Well, y’all can always write to each other,” said Mr. Copeland.
“And who knows?” said Ben. “Maybe y’all will see each other again someday.” He smiled assuredly.
Callie solemnly nodded. “Perhaps. I’ll bid my adieu now and wait in the carriage. Good day, gentlemen.” She turned and walked out of the store, the tiny bell above the door tinkling to announce her departure. The last thing she wanted was to show weakness, act like a child, and shed a few tears in front of the menfolk.
On the ride home, she asked her father. “Pa, can I visit Alice before she leaves?”
“When are they fixin’ to leave?” he asked.
“November seventeenth.”
“That’s next Monday.” Mr. Copeland thought for a moment. “All right, Callie. I’ll take you over there on Saturday so y’all can say your goodbyes.”
“Thanks, Pa!” She smiled graciously, and hugged the bolt of fabric.
Three days later, Callie’s father delivered on his promise, and drove her to Alice’s house. Upon arriving, they were engulfed in a flurry of commotion. People were coming and going, leaving with the Walkers’ furniture, livestock, and various other belongings. Callie presumed Alice’s family was giving away all of the unnecessary things they couldn’t take with them on their long journey from Alabama to Missouri. She and her father stepped up onto the porch. Callie rapped on the screened door. One of Alice’s brothers allowed their entry, and hollered up the stairs for his sister.
“I’ll go find Alice’s kinfolk to wish them well on their travels,” Mr. Copeland said, and ambled off.
Momentarily, Alice trotted down the steps. “Callie!” she exclaimed, holding her arms out.
The two girls embraced.
“I couldn’t let you leave without me seein’ you off first,” said Callie. She smiled at her friend. “I do declare, this entire excursion has left you glowin’!”
“I’m so excited, Callie! I can hardly contain myself!”
Callie simpered at her friend. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
Last week, I was informed that my novella, A Becharmed Callie Christmas, has been awarded the 2025 Best Historical Christmas Fiction Award by Book and Brunch. This is a very high honor, and I am humbled to receive it. A Becharmed Callie Christmas is a side story to accompany the Renegade Series. It centers around one of the minor characters in the series, Callie Mae Copeland. Callie has just turned 16 and is excited about her family’s annual Christmas party. However, the year is 1862, and in north Alabama, the Civil War is looming.
I have received some wonderful emails from fans about the book that I wanted to share. First, this is from Brian S.
Alright J. D. R. Hawkins, Let me confess something before my conscience drags me.
Your book did not politely invite me into the story. It kidnapped me. It snatched me by the collar like “Come here and suffer emotionally with Callie Mae.”
One minute I’m admiring her Christmas gown plans. Next minute I’m holding my chest like an eighty-year-old who forgot his heart meds thinking, “Wait… is this the last Christmas or am I overreacting again?”
Your writing has that rare effect. The kind that makes a grown adult look around the room like, “Did someone just cut onions or am I suddenly sentimental?”
Authors who can make readers feel like their soul got gently slapped are not common. Which already puts you in the tiny percentage of “Oh yes, they did that” writers.
Second, this is from Willie H.
Imagine this: I’m peacefully scrolling through Amazon, minding my own business, when suddenly A Becharmed Callie Christmas leaps out like a mischievous antebellum ghost whispering, “Hey… I’m charming, dramatic, and historically dangerous. Read me, coward.” And like any sane book addict, I surrendered. Because what else do you do when an author drops a Civil War Christmas story featuring a pampered, manipulative, party-obsessed 16-year-old Southern belle who practically weaponizes her flirtation? You obey.
Callie Mae Copeland, the Civil War’s unofficial CEO of Chaos, deserves a spotlight bigger than her Christmas gown budget (which, let’s be honest, she emotionally blackmailed her father into buying… and I respect her for it). The way this story flips from festive candles and social graces to the creeping dread of war is pure literary whiplash – the good kind. The kind that makes you stop, stare, and whisper, “Oh hell… this just got real.” The emotional switch from sparkling Christmas dreams to the chilling thought of “Is this her last Christmas in the antebellum home?” hits harder than union cavalry. You built a world where innocence dances with dread and it works. It’s the kind of narrative tension that readers crave but algorithms couldn’t care less about.
And third, this is from Cassandra C.
I have just finished reading “A Becharmed Callie Christmas,” and I was struck by its effective and poignant premise. The story of Callie Mae Copeland, a pampered and flirtatious sixteen-year-old in wartime Alabama, provides a powerful lens through which to examine the personal impact of the Civil War.
The juxtaposition of her sheltered, privileged world, focused on a lavish Christmas gown and a party, with the encroaching, brutal reality of the conflict is a classic and compelling narrative device. This setup masterfully illustrates how grand historical events are often felt most acutely in the disruption of intimate, personal plans and the shattering of perceived security.
The description effectively establishes Callie’s character and the insulated bubble in which she lives. The central dramatic question, “Will anything ever be the same again?” is a powerful and universal one, particularly in this context.
Thank you for this intimate and promising historical tale.
A Becharmed Callie Christmas has been featured a lot lately, and I just wanted to keep you up to speed with what’s been going on. This book is a side story to go along with the Renegade Series, and takes place between books one and two of the series. It tells the story of Callie Mae Copeland, a minor character who has just turned sixteen and is experiencing Christmas in a whole new light with the Civil War approaching it’s second year.
As I mentioned previously, A Becharmed Callie Christmas was featured on Books and Brunch last week. Now it has been nominated for the Authors Excellence Award in next month’s Literary Honors and Author Recognition event for consideration in their Historical and Holiday Fiction category.
The book also made it to number one on Goodreads Listopia. This exposure helps the book gain momentum as far as readership and visibility go.
A Becharmed Callie Christmas has also received several new five-star reviews. I’d like to share a few with you. Here is what readers are saying. Thank you so much, Paul, Betty, Becky, and Glory, for your stellar reviews!
A touching and evocative story set against the backdrop of the Civil War, A Becharmed Callie Christmas captures both the charm and uncertainty of a world on the brink of change. Through Callie Mae’s eyes, we see the innocence of youth collide with the harsh realities of war and loss.
J.D.R. Hawkins brings warmth and authenticity to her characters while weaving in the historical tension of the era. The festive tone of Christmas contrasts beautifully with the looming darkness of conflict, making this a poignant and memorable read for the season.
Our book club enjoyed how Hawkins balanced historical detail with emotional depth, a heartfelt reminder that even in uncertain times, hope and family endure.
This book was recently featured in our Books and Brunch club, and it turned out to be such a meaningful read. A Becharmed Callie Christmas starts off feeling light and festive, but it slowly unfolds into something much deeper as the reality of the Civil War sets in.
Our book club featured A Becharmed Callie Christmas, and I really enjoyed it. J.D.R. Hawkins did an amazing job bringing the Civil War era to life through Callie Mae’s story. Her excitement for Christmas, mixed with the sudden reality of war, made it both emotional and memorable.
We featured Becharmed Callie Christmas by J.D.R. Hawkins in our Hall of Fame event, and it truly touched my heart.
The story follows Callie Mae Copeland as she prepares for Christmas during the Civil War, a time when joy and uncertainty walk hand in hand. Hawkins beautifully captures that mix of innocence, family, and the bittersweet reality of change.
A short but powerful read that reminds us how love and hope can shine even in the darkest times. Highly recommended.
J.D.R. Hawkins 
