Second (I thought this was funny), as I was scrolling the other day, my book popped up on MSN. Someone is selling it on Ebay for $44!
Third, I have a new book trailer for Horses in Gray. This was done by a friend who offered to make one for me just for the fun of it. Let me know what you think!
As always, thank you so much for your ongoing support! Please make sure to follow me on social media!
I just received word that I am being featured in an article published in Vanity Stardom. This is a very flattering article, and I’m honored to be featured! Here is the article.
J.D.R. Hawkins and the Human Story Behind the Renegade Series
J.D.R. Hawkins brings the American Civil War to life through the Renegade Series, blending historical research, moral complexity and deeply human storytelling.
Published 28 September 2026 at 19:50 IST8 min read
Courtesy of J.D.R. Hawkins / Author’s official materials
Key takeaways
J.D.R. Hawkins is the author of the four-book Renegade Series of Civil War historical fiction.
The series follows the Summers family through the Civil War and into the Reconstruction era.
Hawkins explores the conflict through a Southern and Confederate perspective while focusing on individual experiences and family relationships.
Her books combine historical research with fictional characters, battles, personal dilemmas and the consequences of war.
Hawkins has also written Horses in Gray: Famous Confederate Warhorses, a nonfiction work about horses during the Civil War.
The American Civil War has been examined through history books, memoirs, biographies and countless works of fiction. Yet the subject continues to find new life in literature because the conflict was never only about battlefields and military campaigns. It was also about families separated by war, young people confronted with decisions they could not fully understand, communities transformed by violence and individuals trying to make sense of a country coming apart.
For author J.D.R. Hawkins, those human experiences became the foundation for the Renegade Series, a four-book historical fiction saga that follows a family from north Alabama through the Civil War and into Reconstruction. Her work approaches the period through characters connected to the Confederate South, while keeping the consequences of war at the centre of the story.
The result is a body of fiction that places historical events alongside personal relationships, difficult choices and the consequences that continue long after a battle has ended.
Hawkins’ interest in the Civil War developed into a long-term writing project rather than a single novel. Her academic background in journalism at Iowa State University provided an early foundation for research and storytelling, while her broader writing career included work across short stories, articles and children’s literature before she turned increasingly toward historical fiction.
The decision to write from a Southern perspective also gave the project a particular narrative challenge. The Civil War remains one of the most heavily examined periods in American history, and fictionalising it requires more than recreating uniforms, weapons and battle locations. Historical fiction has to make the period understandable through people. Hawkins’ books therefore use the experiences of individual characters to explore what a war of national consequence meant inside an ordinary family.
That approach is evident from the beginning of the Renegade Series.
The first novel, A Beautiful Glittering Lie, introduces the Summers family in north Alabama in 1861. Hiram Summers, a farmer and father, decides to enlist and eventually travels to Virginia with the Fourth Alabama Infantry Regiment. At home, his wife Caroline attempts to keep the family and farm together while their son David begins to confront the reality of a conflict that initially exists for him largely through stories, expectations and youthful curiosity.
The novel’s focus on the Summers family allows the war to be seen from more than one location. Hiram experiences the conflict from the military front, while Caroline and the children experience its absence, uncertainty and consequences at home.
That separation becomes an important element of Hawkins’ storytelling. War is not presented only through what happens when soldiers meet on a battlefield. It is also present in letters, waiting, fear, changing relationships and the difficult process of maintaining a household while someone is away fighting.
The first book established the foundation for what would become a much larger family story. It also received recognition from historical-fiction organisations, including the B.R.A.G. Medallion and the John Esten Cooke Fiction Award. Hawkins’ official book information lists A Beautiful Glittering Lie as a winner of the 2013 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award and the B.R.A.G. Medallion.
The series continued with A Beckoning Hellfire, taking its characters further into the realities of the conflict. The story becomes increasingly concerned with what combat does to individuals and how earlier decisions continue to shape the lives of those involved.
David Summers becomes an especially important figure in that progression. His development is not simply the journey of a fictional soldier moving from one battle to another. His understanding of war changes as his experiences become more personal. The distance between youthful expectations and the reality of combat gradually disappears.
With A Rebel Among Us, Hawkins moves further into the moral uncertainty created by war. David is seriously wounded and separated from the Confederate army following military campaigns, eventually finding himself at a farmhouse occupied by three sisters. His circumstances force him into choices that challenge the principles and loyalties that originally shaped his decision to fight.
The premise allows Hawkins to explore one of the central characteristics of historical fiction: individuals rarely experience history in the neat categories that later generations use to describe it.
David has to make decisions as a person rather than as a historical symbol. Loyalty, survival, family, personal principles and fear can pull in different directions. The official description of the novel centres on this dilemma, particularly the conflict between helping Anna and risking capture or remaining loyal to the reasons that brought him into the war.
That emphasis on individual decisions is one of the distinguishing features of the series.
Hawkins has described the Renegade books as a family saga as much as a war story. The four novels follow the Summers family across a much wider period than the opening months of the conflict, allowing the consequences of the Civil War to extend beyond the moment when fighting stops.
That becomes especially important in Double-Edged Sword: A Novel of Reconstruction, the fourth major volume in the series. The story moves into the Reconstruction period, when the formal conflict has ended but the social and personal consequences remain.
For a family that has spent years living through war, peace does not necessarily mean returning to the world that existed before 1861. The country has changed, communities have changed and individuals have changed. By extending the narrative into Reconstruction, Hawkins treats the aftermath as part of the historical story rather than simply an epilogue.
The four novels therefore form a continuous arc. The opening book introduces a family entering an uncertain conflict. The following stories explore the physical and emotional consequences of that conflict, while the final volume examines what happens when the fighting is over but its effects remain.
The historical research behind the novels is another significant part of Hawkins’ approach. Her work has been recognised for incorporating historical settings and events into character-driven storytelling. In discussing her research and setting choices, Hawkins has explained that the first Renegade novel moves between north Alabama and Virginia battlefields, using historically grounded locations to connect the fictional family with the wider events of the war.
Reviews of A Beautiful Glittering Lie have similarly highlighted the combination of historical events and the Summers family’s personal story. Pacific Book Review noted the use of historical battles, events, songs and figures, while also describing the book as an intimate portrait of the family.
This balance is central to why historical fiction continues to attract readers. Facts establish the world, but characters give readers a reason to remain inside it.
Hawkins has also expanded her writing beyond the main Renegade novels. Her nonfiction book Horses in Gray: Famous Confederate Warhorses examines the role of horses during the Civil War, while A Becharmed Callie Christmas adds another story connected with the world of the series. Her current author catalogue also includes Fool’s Gold Folly, another story connected to her wider body of historical fiction.
Her professional interests extend into several literary organisations, including the Historical Novel Society, International Women’s Writing Guild, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Pikes Peak Writers. She is also associated with the United Daughters of the Confederacy and has pursued creative work outside fiction as an artist and singer/songwriter.
The recognition surrounding the Renegade Series has also continued across multiple books. Hawkins’ official author materials identify the series as having received multiple John Esten Cooke Fiction Awards and B.R.A.G. Medallions, while the B.R.A.G. Medallion organisation lists the series and its individual books within its historical fiction catalogue.
But awards are only one part of the story.
What makes Hawkins’ work particularly notable is the decision to keep returning to a period that has already been extensively fictionalised and to look at it through a specific set of characters and circumstances. The Confederate perspective is an important part of the series, but the novels are ultimately structured around people rather than political arguments.
That distinction matters when writing historical fiction about a conflict as deeply contested as the Civil War. A character can possess beliefs shaped by his time without the novel requiring readers to accept those beliefs as historical truth. Fiction can instead examine how those beliefs influenced decisions, relationships and consequences.
In Hawkins’ case, that creates room for a story about the people who lived through the period without reducing them to simple categories.
The Renegade Series asks readers to follow a family through uncertainty rather than simply follow a timeline of famous events. Battles matter, but so do the moments between them. The letters, the conversations, the separation from home and the decisions made under pressure provide the emotional structure of the story.
That may be why the series has continued to find an audience among readers interested in Civil War fiction. Historical knowledge can tell us what happened. Fiction has the more intimate task of imagining what it might have felt like for individuals living through those events.
For J.D.R. Hawkins, that distinction has shaped an entire literary career.
Her work does not attempt to reduce the Civil War to a single experience. Instead, through the Summers family and the wider world of the Renegade Series, she has created a sustained fictional account of how war can enter a household, reshape relationships and continue affecting people long after the battlefield falls silent.
The enduring appeal of the series lies in that human scale. The Civil War may have been a defining national conflict, but for the characters Hawkins writes about, it was also a collection of personal moments: a decision to enlist, a letter from home, a family waiting for someone who may never return, a young person discovering that war is different from what he imagined, and eventually the difficult task of rebuilding a life after the fighting ends.
Through that lens, Hawkins continues to explore one of the most familiar periods in American history in a form that remains personal, character-driven and grounded in historical research. Her Renegade Series stands as an extended literary interpretation of the Civil War and Reconstruction, told through the experiences of a fictional Southern family whose lives are permanently altered by the events around them.
I have recently been receiving numerous offers from people who would like to create cinematic book trailers for me. I think it’s a lot of fun to see what they come up with. Although my son, Jesse, is my primary creator, some of these folks might be giving him a run for his money! Here is a book trailer I just received for Horses in Gray, my nonfiction book about Confederate warhorses in the Civil War. Thank you so much, Elizabeth Kate, for your creative input!
I also received another five-star review for the book. Here is that review, posted on Goodreads. Thank you, Bolally, for your five-star review!
Horses in Gray is a well-researched and engaging history book that shines a light on the important role of horses during the Civil War. J.D.R. Hawkins brings famous Confederate warhorses to life through detailed stories, historical facts, and fascinating background information.
The book does an excellent job exploring the bond between soldiers and their horses, while also explaining the hardships these animals faced during wartime. Readers will especially enjoy learning about famous horses connected to figures like Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
Easy to read and full of interesting details, this book is perfect for Civil War enthusiasts and animal lovers alike.
My novel, A Beckoning Hellfire, has a brand-new book trailer! This trailer represents the second book in the Renegade Series, which tells the story of several families during the Civil War and how their lives intertwine. Once again, here’s a special shout out to my super talented son, Jesse, for constructing this trailer! Please drop me a line and let me know what you think of it! Thanks again for your continued support!
I was checking out my Goodreads listings recently (which I need to do more often, I’ll admit) and saw that my novel, A Rebel Among Us, has several new five-star reviews, so I wanted to share them with you. The book is the third one in the Renegade Series, which tells the story of several families and how their lives become entwined during the Civil War. I’m proud to say that this book has received several awards and is an Amazon #1 bestseller. Here are the reviews. Thank you so much, Ella Alex, Freja, Vesper Hollings, David Scott, and Jamie Smith for your five-star ratings!
A Rebel Among Us is a powerful and emotional continuation of the series. J.D.R. Hawkins does an incredible job bringing the characters to life, making their struggles, courage, and resilience feel very real. What stood out most to me was the depth of emotion woven into the story. The historical setting feels vivid, and the tension keeps you turning pages. There’s a strong sense of conflict, loyalty, and survival that makes the story both engaging and thought-provoking. Even as part of a series, this book holds its own and leaves a lasting impression. I’d definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction with strong characters and meaningful storytelling.
An intense and captivating historical read! David’s struggles, tough choices, and unexpected romance kept me turning the pages. The characters feel real, the tension is high, and the story brilliantly captures the chaos and emotion of the era. Highly engaging.
Some chapters physically hurt to read. This isn’t a fluffy story it deals with death, war wounds, abandonment, and betrayal. But the emotional payoff is huge. I cried more than once.
David starts the book as a soldier with pride and blind loyalty. As he heals, he becomes a young man grappling with identity, trauma, and love. His character arc is one of the strongest I’ve read in the genre. This isn’t just romance it’s evolution.
Maggie, Abigail, and Claudia aren’t just background characters – they shape the entire story. Maggie’s suspicion, Abigail’s practicality, Claudia’s innocence…they all add tension, humor, and warmth. It felt like stepping into a real household during wartime.
I received a new editorial review for my nonfiction book, Horses in Gray: Famous Confederate Warhorses. As the title gives away, the book is about famous horses that served for the Confederacy, including Traveller, Little Sorrel, King Philip, and more. This editorial is very flattering, and I appreciate it very much. Thank you, Elise Morgan, for your outstanding review!
“A Cinematic and Heart-Wrenching Masterwork of Equine History.”
In the vast sea of Civil War literature, rarely does a book emerge that fundamentally changes how we perceive the conflict’s most loyal participants. J.D.R. Hawkins, a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, has achieved exactly that with Horses in Gray: Famous Confederate Warhorses. This isn’t just a history book; it is a vivid, breathtaking resurrection of the silent spirits that galloped through the smoke of the 1860s.
Hawkins, uniquely positioned as one of the few female voices expertly navigating the Confederate perspective, brings her award-winning narrative flair to this definitive non-fiction study. She moves beyond the cold statistics of war to explore the “second self” of the soldier—the horse. This long-awaited volume offers a staggering level of detail that will captivate historians and animal lovers alike.
Inside this comprehensive legacy, Hawkins unveils:
The Legendary Portraits: Deeply researched biographical sketches of immortalized mounts such as Lee’s Traveller, Jackson’s Little Sorrel, and the thirty horses of Nathan Bedford Forrest, bringing their individual personalities and courage to light.
The Science of the Cavalry: A fascinating deep dive into the 19th-century equine husbandry and the strategic logic behind choosing specific breeds, temperaments, and colors for the rigors of the front lines.
The Grit of the Campaign: A sobering and necessary look at the harrowing realities of wartime veterinary care, the logistics of forage, and the heartbreaking life expectancy of these noble creatures under fire.
A Cultural Immortalization: An exploration of how these horses were acquired, how they were named, and the ways in which they have been etched into the American sociopolitical landscape.
Documented with impeccable academic rigor and written with the emotional depth of a world-class novelist, Horses in Gray is a triumph of historical preservation. Hawkins has crafted a mind-blowing, eye-catching tribute that ensures these brave animals are never forgotten. This is, without question, the gold standard for equine military history.
MSN Magazine just announced the top ten trailblazing entrepreneurs to follow in 2026, and I’m one of them! I can’t tell you how excited I am to be named as one of the top ten. This is an amazing honor, and I’m very humbled. Thank you so much, MSN Magazine, for including me in your top ten list!
According to MSN Magazine, “J.D.R. Hawkins is an Amazon, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author known for her unique portrayal of the Civil War from a Confederate perspective. Her acclaimed Renegade Series includes four novels and companion stories, with multiple titles earning the John Esten Cooke Fiction Award and B.R.A.G. Medallion honors. The series follows a north Alabama family navigating the emotional toll of war. Hawkins has also authored the nonfiction work Horses in Gray: Famous Confederate Warhorses, further showcasing her dedication to historical storytelling. A member of several literary organizations, including the Historical Novel Society and International Women’s Writing Guild, she brings depth and authenticity to her work. Beyond writing, she is also an accomplished artist and singer-songwriter, blending creativity across multiple disciplines.”
I don’t write about my nonfiction book as much as I should, so you probably don’t know too much about it. Several years ago, I was inspired to write about the horses that were involved in the War Between the States, and chose to specifically discuss those that served for the Confederacy. The book has been published by Arcadia Publishing (Pelican) and is available in several Civil War battlefield giftshops, including Gettysburg.
Last week, I discovered that the book received two five-star reviews, so I thought I would share them with you. Thank you so much, Emily Anne and Antoine M., for your awesome reviews!
This book offers an impressive and thorough exploration of Confederate military horses during the Civil War. Robert E. Lee’s Traveller, Stonewall Jackson’s Little Sorrel, and many others are profiled in detail, giving readers insight not only into their roles in battle but also into their lives, care, and lineages.
The author does an excellent job explaining why certain breeds and colors were preferred for specific tasks, how horses were acquired, and the factors contributing to their survival or death in wartime conditions. The inclusion of personal stories behind the horses’ names and their lasting legacy adds depth and humanity to the narrative.
What sets this work apart is its combination of meticulous research and engaging storytelling. It provides both historical context and vivid detail, making the horses’ experiences tangible and memorable. This is a must-read for Civil War enthusiasts, military historians, and anyone interested in the often-overlooked role of animals in history.
This book truly changed the way I view the Civil War. I had never considered the immense suffering endured by military horses. The sections explaining why certain breeds were chosen and why so many horses died from disease, exhaustion, or injury were heartbreaking but important. The story of Thomas J. and Little Sorrel stayed with me long after I finished reading. Hawkins does an excellent job honoring these animals while grounding the narrative in solid historical research.
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!
Today I am being highlighted on Bizz Buzz. This is a very special honor, and I am humbled to be featured on such a prestigious website. Here is the article. Once again, thank you so much for being part of my writing journey!
The Enduring Narrative of the American Civil War: Historical Fiction Through a Southern Lens.
An in-depth look at the Renegade Series and how award-winning author J.D.R. Hawkins brings authenticity, moral complexity, and historical depth to Civil War fiction.
The American historical fiction literature is greatly enriched with the Civil War stories, which remain to be interesting and challenging the reader with their complicated moral, political and personal dilemmas. One of the most popular subgenres is the exploration of the conflict by the experiences of the front line and the home front. These novels tend to be crucial channels through which the human cost and the divergent ideologies that determined the most defining internal conflict in the nation can be comprehended. One of these niches in this genre is depicting the war as seen by the Confederate side.
This perspective, which female writers discuss less, has its own difficulties in historical study, characterization and narration, and requires a high level of sensitivity and attention to detail, in order to be able to capture the socio-political atmosphere of the middle of the 19th century.
The ability to combine an enormous amount of historical detail with the ability to tell the story through characters is the hallmark of the authors who are able to bring this turbulent period to life and provide the contemporary readers with a detailed and vivid insight into the crucial moment of American history.
The literary works that are critically and commercially successful in this genre are those that have been acclaimed by historical societies and literary institutions due to their observance of authenticity and other awards that are founded on their richness and breadth.
J.D.R. Hawkins: Chronicling the Confederate Experience in theRenegade Series
J.D.R. Hawkins was born on June 9, 1959 in the United States of America and she is a renowned American author that has well established herself in historical fiction, especially in her famous series known as the Renegade Series. It is the epic effort of novels devoted to the description of the cruel and even painful life of a Confederate soldier and his family during the Civil War and the first post-war period in the USA.
Hawkins is a unique female writer in the literary world because few other female writers have dealt with the narrative of the Civil War specifically with the Confederate or Southern perspective. She is devoted to this view, and her writing is marked by an in-depth study of history that gives her character plots a certain air of deep authenticity.
The story of Hawkins in the world of writing started in her early years when her parents supported her artistic interests and provided her with a solid education. Hawkins was born in Sioux City, Iowa and studied her academic interests by receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism at the Iowa State University. This journalistic rigor was probably the cause of the attention to detail and careful research that would characterize her subsequent historical fiction. Hawkins began her career in writing short stories, articles, and even children books before she finally settled on her main subject, the complicated period of the Civil War, by writing her first full-length novels.
The literary heritage of the author is centered on the so-called Renegade Series, which is an impressive, panoramic depiction of the lives of people involved in the war. The story is the journey of a Confederate cavalryman and his family over the years of fierce battles and social turmoil, their emotional and physical survival.
Deep Dive into the Renegade Series
The show consists of four major seasons, each of which has received considerable critical and commercial recognition:
A Beautiful Glittering Lie: A Novel of the Civil War
This novel was written in 2021 and is a good start to the series. Early critical acclaim saw Hawkins win the 2013 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award and the 2012 B.R.A.G. Medallion, as well as its historical fact and its effective story. Even the very name of the novel suggests the grimness behind the romance or ideology of war, which predetermines the cold-blooded look at the war in the series.
A Beckoning Hellfire: A Novel of the Civil War
The second sequel, also released in 2021, picks up the story, delving into the emotional and physical price paid by the war. The novel also solidified Hawkins as an author of good historical fiction, as it is considered to be an award-winning sequel and even won the 2022 B.R.A.G. Medallion. The title brings out the merciless and devastating Civil War battles that the characters are involved in.
A Rebel Among Us: A Novel of the Civil War
Published in 2021, this book continues to be of high standards as its predecessors. It won the 2017 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award and also won the 2022 B.R.A.G. Medallion, which underscores the uniformity of literary quality of the series. The story is centered on the mounting internal and external stress of people who were loyal to the confederate cause.
Double-Edged Sword: A Novel of Reconstruction
The latest volume in the series, which was published in 2022, continues the story past the end of the war to the confusing and turbulent era of Reconstruction. Entering this critical period of the postwar, Hawkins gives a full account of the long-term effects of the war on both the soldier and his family. The novel has been well-known, having won the 2022 B.R.A.G. Medallion and the 2023 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award, proving the quality and longevity of the work of the author.
Broader Literary Contributions and Acclaim
Hawkins has also made a contribution to the historical record in her nonfiction book, Horses in Gray: Famous Confederate Warhorses. This is a specialized writing that examines the important and in most cases unnoticed contributions made by horses in the Civil War that describe the importance of horses in war and military activities. She has also written a short story, A Becharmed Callie Christmas, which is a festive, character-oriented interlude relating to the larger world of the Renegade Series.
Hawkins is as commercially successful as she is critically acclaimed. She has been acclaimed as a bestseller by the significant sites, such as Amazon, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal, and this fact demonstrates her wide popularity among a wide audience. She has managed to strike the right balance between historical precision and her narrative style, which has been well-received by critics and the audience.
Professional Affiliations and Personal Background
Hawkins has a close affiliation with the historical and literary circles. She has also been a part of different elite societies like the United Daughters of the Confederacy which can be attributed to be her dedication to the history and heritage of the Southern experience. Her literary associations include The International Women Writing Guild, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and Pikes Peak Writers, another thing that proves her interest in the art and support of other writers. She also belongs to the Historical Novel Society and this only serves to solidify her credentials in the genre.
Hawkins also lives a rich life outside of writing on a personal level. She has a family of her own, including two sons whom she has brought up together with her husband in the course of their 40 years of marriage and has a daughter-in-law and two grandsons. Her artistic talents are not limited to literature since she is also an artist and a singer/songwriter whose artistic commitment has been evident throughout her life. The work of J.D.R. Hawkins and especially the extensively researched and much-acclaimed Renegade Series is a major contribution to the genre of historical fiction, that is, telling the complex and humanized story of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction era as it happened through the lens of a Confederate family.
