I was notified last week that my latest book, Fool’s Gold Folly, has received the Africa Laureate Award. This is quite an honor for my little novella! The book tells the story of one of the minor characters in the Renegade Series, Patrick Mulligan. Patrick is an Irish immigrant who, after the Civil War, decides to take his family to Colorado Territory in search of gold. But what he finds there is far more valuable than riches.
According to the Africa Laureate Awards, “This distinction is conferred only upon books that demonstrate exceptional artistry, creativity, and a profound commitment to the craft of writing. (Fool’s Gold Folly) stood out to our panel of judges as a vital contribution to contemporary literature, and it is a profound honor for us to welcome you into the T.A.L.A. laureateship.
“Our warmest congratulations to you on this monumental achievement. Your voice is a necessary one, and we are privileged to honor it.”
I took a look today and saw that there are a few more reviews for my latest book, Fool’s Gold Folly, so I thought I would share them with you. This novella accompanies the Renegade Series and tells the story of one of the minor characters, Patrick Mulligan. Patrick is an Irish immigrant who decides to take his family to Colorado Territory after the Civil War in search of gold. But what he finds there is far more valuable than riches. Thank you so much, Daina, Diane, Daniel, Taylor, and Chris for your awesome reviews!
Such a good read!! I loved the dynamic between Patrick and old Silas. Hawkins writes frontier life so well, you can practically smell the cold mountain air. Highly recommend if you like historical fiction.
Really appreciated how this book shows that “making it” isn’t just about striking gold, it’s about family and integrity. It’s a fast read, but the theme hits home. Definitely makes me want to dive into the rest of the author’s books.
What I liked most is that the gold is almost secondary. The real story is about ambition, loyalty, family, survival, and what people are willing to sacrifice for a better life. That gave the book much more depth than I expected.
This would be a wonderful book to experience as an audiobook, especially in French. The historical setting and dramatic events seem perfectly suited to narration. I would definitely be interested if a French audiobook version becomes available.
(Note from the author: this book is available as an audiobook.)
The theme of resilience really stood out to me. Patrick leaves behind what is familiar and enters a dangerous new world because he wants something better for himself and his family. His determination gives the story its heart.
I remembered to check Goodreads today and saw that my latest book, Fool’s Gold Folly, has received some new five-star reviews! This novella compliments the Renegade Series and takes up where book four in the series, Double-Edged Sword, left off. It tells the story of Patrick Mulligan, a minor character in the series, who decides to take his family out west to Colorado in search of gold after the Civil War ends. What he discovers there is far more valuable than gold. Thank you so much Cole, Divine, Philip, Joel, Joshua, Matthew, Moses, and Gracey, for your five-star reviews!
Honestly loved this! I flew through it in one sitting. Patrick and Briana are such a sweet couple, and you just want everything to work out for them after everything they go through. Really great depiction of post-Civil War West. If you want a quick historical read that actually has a lot of heart, grab this one!
J.D.R. Hawkins always nails the historical backdrop, and this was no exception. Setting it in 1869 Colorado during the gold rush made for a great backdrop, but what stood out to me was how realistic the prejudice against Irish immigrants felt. Silas was easily my favorite character. Really solid companion story!
Wow, what a story. I’m always sucker for family stories where people rebuild their lives against all odds, and Patrick’s resilience made me so emotional. The ending felt so earned and satisfying. Really happy I picked this up.
It’s the characters that make this novella work so well. Briana’s quiet strength and Patrick’s pure determination to protect his family had me hooked from chapter one. Hawkins has a real gift for making you care about her characters fast.
5 stars!! Fool’s Gold Folly is full of heart, struggle, and real hope. Loved seeing the history woven in so seamlessly. Silas and Patrick’s friendship was definitely the highlight for me. Don’t sleep on this one!
Short, sweet, and gritty in all the right ways. You really get a sense of how hard life was in Breckenridge back then. Great pacing, strong characters, and a very uplifting takeaway.
I wasn’t sure what to expect going in since it’s a shorter novella, but it packs so much story into its pages! No fluff, just good, honest storytelling. The Mulligan family won me over right away.
Another hit from J.D.R. Hawkins! She has such a great way of bringing the West to life without making it feel dry or overly textbook. Warm, gritty, and super memorable.
My most recent novella, Fool’s Gold Folly, has received the Award of Excellence by Spring Arbor University. The novella tells the story of a minor character in the Renegade Series, Patrick Mulligan, and what happens to him and his family once he decides to uproot them and take them out west to Colorado Territory in search of gold. The award is a very special honor, and I am so proud to share it with you! Thank you again for all of your ongoing support!
And third, I have a new cinematic book trailer for A Beautiful Glittering Lie, the first book in the Renegade Series. Let me know what you think! And thanks again for all your ongoing support!
Last week, I received a wonderful review from Kirkus Reviews for my novella, Fool’s Gold Folly. This book accompanies the Renegade Series and tells the story of one of the minor characters, Patrick Mulligan. Thank you so much, Kirkus Reviews, for your awesome review!
Despite the hardships and disappointments, the Mulligans never give up hope.
In 1869, an Irish immigrant couple move to Colorado with hopes of making their fortune in gold. Hawkins’ novel centers on Patrick Mulligan, his wife of two years, Briana, and the widowed Briana’s two children from a previous marriage (10-year-old Keegan and 8-year-old Kathleen).
As the novel opens, this Irish immigrant family is staying at a small hotel in Denver while patriarch Patrick looks for a job. They’ve recently arrived from Pennsylvania, and their hotel room is paid up only until the end of the week. But, as readers soon find out, bigotry against the Irish is keeping him from finding employment. They get by for the next few weeks until it’s time to move west to the town of Breckenridge, where Patrick stakes his claim for a parcel of land. Briana is offered a job as housekeeper for the widow Mrs. Tydings, in exchange for room and board for the family. Mrs. Tydings seems sweet at the beginning, but she is a harsh taskmistress, even putting the children to work. Meanwhile, Patrick secures a job tending bar. Every day he toils in his search for gold and then returns to work in the evening, serving drinks to customers. It’s a tough existence, but despite the hardships and disappointments, the Mulligans never give up hope. Patrick at one point befriends Silas Garvey, an elderly former prospector who’s dying from consumption, and the friendship leads to a pivotal turning point in Patrick’s life.
Hawkins’ gentle novella ambles along at a moderate pace, perked up with a bit of adventure: There’s a raucous bar fight and a dangerous standoff when Patrick must defend his family against “Runnin’ Wolf,” a renegade Native American. Simple prose, lavishly sprinkled with an Irish lilt, conveys bittersweet remembrances from the old country. The descriptions of the heat, dust, and back-breaking work of mining are evocative of the best tales of the Old West. Silas turns out to be a wily old-timer with a couple of surprises up his sleeve, giving the narrative a bit of a concluding twist through which Patrick learns the real meaning of a “rich” life.
A pleasant enough read … a bonanza of literary riches.
In February, I ran into a bit of trouble with my latest book, Fool’s Gold Folly. This novella is a side story to go with the Renegade Series, and centers around one of the minor characters in the series, Patrick Mulligan. Patrick is an Irish immigrant who travels from Pennsylvania to Colorado Territory after the Civil War ends. His search for gold winds up being more than what he bargained for when he meets an old miner in the town of Breckenridge. Silas Garvey has a dark secret and warns Patrick of the threat that lurks in the shadows.
This book was removed from Amazon because it apparently went against their regulations. However, the issue has been resolved, and I’m happy to say that the book is available once again! Not only in paperback and eBook formats, but also as an audio book! Here is the official book trailer for Fool’s Gold Folly.
The problem I have now is this: all of the previous reviews that were posted on Amazon have disappeared, so now I don’t have any reviews! Therefore, I am asking you for a favor. Could you please read the book and post a review? I would be eternally grateful! I will even send you a promo copy (eBook) if you so desire. Just shoot me your email address. The book is only six chapters long so it’s a quick read. Thank you so much in advance. I’m looking forward to hearing from you! And thanks again for your ongoing support.
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!
Over the past week, two of my books have been featured. First, Fool’s Gold Folly was featured on Eva Bielby’s website. The first chapter is posted, so check it out! This novella goes along with the Renegade Series, and tells the story of Patrick Mulligan, a minor character who takes his family to Colorado Territory in search of gold after the Civil War. Here is the link:
A Becharmed Callie Christmas is featured on Books and Brunch. This novella goes along with the Renegade Series as well, and tells the story of Callie Mae Copeland, a girl growing up in north Alabama during the Civil War. Here is the link to my author spotlight:
Once again, the haunted day of Halloween is upon us. It is one of my favorite holidays, because you can dress up to be whatever you want and still get away with it – maybe even score some candy while you’re at it! As you might already know, Halloween originated in Ireland, and was originally a Pagan holiday known as Samhain, which means “summer’s end” in Gaelic. It was a day to celebrate the end of harvest and the beginning of winter. Jack-o-Lanterns also originated in Ireland, and were carved out of rutabagas or turnips.
In honor of the holiday, I would like to share an excerpt from my novel, A Rebel Among Us. This is the third book in the Renegade Series, which tells the story of several families and how their lives interact during the American Civil War. In this excerpt, the main character, David, who is a Confederate soldier, learns about the ancient holiday from his neighbor and close friend, Patrick, who is an Irish immigrant. Enjoy the story and have a safe and fun holiday. Happy Halloween!
On October 31, Patrick arrived with a bottle of whiskey and invited David to partake with him. They stood shivering at the back door, passing the bottle between them.
“‘Tis Samhain tonight, lad. All Hallow’s Eve. Were ye aware of it?”
David nodded. “Where’d you git this whiskey?” he asked.
“Aye, ‘tis a grand thing the Meyers provide me with allowance for such an indulgence,” he replied. He pulled a pipe from his coat pocket and lit it. Puffing away, he shook his head and remarked, “Sure’n ‘tis a far cry from real tobacco.”
A thought crossed David’s mind. “I’ll be right back,” he said.
He went upstairs to his room, grabbed the pouch of tobacco, and brought it back down to his friend.
Patrick peeked inside before taking a deep whiff. “Ah!” he sighed, relishing the pungent aroma. “Might this be the Southern tobacco I’ve heard tell about?”
David grinned. “Jake brought it along for tradin’, and this here’s what’s left.”
Patrick loaded his pipe, relit it, and puffed euphorically, smiling all the while. “‘Tis a wee bit o’ heaven, indeed.” He glanced at his friend. “Now, have ye any scary tales from the Southland that might have me skin crawlin’?”
David thought for a moment, “There’s a story from north Alabama about a place called the Red Bank.”
Raising his eyebrows, Patrick said, “Let’s see if ye might be tellin’ it frightfully enough to send a shiver up me spine.” He happily puffed away.
David grinned. He lowered his voice so that it was a threatening grumble, and delved into his story. Once he had completed the tale of an Indian maiden who had killed herself after losing her baby and had promptly turned into a ghost, he paused.
Patrick puffed silently on his pipe. “Well, now, I have a scarier one.” He puffed again, took a swig from the whiskey bottle, handed it to David, and said, “‘Tis an old tale from the Motherland.”
The wind blew past them, whistling off through the barren fields. Both young men shivered, suddenly aware of the ominous darkness surrounding them.
David forced a nervous laugh before taking a swallow. “All right, Patrick. Let’s hear it.”
He took a puff and slowly exhaled. “There once lived a wealthy lady who was courted by two lords. One of the lords grew so jealous of the other that he plotted to kill his rival. So, one night, he snuck into the unsuspectin’ lad’s bed chamber. But instead of choppin’ off his head—” He said this with so much exuberance that David jumped.
“He accidentally chopped off his legs instead.”
A dog howled in the distance, adding to the nuance of Patrick’s eerie Irish story.
“His torso received a proper burial, but his legs were tossed into a hole in the castle garden and covered with dirt. The murderin’ lord deceived the lady by tellin’ her the other suitor had abandoned his proposal to her. She agreed to marriage. But on their weddin’ night, in walked the two bodiless legs.”
An owl hooted from somewhere off in the empty trees.
“The legs followed the bridegroom relentlessly until the day he died. It’s said that the legs can still be seen walkin’ ‘round by themselves. ‘Tis a true phuca.” Upon this conclusion, Patrick puffed on the pipe. Smoke billowed around his head like an apparition.
“What’s a phuca?” asked David.
“A ghost,” Patrick responded.
Raising a skeptical eyebrow, David snorted. “I reckon that’s the dumbest spook story I ever did hear.”
A gate near the barn caught in the wind and slammed loudly against the fencepost. The two men jumped. They chuckled at their reaction, but immediately felt the terrible chill. Reasoning they would be more comfortable inside, they entered the kitchen, consumed the remainder of the whiskey, and bid each other goodnight. Patrick returned home, and David retired quietly upstairs, careful not to wake the others. Relieved the fireplace had been lit for him, he undressed.
Climbing into bed, he snickered at the thought of two legs unattached to a body, chasing after a rival. Once he’d fallen asleep, however, the thought invaded his dreams. The legs ran toward him. Right behind them rode the headless Union horseman. The torso raised its saber and swung it where its head should have been. Just as the blade came down, David jolted awake. He gasped to catch his breath, realizing, once again, his imagination had gotten the best of him. Slowly, he lay back. Unable to sleep, he listened to the wind rattle the shutters and shake through the skeleton-like tree limbs from outside the frosty, lace-covered windows.
J.D.R. Hawkins 