Draft:J.D.R. Hawkins

J.D.R. Hawkins (born June 9, 1959) is an American author known for her novels on the Civil War. Her novel A Beautiful Glittering Lie earned her the John Esten Cooke Fiction Award and the B.R.A.G. Medallion. She is also an Amazon, U.S.A. Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. 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.

Biography
She was born in Sioux City, Iowa. Hawkins obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Iowa State University.

Career
Hawkins ventured into crafting short stories, articles, children's books, and, eventually, full-length novels.

She primarily writes about the Civil War and is known as one of the few female writers offering a Confederate perspective. Her Renegade Series features four books – A Beautiful Glittering Lie," which won both the 2013 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award and the 2012 B.R.A.G. Medallion; A Beckoning Hellfire, another award-winning installment; "A Rebel Among Us," winner of the 2017 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award; and "Double-Edged Sword," the latest addition to the series, which has already earned the 2022 B.R.A.G. Medallion and 2023 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award.

Her series revolves around the experiences of a family from north Alabama who undergo tremendous hardship when the Civil War changes their lives forever. Hawkins has also authored a non-fiction book titled "Horses in Gray," which focuses on the War Between the States.