TO THE REPUBLIC Book 2

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TO THE REPUBLIC
The Republic Series, Book Two
BY BRUCE CLAVEY
Publication Date: December 14, 2023
Pages: 336 pages
Categories: Hispanic American Fiction / Political Fiction

SYNOPSIS

Carmina Esquivel won’t allow a work accident to draw her deeper into the shadows of Austin. A remarkable new Texas law has kindled her hopes of belonging and inspired her to visit a place seen only in dreams. Across the state, a dark world closes in on cowboy Del Woodward. Two kings on the Texas chessboard are avowed enemies of each other, and somehow Woody’s managed to owe both of them his life. Though he’d surrender it in a heartbeat for longtime friend Governor Ben Block, he knows cartel kingpin Marcos Cepeda would take it without batting an eye. Cepeda was at the top of the list of VIPs trying to score from the high-stakes legislation until yesterday, when the President of the United States weighed in. Now, a showdown looms. The bill is still a legal long-shot, but if it’s voted into law, it will pull off a feat that no American state has attempted in nearly two centuries—and what Texas alone has ever truly achieved.

The Republic Series launches from true pages of the Lone Star frontera story into a hauntingly modern arena of trade, trafficking, and tradition on the Rio Grande in To the Republic: BOOK TWO.

A novel or our times. A saga for the ages.


PURCHASE LINKS:

AUTHOR INFO

Bruce Clavey of Round Rock, Texas writes with a passion for exploring the Latin heritage tucked in cultural corners throughout Texas, Mexico, and Central America. In 2017, Clavey’s research into perspectives on state history led to his onsite rediscovery of the Mexico City dungeon where the colonial “Father of Texas” was imprisoned, documented in his book “The Inquisition of Stephen F. Austin.” His interest to illuminate compelling historic junctures brought the creation of several feature dramatizations for state museum in-exhibit performance. Clavey’s release of Book One of The Republic Series in 2020 begins the journey of Texas and Mexican characters who confront the pressure points at today’s vibrant river border, a land that has functioned for centuries as both international gateway and barrier.


REVIEW AND FINAL THOUGHTS

Rating :★★★★★

“To the Republic” book two delivers the same excitement and feelings I had toward book one. Book two is a thought-provoking, riveting, engaging, and real novel that takes you on a ride from start to finish. The author starts the novel with an explanation of each character to prepare the reader for the story ahead. Chapter One begins with an interview-style interaction between an unknown subject and a reporter. We continue with the reporter developing a cover story to report Texas breaking away from the United States. Immigration has been something that Texas has dealt with since the origin of the state.

The book ends on a cliffhanger with plans for the release of book three in the works to continue the story. The author does a great job of continuing the storyline from book one. It did take me a bit to get into the groove of the novel and I did take a few breaks in between reads, but it still kept me engaged. Bruce Clavey truly has a way with words and with writing. As a History major, I enjoyed the little bits of Texas History in the novel and the authors’ carefulness with the small details. You can tell the author took his time working on the development of the plot. Bruce Clavey did a phenomenal job with the development of each character, ensuring that the reader was able to keep up with the backstories of each. I do recommend reading book one to get the full scope and backstory before diving into book two. Each piece of the plot and characters are meticuoulsy intertwined in away that does not confuse the storyline or have the reader lost. This was evident in book one of the series which is why I jumped on at the chance to dive into book two.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in an in-depth look at the politics surrounding immigration issues and a complex story. If you enjoy reading books that focus on informative issues and don’t “sugar coat” specific topics, then this read is for you. I recommend this book to adults.


Blog Tour: TO THE REPUBLIC

TO THE REPUBLIC
The Republic Series, Book One
BY BRUCE CLAVEY
Publication Date: October 26th, 2020
Pages: 394 pages
Categories: Hispanic American Fiction / Political Fiction

Scroll for Giveaway!

A novel for our times. A saga for the ages.

On the eve of passing landmark immigration legislation, the entire Texas Senate and its native Tejano leader, Diego Reyes, vanish suddenly from Austin. When news of the disappearance hits West Texas, cowboy Del Woodward isn’t shocked. He knows exactly where the lawmakers are, but he’s not telling. Woody’s been down on his luck, and a shady bargain he’s made puts him tight in the squeeze of Marcos Cepeda, north Mexico’s ruthless drug lord. And Cepeda’s furious with this new stall in the bill. It’s got a loophole he can exploit to add another quarter million square miles of exclusive turf to his cartel—but that territory goes back up for grabs if leader Reyes can’t pass the bill before the Senate session expires in mere days. The brutal kingpin wants what he’s bought and compels Woody to step up. How the cowboy swings the vote isn’t important to Cepeda, but this sure is: if Woody breathes so much as a word of reluctance, it’ll be his last. The prize is Texas, nothing less. It’s real, and it’s on.
The Republic Series launches from true pages of the Lone Star frontera story into a hauntingly modern arena of trade, trafficking, and tradition on the Rio Grande in To the Republic: BOOK ONE.
An Amazon #1 New Release in History of U.S. Immigration
PURCHASE LINKS:

Bruce Clavey of Round Rock, Texas writes with a passion for exploring the Latin heritage tucked in cultural corners throughout Texas, Mexico, and Central America. In 2017, Clavey’s research into perspectives on state history led to his onsite rediscovery of the Mexico City dungeon where the colonial “Father of Texas” was imprisoned, documented in his book “The Inquisition of Stephen F. Austin.” His interest to illuminate compelling historic junctures brought the creation of several feature dramatizations for state museum in-exhibit performance. Clavey’s release of Book One of The Republic Series in 2020 begins the journey of Texas and Mexican characters who confront the pressure points at today’s vibrant river border, a land that has functioned for centuries as both international gateway and barrier.

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Review

Rating :★★★★★
Disclaimer: This review is solely my opinion. I was provided a copy of a finished book from Lone Star Literary Life partner in exchange for my honest review. The comments in this review do not reflect the views of the author or the publisher. The copy used in this review is an advanced reader copy sent to me in exchange for my honest review. #partner #LSBBT

To the Republic is a thought-provoking, riveting, engaging, and real novel that takes you on a ride from start to finish. The book begins with a conversation between an unidentified subject and a report beginning the novel with you, the reader, already on the edge of your seat. Everything is bigger in Texas, including this informative Texas-sized novel that focuses on corruption, drug cartels, and immigration issues in the Lone Star state. After reading this novel you will be more informed in regards to some of the issues addressed. The author uses a unique but well-written approach to combine three different storylines. He does a wonderful job in this descriptive text allowing the reader to feel the emotional struggles and challenges of each character.

Corruption, lies, drugs, and so much more. This author uses a unique writing style to tell this story and convey the overall message in such a raw, brutally honest way that it forces you to stare each enemy directly in the eyes. I enjoyed the inserted dialogue between the subject and the reporter, as well as the foreshadowing and the narrator’s voice. The dialogue gives a realistic aspect to the novel and provides a bit of humor as the two interact with each other. The subject character is developed as a direct, brutally honest, take no prisoners kind of person and I love it. This type of novel isn’t normally in the realm of books I tend to engage in but I hope to be adding book two to my reading list because “wow” what an unsuspecting read. I found this book to not be a quick read but one that required me to focus on every aspect of the story to fully understand it and each transitional point in the text. I found it helpful to take breaks periodically to give myself a chance to process some of the information just read. Overall, I found this novel to be both well-written and engaging and not at all difficult to dive into. The author does an excellent job merging different storylines and allows for the reader to feel immersed in the text while not feeling intentionally overwhelmed. I am excited for book two and the chance to continue this story.

From the start, this verse captivated me and held my attention as I began the wild ride that was this novel: “What was true for the land was the truth for him. Ghosts didn’t die. And wars never truly ended.”

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in an in-depth look at the politics surrounding immigration issues and a complex story. This book can be viewed as a bit heavy but if you enjoy reading books that focus on informative issues and don’t “sugar coat” specific topics, then this read is for you. I recommend this book to adults.


GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

THREE WINNERS each receive a prize pack including: Autographed paperback copy of To the Republic; unisex tee with the “Texas Forever” design; baseball cap stitched with the “Texas Forever” design; ceramic lapel pin with the “Mano de Tejas” design; vinyl 5” decal with the “Mano deTejas” design.

US only. Giveaway ends midnight, CDT, May 7, 2021

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