Nearly All But Forgotten
Old San Antone: Dawn of the Legend follows the life of a Texas Ranger in the Old West who tracks down the outlaws and gunfighters of the time. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My inspiration comes from my late brother, Duane “Mr. Bear” Campos who was a true man of “The Code”. And what code is that, you might ask? “The Code of Honor” of a man, that’s been nearly all but forgotten in this modern era, except to a few men who still live by its set of unwritten rules. Rules that are ingrained in “The Code”, where a man keeps his word. Where loyalty, trust, and friendship are bonds that cannot be broken. Where a man finishes what he sets out to do, even if it costs him his life. And where courage and valor are not just words written in poetry books; but are the morals and foundations by which a man lives by, and when need be, dies by. This novel “Old San Antone: Dawn of the Legend”, and all of its sequels, are a tribute to my brother, my Bru, my best friend, Duane “Mr. Bear” Campos. He is my inspiration. He is the heart and soul of the 2-Bru Krew.
As a work of historical fiction, what kind of research did you do for this novel to ensure you captured the time period with accuracy so as not to give readers “horse opera”?
Thank you for your kind words about the historical authenticity of my novel. I have been a dedicated devotee to history all my life, with a particular interest to the Victorian Era and the Old West. So, I can honestly say that there is a lifetime of painstaking research that went into making sure “Old San Antone: Dawn of the Legend” is completely 100% historically-accurate in every way, down to each last minute detail, from the description, setting, timeframe, attire, cuisine and weaponry, to even the colorfully unorthodox language, frontier phrases, Southern slang, Yiddish jargon, and Cockney vernacular that was used during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era of the Wild West. The end result is a novel that is so authentic that every page transports the reader back to 1867 in Texas, where they can experience life during that challenging time first-hand for themselves.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The most crucial themes to my novel are the ideals of Honor, Brotherhood, Justice, and Humanity. For while some people might read “Old San Antone: Dawn of the Legend”, and never see past the surface that it is anything more than an action-packed “shoot-‘em-up” filled with gritty violence like some sort of a Sam Peckinpah film, the truth of the matter is, it is quintessentially a tale that focuses on these important principles of Honor, Brotherhood, Justice, and Humanity. For the main characters, the protagonists Hondo Stone and Kid Carter are each in their own way, icons of these values, imbued with the morals of their beliefs, even if they are more akin to being valiant “anti-heroes”, than virtuous “heroes”. For like it says in the novel, “There might not have been any shining armor, but there were knights back in those days… Even if they were black knights. And two of those knights were Hondo Stone and Kid Carter.”
Question: What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The next book in the series is titled “Gunfighter’s Requiem”, and it is currently available on Amazon.com in both Kindle and Paperback formats. It picks up right where Old San Antone: Dawn of the Legend left off and continues the exciting tale of Captain Hondo Stone, Texas Ranger, and his brother-in-arms, the gunfighting gambler, Kid Carter. My latest novel has just been published on Amazon as well in both Kindle and Paperback. It is titled “Lone Star Justice”, and it is the 3rd book in the series, that is packed with action, drama, good humor, and some moments of endearing romance as well. All three novels are definitely worth a read, and all three books are available for free with Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited. Thank you so much for your time and interest in my novels, and I’d truly like to thank the great staff of Literary Titan for this opportunity of being interviewed and all of your fantastic services on your amazing website.
Author Links: Website | Twitter | YouTube | Amazon
“In the Old West, there was a place where Lawmen, Gunfighters, and Outlaws all met… That place was called, ‘Old San Antone’.”
Go back to a time when a man kept his word, when a badge meant honor, and when courage was all that it took to fight tyranny… After the Civil War, Texas was filled with lawless despair as outlaws and gunmen preyed on the misfortunes of others. There was NO law in Old San Antone until Texas Ranger Captain Hondo Stone came to town like a storm of justice… This is his story…
Do you want to know what the Wild West was really like? Then look no further than “Old San Antone”! Unlike most of the conventional “horse opera” tales of the wild west, where cliché tropes and stereotypical western balderdash are piled-up like haystacks to feed a famished herd of mindless cattle, “Old San Antone” brings a fresh new perspective to the old west, telling it the way it really was, in this fascinating era of our nation’s most colorful and exciting history. This book pulls no punches as it shows society in a stark reality that reveals all the good and bad with equal blunt honesty, gritty realism, action-packed excitement, intense suspenseful drama, and even moments of endearing romance and jovial good-natured humor. In essence, it is an exposé to life and society in the Wild West era of post-Civil War America. Teeming with meticulous details of historical-accuracy and filled with unique intriguing characters and a powerful storyline, Old San Antone is certain to entertain and delight, and leave you captivated. But more than all that, it will also enlighten you to the true definition of what Honor, Courage, Valor, and Friendship really are, as you get to know two heroic men who will stay within your heart and mind, forever.
It’s a western novel unlike any other that will make you believe in heroes once again as it transports you back in time to the Wild West era of the lawless Texas frontier, where life was cheap, and death could be bought for the right price. Money and the balance of power was held in place by how quick and deadly a man was with a gun. Gold bought lead, and in turn, lead forcefully took gold as professional gunfighters enforced the tyrannical wills of corrupt cattle barons in the conquest of entire towns.
Treachery and danger lurk around every corner in Old San Antone, which is rife with political corruption and seething with violence. Only a bold Texas Ranger Captain named “Hondo Stone” dares to stand up against insurmountable odds as he comes to Old San Antone to bring a despicable murderer to justice. He must leap into the lion’s den and take on an entire organized-crime cattle faction that is backed by corrupt lawmen, crooked politicians, bloodthirsty hired gunslingers, and an entire town full of subjugated citizens who are too intimidated by the miscreant criminal syndicate to risk lending a hand to help the Ranger.
Outnumbered and surrounded by enemies, with death awaiting him at every turn, Captain Hondo Stone stands alone, armed only with his six-guns, his relentless courage, and his unwavering “Code of Honor”, to see to it that justice is served against the tyranny of oppression. Into this volatile powder keg of lethal peril enters a devil-may-care professional gunfighting gambler named “Kid Carter” who raises the stakes to a new level of explosive derring-do, adding a wildcard to this most deadly game.
In the Old West, there truly was once a place where Lawmen, Gunfighters, and Outlaws all met, and that place was called, “Old San Antone”. What you have to ask yourself is do you have what it takes to saddle-up and ride there? Because if you want to see the truth of what really made the old west wild, then all you have to do is read, “Old San Antone: Dawn Of The Legend”.
Posted on May 6, 2023, in Interviews and tagged action, adventure, author, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, ebook, fiction, goodreads, indie author, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, Old San Antone: Dawn of the Legend, read, reader, reading, story, The 2-Bru Krew, western, writer, writing. Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.
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