Blackstone Publishing

May 23, 2023

News provided by Share this article Share this article San Antonio author's new novel is a Bildungsroman that journeys from the Rio Grande Valley to New York City. SAN ANTONIO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning author Rudy Ruiz has inked a new book deal with Blackstone Publishing for the release of his next novel, The Border Between Us. The book is due out in September 2024. The announcement comes on the heels of Ruiz's most recent novel, Valley of Shadows, receiving the Texas Institute of Letters' prestigious Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction. "It's wonderful to build momentum with readers and fans of literary fiction," Rudy Ruiz states. "I'm particularly excited to share this novel with them. I've been working on it for the past decade. While fictional, it draws inspiration from my experiences coming of age on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border as well as in the Northeast." "Blackstone Publishing is incredibly excited to continue publishing Rudy Ruiz," says senior acquisitions editor Marilyn Kretzer. "This is Rudy's best book yet." The Border Between Us is narrated in first person by a character named Ramón Lopez, whom the novel follows from childhood to adulthood. Ramón is a sensitive and gifted child who wholeheartedly embraces the American Dream. Growing up as a first-generation American along the US-Mexico border in the 1970's and 80's, he is inspired by his father's optimistic ambition and tireless drive. But as his family's prospects are battered by poor decisions and a bad economy, Ramón's aspirations and ideas lead him in a direction which diverges from that of his family. "As the story unfolds," Ruiz says, "readers will wonder whether Ramón's life will end up in tatters and disillusion or whether he'll find a way to make peace with who he is, where he comes from, and where he's headed." A Bildungsroman, The Border Between Us is a novel in stories. Some of its chapters appeared as short stories in literary journals, including Gulf Coast, New Texas and The Dillydoun Review. "That Boy Could Run" was the winner of the 2017 Gulf Coast Prize in Fiction . "Limes" and "Allegiance" were both Finalists for the Texas Institute of Letters Kay Cattarulla Award for Best Short Story. Set in Brownsville, Texas and Matamoros, Mexico, where the author grew up, this work of literary fiction with touches of magical realism explores the complex and elusive meaning of American identity for immigrant families. Ruiz deftly shares insights on the perception and function of borders from diverse perspectives: geographical, cultural, linguistic, and metaphysical, all the time illuminating how being raised within a porous border community, concepts of morality, ethics, and self-identity are not drawn in black and white but rather painted in colorful and blurred abstraction. According to its author, "The Border Between Us is an intimate and authentically American story that poignantly reminds readers that reaching for who we want to become does not mean sacrificing who we are." About the Author Rudy Ruiz's works of fiction include: Valley of Shadows, The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez, and Seven for the Revolution. His writing has been described by the American Library Association's Booklist  as "beguiling prose," by Kirkus Reviews as giving "a voice to the voiceless," and by the Texas Institute of Letters as "a masterful weaving of the best of American literature." He has received six International Latino Book Awards, the Gulf Coast Prize in Fiction, and the Texas Institute of Letters' Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction. His fiction has appeared in numerous literary journals and his political commentary has appeared on CNN. A bilingual native of the border, Ruiz earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Harvard University. Learn more at rudyruiz.com. About Blackstone Publishing Founded in 1987, Blackstone continues to pioneer new and creative ways to bring stories to life. With multiple New York Times Best Sellers, Grammy award-winning audio productions, and three books placed on the New York Times Best Books of the Year list, Blackstone has firmly positioned itself as one of America's fastest growing and respected publishing houses. A true independent, privately owned publisher, with offices on both coasts, Blackstone is home to a vibrant and eclectic community of storytellers and story lovers, offering hundreds of new titles each month to its catalog of 17,000+ books. The authors published are as varied as the books themselves, with works by some of the biggest names in literature including Gabriel García Márquez, Ayn Rand, Ian Fleming, George Orwell, Robert Heinlein, James Clavell, as well as more contemporary authors like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Karin Slaughter, Don Winslow, Robert Downey Jr., Jeneva Rose, Norman Reedus, and many more. SOURCE Blackstone Publishing, Inc.