Book II: Horse Ahoy!

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This excerpt is from The Golden Spark, Book #2 of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, an adventure through history―on horseback.

The year is 1519 and the Conquistadors are bringing horses to shore … from where they have been absent for many thousands of years.

“Once more upon the water,
yet once more!
And the waves bound beneath me as a steed that knows his rider!”

—Lord Byron (1788-1824)

WITH A GIANT splash, the water closed over the horse’s head and sprayed against the side of the ship. Meagan gritted her teeth: it was not getting any easier to watch. Each time she had finally convinced herself the horse had drowned in the ocean, the animal’s head popped up, mane and forelock plastered back like a mythological beast rising from the sea. Giving a spraying blast to clear its nostrils, the horse would whinny and turn to shore. A cheer went up from the men and the horse was away.

For two days the Spaniards had held the town. Native emissaries visited, alternating with scouting parties in full war paint. Dark, slinking figures moved everywhere. And now came the call for the horses.

A splash signaled another horse departing for New Spain. Meagan walked down the line of stalls to El Morzillo. She patted the black horse, pushing him away as he nudged for treats. His ears had been stopped with cotton and his tail braided to reduce the drag of the water.

Meagan moved slowly to avoid startling the skittish stallion. It seemed strange to take a finely bred horse out of a lavish stall and unceremoniously toss him into the ocean, but the Spaniards did exactly that, and each horse had survived the trip and was now bucking and running across the beach.

The Golden Spark (Book #2 of the Legend of the Great Horse trilogy) won the 2011 Written Arts Awards for best Science Fiction/Fantasy.

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Links:

» See All Excerpts from The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy.

» Read the 1st Chapter online.

» See the Media Kit for more information about the trilogy.

» Order Books

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Eclipsed by Shadow - Book #1 of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy - Bookcover (straight-on, drop shadow) 142px by 203 px
The Golden Spark - Book #2 of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy - Bookcover
Into the Dark - Book #3 of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy - Bookcover (straight-on, drop shadow) 142px by 203 px

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