The Legend of the Great Horse

“The Chariot Race” (1882) by Alexander von Wagner

A goal of mine when writing “Eclipsed by Shadow” was to introduce lesser-known history and discuss it in new ways. Roman chariot racing signaled something new to humanity with far-reaching implications, and it was the phenomenon that made me aware of the central role horsemanship has truly [...]

Why I wrote “The Legend of the Great Horse”

A tragedy sparked The Great Horse trilogy (of which Eclipsed by Shadow is the first volume). I came to know of this sad event because I lived in Cambridge, MA, where it occurred.
It happened in the 1990’s as a wave of corporatization washed over Harvard Square, which [...]

I recently wrote that the spark to my writing “Eclipsed by Shadow” was triggered by the corporatization of Harvard Square and the loss of its venerable old bookstores. It was alarmingly easy to relate ancient nomadic destruction of religious settlements to the commercial invasion of these hallowed shelves. Both invaders had as their object mere [...]

Chariots of early history (16th century BC)

This is my third “Mirror” post in a row, and where I finally explain the use of the metaphor and close the barn door after it.
In the first post of this Mirror trilogy, I mentioned becoming interested in reading about history while browsing the shelves of the doomed used [...]

The following is an archived review from Bob Spear of Heartland Reviews. Mr. Spear is no longer offering his standard review service, which is a loss to the industry. In his words: “My health and time constraints preclude me from offering free book reviews any more. If the mainstream reviewers such as Kirkus, Foreword Magazine, [...]

I’ve been away, and it seems mighty odd to write it that way. Contractions didn’t exist in the 17th century, at least not the ones we are used to today; although shan’t t’was. I have found it is a challenge to write conforming prose that does not roll off the keyboard with square wheels.
I have—I’ve—been [...]

This post begins a timeline to discuss the various eras traveled in “Eclipsed by Shadow,” and the rest of “The Legend of the Great Horse” trilogy. The first era is Pre-History.
Man’s long, colorful relationship with the horse is revealed in one of humanity’s oldest creative impulses: Art.  The equine image has adorned virtually every medium [...]

One thing you notice when researching historical fiction like “Eclipsed by Shadow” is how much human history is owed to the horse. Civilization advanced through adapting to the horse’s outlook.
Horsemanship is a civilized encounter with an alien mind. Horses are a “prey” species whose code is: “he who quickly runs away, lives to run another [...]

Eclipsed by Shadow, is the first volume of the new trilogy adventure, “The Legend of the Great Horse,” which begins a journey that traces the history of horsemanship. In the story, the heroine, Meagan Roberts, is taken back through time by her horse, Promise. Meagan must survive humanity’s brutal past armed only with her knowledge [...]