Eclipsed by Shadow won the national Eric Hoffer Award for YA Fiction, and Gold in the Mom’s Choice for best YA Fantasy. The book begins a trilogy adventure about a teenaged rider, Meagan, who discovers a horse that takes her back in history.

“NEER actively rescues horses from a variety of situations, including owner surrenders, abuse and neglect situations, and horses at risk for slaughter. NEER provides sanctuary and rehabilitation in foster homes with the intention of adoption into new families as appropriate. ” – from the NEER website

First, the BEA was a networking dream/nightmare, a drinking-from-a-firehose experience of shaking hands and fumbling out “pitches” while exchanging business cards with smiling strangers. It took me several days to recover from the shock of being serially nice and cheerful, and will take me several weeks to follow up with everyone I met. I never thought being a writer would be such a social calling. I’m learning.

Second, it was fun! There aren’t many venues in which authors are the main attraction, and participating as the winner of the 2010 Mom’s Choice Award for YA Fantasy (for “Eclipsed by Shadow”) gave me a place to be and experienced veterans to learn from.

Third, and what surprised me most, was that the BEA was a readers’ event. The excitement coming from the public crowding the author signings and book giveaways gave the event an almost rock-concert atmosphere. It was not the usual thing for the book events I’ve been to, and a sign that perhaps the reports of the decline of reading might not be, if not greatly exaggerated, at least illumined with hope for the future.

That is what we’re after, isn’t it?

I’m very much in the hope business myself, though I lose sight of it. The BEA gave me a valuable reminder that reading is still a love – and alive! – for so many.

The Mom’s Choice Awards® (MCA) is an awards program that recognizes authors, inventors, companies, parents and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media, products and services.

Parents, educators, librarians and retailers rely on MCA evaluations when selecting quality materials for children and families. The Mom’s Choice Awards® seal helps families and educators navigate the vast array of products and services and make informed decisions.

An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts including Dr. Twila C. Liggett, ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of PBS’s Reading Rainbow, and Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project.

MCA judges are bound by a strict code of ethics which ensures expert and objective analysis free from any manufacturer association. Entries are scored on a number of elements including production quality, design, educational value, entertainment value, originality, appeal and cost. The end result is a list of the best in family-friendly media, products and services that parents and educators can feel confident in using.

For more information on the awards program and the honorees, please visit MomsChoiceAwards.com

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Eclipsed by Shadow is the first book of the new trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse, an award-winning literary adventure about the colorful role of horses in civilization.

Further information may be found at TheGreatHorse.com
PDF version

Contact: Robert Hall
Tel. (617) 301-2901
R_Hall@MicronPress.com

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Eclipsed by Shadow wins Gold!

Eclipsed by Shadow: Book I ~The Legend of the Great Horse has been named among the best in family-friendly media, products and services by the Mom’s Choice Awards®