THE LEGEND OF THE GREAT HORSE trilogy | Blog
Eclipsed by Shadow • The Golden Spark • Into the Dark
Ebook editions of “Eclipsed by Shadow,” the award-winning 1st volume of “The Legend of the Great Horse” trilogy, will be available through major outlets on May 1, 2010.
Eclipsed by Shadow, the award-winning 1st volume of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, will be available through major outlets on May 1, 2010 in the following formats:
– iPad (Apple)
– Kindle (Amazon)
– Sony Reader
– Nook (Barnes & Noble)
Distribution is through the innovative service, Smashwords, which allows readers to sample and download the book in multiple formats.
The Golden Spark, Book II of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, will be published on this Fall 2010.
The eagerly-anticipated sequel to Eclipsed by Shadow continues the historical adventure with a journey through the Renaissance.
The story follows the main character, Meagan Roberts, as she struggles to survive history and find her way home.
A pre-publication edition will be released during the World Equestrian Games (September 25 – October 10, 2010). Review copies and a special pre-publication edition will be available this summer.
The Mom’s Choice Awards® has named Eclipsed by Shadow: The Legend of the Great Horse ~ Book I of III among the best in family-friendly media, products and services.
March 21, 2010 | The Mom’s Choice Awards® has named Eclipsed by Shadow among the best in family-friendly media, products and services.
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
Contact: Robert Hall
Tel. (617) 301-2901
R_Hall@MicronPress.com###
With ECLIPSED BY SHADOW, John Royce has created a wonderful legend sure to please historians and equestrians alike. Jammed packed with chariot racing, jousting and action galore one wonders how one book can hold so much. With each turn of the page a new adventure awaits.—Angela Simmons, Review the Book
The following is a new review of Eclipsed by Shadow by Angela Simmons for Review the Book:
Angela Simmons | Review the Book
Owning a horse was the only thing that teenager Meagan Roberts could think about. Owning a legendary great horse never crossed her mind.
In “Eclipsed by Shadow”, we see that Meagan’s horse, Promise, is just that. Unwilling to heed the advice of Mrs. Bridgestone, the keeper of the legend, that if this Great Horse is rode it would bring darkness, Meagan rides Promise.
Instantly she is transported to another place and time. 20,000 B.C. to be exact. She finds herself among a tribe that is hunting horses. From there chaos ensues as she is chased off a cliff with a herd of horses. Before falling to the bottom of the canyon, the Great Horse comes to her aid, and Meagan finds herself in the middle of a battle in the Black Sea. Running for shelter she finds herself in the middle of an ancient tomb.
Along the way Meagan makes friends and enemies while she collects knowledge. Also, she witnesses the cruelty of each place she comes to. Meagan wonders why her beloved Promise, who is so sweet and gentle, could bring her into so much darkness. After helping the Emperor’s chariot driver, Braedin, win the races, she realizes that unintentionally she has brought disgrace upon the Emperor. Once again she finds herself in a fight for her life.
The Great Horse now transports her to the year 1240 A.D. She finds herself among the Tartars and Genghis Khan as they raid and pillage each village they come to. Meagan escapes with her only friend, a pony she named Targa. Once again chaos follows…
With “Eclipsed be Shadow,” John Royce has created a wonderful legend sure to please historians and equestrians alike. Jammed packed with chariot racing, jousting and action galore one wonders how one book can hold so much. With each turn of the page a new adventure awaits.
Eclipsed by Shadow is the first book of the award-winning fiction trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse, a journey through history–on horseback! The story follows the time-travel adventure of a modern horsewoman lost in the distant past.
Further information about this unique and imaginative ‘creative non-fiction’ novel can be found at TheGreatHorse.com.
This engaging book will especially appeal to young adult readers and educators. The story combines fast-paced adventure with accurate information about horsemanship and the various historical periods explored.—Mary Barrett, The Nashville News
March 2, 2009 | The following is a new review of Eclipsed by Shadow by Mary Barrett (“Let’s Read”) appearing in The Nashville News:
Mary Barrett | Let’s Read!
This book brings to life man’s fascinating partnership with the horse. Teenage and adult readers will thrill to this remarkable story featuring the horse’s role in history. Readers become part of the adventure as they travel back to the days when primitive man stalked horses as prey, and witness the development of horsemanship in ancient and medieval cultures. This engaging book will especially appeal to young adult readers and educators. The story combines fast-paced adventure with accurate information about horsemanship and the various historical periods explored.
This is a delightful read for history buffs and horse fans alike. The second book will be The Golden Spark. Eclipsed by Shadow won the Eric Hoffer Award for Young Adults and placed 2nd in the 2008 Reader Views Literary Awards for Fantasy.
Eclipsed by Shadow can be found at your local bookstore, by using the website TheGreatHorse.com or through online booksellers like Amazon.com.
Eclipsed by Shadow is the first book of the award-winning fiction trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse, a journey through history–on horseback! The story follows the time-travel adventure of a modern horsewoman lost in the distant past.
Further information about this unique and imaginative ‘creative non-fiction’ novel can be found at TheGreatHorse.com.
The following is the Eric Hoffer Award review of Eclipsed by Shadow that was featured in the 2009 edition of the US Review of Books.
[See featured review]
Eric Hoffer Awards | Emily Hinton
“Meagan heard shouting behind her as Promise reached for the safety of speed… Wind rose in Meagan’s ears, and time stretched into a series of still photographs as the young thoroughbred gathered and stretched. The ground blurred and together they lifted into the air.”
Eclipsed by Shadow, the first installment of Royce’s Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, transforms a majestic beast into a thrilling and intelligent fantasy. The story focuses on Meagan, a twelve-year-old girl, and her foal, Promise. As the two grow older, it becomes clear to Meagan that Promise is a horse of legendary potential, and when ridden, Promise takes Meagan on a journey through time. Meagan must use her knowledge of horsemanship to survive as she joins in periods of remote human history and sees the roles horses have played. The Great Horse is actually a Pegasus who drops her into ancient history to fend for herself. Perils await a young girl with no money, no family, and only her wits and knowledge of horses to help her survive as she battles to return to her own time.
Royce is targeting teens, but the story is accessible to a wider range of readers. The action and thrills of the story are subtly interspersed with colorfully drawn history lessons perfect for engaging readers, and the writing delivers such elegant turns of phrase as to keep teens and adults intrigued. Royce is even makes a quiet ploy for the mainstream teaching of Latin, but in a way that makes the language vibrant. As the summer gets underway, Royce has provided a great blend of academic and adventurous reading that is beach-ready.
Eclipsed by Shadow is the first book of the award-winning fiction trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse, a journey through history–on horseback! The story follows the time-travel adventure of a modern horsewoman lost in the distant past.
Further information about this unique and imaginative ‘creative non-fiction’ novel can be found at TheGreatHorse.com.
ECLIPSED BY SHADOW was named a July 4th Display Title by the New England Independent Booksellers Association (NEIBA).
The book was featured in various bookstores in the Boston area, including Village Books in Roslindale, Harvard Square Books, Porter Square Books and Robin Bledsoe’s equestrian-oriented antiquarian bookstore.
Eclipsed by Shadow has won the Eric Hoffer Book Award for Young Adult (YA) Fiction! This is a tremendous national honor given in the name of one of America’s great thinkers.
The Eric Hoffer Award for short prose and books was established at the start of the 21st century as a means of opening a door to writing of significant merit. It honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers.
The Hoffer Award exists as a platform to honor independent books of exceptional merit.
More information about Eric Hoffer and this honor will be posted over the next week…
“In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future.” – Eric Hoffer, American Philosopher
Boston, MA, May 8, 2009 (PressReleasePoint) – The YA historical fiction novel Eclipsed by Shadow has been named to the Eric Hoffer Book Award Grand Prize Shortlist. The Eric Hoffer Book Award is presented each year as a means of opening a door to independent writing of significant merit.
Eclipsed by Shadow is the first book of a new fiction trilogy adventure, The Legend of the Great Horse, which is gaining critical praise for its engaging portrayal of the history of horsemanship in civilization. This first volume begins the journey of a modern-day rider traveling back in time to
experience how horses were used in the past. Vivid writing and colorful characters (both two- and four-legged) create a fresh, page-turning adventure that educates as it entertains.
The author, John Royce, is a veteran horseman from Texas with over twenty-five years of experience in competitive riding, training horses and coaching students. His unique story is the product of ten years of research. Mr. Royce explains the enduring popularity of horses: “Horses have been with mankind since the beginning—the history of horses is the history of civilization.”
The story is a delightful read for history buffs and horse fans alike, YA 15+ to adult.
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Eclipsed by Shadow (Micron Press | 2008) by John Royce
ISBN 978-0-9724121-3-1
292 Pages, Softcover $15.95
ISBN 978-0-9724121-5-5
304 Pages, Hardcover $22.95
Contact:
Robert Hall (R_Hall@MicronPress.com)
Micron Press
71 Prince Street, #35
Boston, MA 02113
(617) 301-2901
First Chapter, Bio, Press Kit, and more online at: TheGreatHorse.com
