Category: Book News & Updates

INTO THE DARK: paperback published Dec 3rd

‘Rafi’ from Into the Dark by John Royce - Artwork by Marti Adrian | (c) 2012 Micron Press

Galloping into view … the paperback version of Into the Dark, book #3 of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy is officially being published December 3rd!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Robert Hall
R_Hall@MicronPress.com

Into the Dark, Book III of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy by Award-Winning Author John Royce Releases December 3rd

LOST IN HISTORY: Equestrian heroine gallops home

BOSTON, MA – Nov 27, 2011 | Saddle up for another gallop across history! The paperback edition of Into the Dark, the third and newest installment in award-winning author John Allen Royce’s Legend of the Great Horse trilogy will be released December 3 through Micron Press.

The 280-page book continues the epic equestrian adventures of 17 year-old Meagan Roberts, warned by a mysterious elderly eccentric, named Mrs. Bridgestone, that her beloved filly, Promise, was a legendary Great Horse come to “wing its rider into the dark.” The young equestrienne and her horse find themselves catapulted back through history, relying on little more than Meagan’s intrepid horsemanship to help them survive, as they “jump” ever closer towards home and their own time.

Royce’s first two installments in the trilogy, Eclipsed by Shadow and The Golden Spark, chronicle – with historic and equestrian accuracy – encounters with 20,000 B.C. horse-hunters, 100 A.D. Roman chariot racing, 13th century Mongolian hordes, knights, conquistadors, and courts of the Renaissance. Into the Dark opens with Meagan, separated from Promise, leaving 18th century England just as she learns the secret to finding the filly and awakening in 1860s Texas, where she must continue her search for clues to the Great Horse legend.

The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy has won consistent praise and awards for storytelling interwoven with historic accuracy about peoples and lives of ancient times. The Golden Spark earned the 2012 Written Arts Award for Science Fiction/Fantasy and was a 2011 Independent Publisher Highlighted Title. Royce’s first Great Horse book, Eclipsed by Shadow, won the Eric Hoffer Book Award for Young Adult Fiction and Mom’s Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy, earning praise from US Review of Books as “Thrilling and intelligent fantasy,” and “Page-turning… a vivid historical tale through the ages,” from the Historical Novel Society.

“I started writing these books from a long-standing desire to share horses with the public, mixed with a feeling of alarm over the loss of history in our society,” says Royce. The genesis of his Great Horses began with an equestrian-targeted television project that, he explains, “Never got off the ground. The story began to ‘take the bit between its teeth’ and become much more than I first imagined. Now I see the story as a way to show the fascinating partnership we have with horses and their deep connection to human history.”

Again illustrated by Great Horse cover artist Marti Adrian, the paperback edition of Into the Dark will be available in time for the holidays for just $16.95 through all major booksellers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

To learn more about the Great Horse trilogy and read the first chapter of Eclipsed by Shadow free, please visit TheGreatHorse.com.

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Media |  Self-proclaimed ‘Equinista,’ L.A. Pomeroy, is an award-winning (2011, 2010 AHP Best Freelance Equestrian Journalist Print/Online, 2012 AHP Best Service to the Reader finalist, 2008 AHP Best Feature finalist) photojournalist, digital correspondent, style columnist and publicist specializing in compelling writing with a twist that celebrates the timeless allure of the equestrian lifestyle.

December 3rd – Book #3: INTO THE DARK to be published in paperback

Into the Dark (bookcover)

The final volume of the award-winning trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse, is being released in paperback on December 3, 2013.

Into the Dark brings the historical adventure to triumphant conclusion as hoofbeats thunder into the modern age. The new paperback version is a revised 2nd edition.

The book will be available through bookstores and major online booksellers in the US, and released to international distribution in 2014.

INTO THE DARK coming out in paperback …

Into the Dark (bookcover)

The final volume of the award-winning trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse, is being released in paperback Fall 2013.

Into the Dark brings a triumphant conclusion to the adventure that has traveled the history of mankind. Hoofbeats thunder into the modern age, where love of horses preserves the partnership that made civilization.

The hardback edition can be found at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and is available through local libraries and bookstores.

The story is a well-researched and fast-paced tale following the adventures of a modern equestrienne lost in history.  The trilogy books have won national awards including the Eric Hoffer Award (Book #1) and the Written Arts Award (Book #2).

‘The Legend of the Great Horse’ trilogy on Pinterest

drawing of Pegasus (c) 2013 Lili KovacsIntroducing a new site on Pinterest which contains artwork from the eras traveled in The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy.

I’d especially like to share a drawing of Pegasus from the ‘Winged Horses’ board … a drawing by talented Lili Pavkovics.

Artistry runs in the Kovács family as well as practical insight: note the nicely balanced wings of Lili’s Pegasus stretch longer than many artists’ conception, modeling closer to a true animal of flight.

Check out some of the astonishing artistic creation the horse has inspired throughout civilization! New pictures will be added as the next phase of the trilogy takes wing …

News about The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy

Into the Dark - bookcover image of Stroller

The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy is sponsoring a new horse-related website launching this weekend.

The name of the site is Clean-Round.com, and its purpose is to promote equestrian sport by aggregating links to coverage and related content online. The site is set to go ‘live’ on Sunday April 21, 2013.

Clean Round! is a non-profit project I’m creating with experience and resources gained though sharing the trilogy’s story. Horse sports are continuing the journey of horsemanship in our time, so the site is natural project for the trilogy to sponsor.

Why a Show Jumping site?

Horsemanship has a great diversity of engaging and unique sports. My own background was in Western trail-riding, which eventually led to eventing. I also competed in Dressage and Hunter/Jumper shows as preparation for what was called Combined Training in Texas during the late 1970s.

Clean Round! is a Show Jumping project because it is adaptable, humane, and has great potential as a spectator sport. People don’t watch sports as much as they watch games and Jumping can be an excellent game to watch. In that role the sport can help sustain a connection between horses and the public.

This is also an historic year for the sport. With sponsorship from Furusiyya funded by Saudi Arabian interests, Show Jumping is embarking on a new international framework for the team Nations Cup series.

It’s a new idea and an experiment, one I hope helps bring positive exposure to great reporting and initiatives happening in the horse world.

Looking back on 2012 … and ahead

2012 saw the publication of Into the Dark, the final book of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy. The 3rd volume concludes with a time-traveling adventure through increasingly modern eras.

The Trilogy in 2012

The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy - book cover images2012 saw the publication of Into the Dark, the final book of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy. The 3rd volume concludes with a time-traveling adventure through modern times.

2012 Written Arts Awards

Book #2 of the trilogy, The Golden Spark, won the 2012 Written Arts Awards sponsored by Rebecca’s Reads.

The trilogy continues to find new readers interested in history and/or horses … or just looking for a fun, worthwhile read. There’s a lot coming in 2013:

  • New book giveaways and contests.
  • The paperback edition of  Into the Dark will  be released on June 21, 2013. The ebook editions will be released shortly afterwards.
  • New creative custom artwork by Canadian artist Marti Adrian Gregory for Book #2: The Golden Spark is scheduled to be released this summer.
  • The “journey through history” of the trilogy’s Facebook page is moving into the darker–but colorful–era of the Middle Ages after the crumbling of ancient Rome.
  • The trilogy’s international outreach tour begins in Canada on February 1, 2013.

Journey through the time periods of “The Legend of the Great Horse” trilogy

Eclipsed by Shadow - Join us on Facebook!Follow a journey on Facebook through the historical eras of “The Legend of the Great Horse” trilogy.

Artistic images and other material will be posted chronologically in the order of Meagan’s adventure through history.

Eclipsed by Shadow - Join us on Facebook!Follow a journey on Facebook through the historical eras of “The Legend of the Great Horse” trilogy.

Artistic images and other material will be posted chronologically in the order of Meagan’s adventure through history.

December 2012 begins with the prehistoric era…

Happy Thanksgiving!

This holiday celebrates the ‘launch’ of the conclusion to The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy: Into the Dark. I’m grateful for being allowed to tell this story … it’s been an amazing trip in so many ways.

I’m also very blessed in the support I’ve received! Now that the story is complete, I want to step back and share plans for the next phase:

A Ride through history in Artwork and Discussion

I invite folks to follow Meagan’s historical journey through ‘The Legend of the Great Horse’ on Facebook page … it just started last week. Etruscan winged horsesGoing through each time period chronologically should be a fun way to see the great historical horse pics others are posting.

I look forward to possible discussion about interesting history I learned while researching Meagan’s journey back in time … and developing a new blog about the importance of the horse in society.

Still Developing …

Some future ideas include an international ‘rollout’ of the trilogy book and a series of book giveaways. I also plan to restart my ‘tweeting history’ series, which still lingers in the European ‘Dark Age’.

Finally, I’d like to relate my experience of writing and publishing in this new technological age we find ourselves in. It is in chaos. Best and worst of times.

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I want to thank everyone who has joined in the journey. Wherever you are, have a wonderful Thanksgiving! –John

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Image Credit
© User: Realulim / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0

“Into the Dark” exhibiting at Virginia Library Association Annual Conference

Virginia Library Association (VLA) iconInto the Dark | Book 3 of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy will be exhibited at the 2012 Virginia Library Association (VLA) Annual Conference (Williamsburg, VA October 24-26, 2012).

Virginia Library Association (VLA) iconInto the Dark | Book 3 of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy will be exhibited at the 2012 Virginia Library Association (VLA) Annual Conference (Williamsburg, VA October 24-26, 2012).

“The purpose of the Association is to develop, promote, and improve library and information services, library staff, and the profession of librarianship in order to advance literacy and learning and to ensure access to information in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

The exhibit will be managed on both days by the Association Book Exhibit.