Eclipsed by Shadow • The Golden Spark • Into the Dark
Check out the Excerpt Series from The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy!
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New excerpts are published each Thursday for Eclipsed by Shadow (Book #1) … and also appear on the trilogy’s Facebook Page.
Beginning in October 2011, a new series of excerpts from The Golden Spark (Book #2) will begin.
The earliest beginnings of mankind echo through artistry preserved on rock walls, giving silent testimony to the creative impulse inherent in mankind … and evidence that our fascination with the horse is older than history.
What if the dream—Meagan sat up quickly and stared at her surroundings. She was still in her nightgown, perched on a rocky cliff over an expanse of prairie grassland. An empty landscape spread before her, basking in late afternoon sun. This is strange, Meagan thought, swallowing. Solid rock walls rose on either side of her, marbled with green moss and snaking black fissures. Nothing manmade was in sight… >> read more | see all Excerpts
Eclipsed by Shadow is the 1st book of ‘The Legend of the Great Horse‘ trilogy, an award-winning adventure through history — on horseback!
» “On the Rocks” – the Horse in Cave Art
» Man and the Prehistoric Horse
» Cave Art vs. Franz Marc paintings
» Leaving the Prehistoric World Behind
» The Cave of Chauvet Official site with interactive map
» The Lascaux Caves Metropolitan Museum of Art
» Lascaux Cave French Ministry of Culture site (3-D Map)
The Golden Spark by John Allen Royce has been named an Independent Publisher (IP) Highlighted Title for August 2011. The IP Highlighted Title designation honors newly-published books exhibiting superior levels of creativity, originality, and high standards of design and production quality.
The Golden Spark by John Allen Royce has been named an Independent Publisher Highlighted Title for August 2011. (see online)
The Independent Publisher (IP) Highlighted Title designation honors newly-published books exhibiting superior levels of creativity, originality, and high standards of design and production quality.
The honor is awarded each month to the top new US titles published in the USA by independent publishers, selecting the best of new independent books each month. Being chosen as an Independent Publisher Highlighted Title brings well-deserved attention to the book, author, and publisher.
The Golden Spark is Book 2 of an award-winning trilogy adventure into mankind’s past, The Legend of the Great Horse. A horse-loving teenager is lost in history with only her knowledge of horsemanship to help her survive. Sequel to Eclipsed by Shadow, winner of the 2009 Eric Hoffer Award for YA Fiction.
‘Meagan turned back, deciding there was nothing more useless than a knight. Fairytales could talk about shining knights riding up on white steeds, but she was beginning to think their fabled rescues could do without the knight if one had the horse. If knights were not the only people with swords, she was sure no one would pay them the least attention.’ —excerpted from Eclipsed by Shadow (Book #1 of ‘The Legend of the Great Horse’ trilogy (p. 231)
No day can be good that begins in a tree, Meagan thought irritably, I need to remember that. The sun gave no indication of breaking through the overcast skies, and the night’s drizzle seemed a prelude to more rain.
Hungry, sore and sunburned, Meagan was annoyed by Henryk’s new habit of continual singing. She reached up to the wide bough on which
she had balanced through the night and retrieved Targa’s bridle. She struggled to tie her gown up so that she could ride. Her ankle-length garment seemed designed to inhibit motion, and she wished again she had not let the Abbey take away her comfortable Mongolian trousers …
Henryk slipped down from the tree and stretched luxuriously. His new horse lifted his enormous head, nudging the young knight and pushing him off his feet. Henryk gritted his teeth as the horse used him for a scratching post. “Chouchou, no,” he said mildly, pushing the horse’s head away and accepting its immediate return.
“Chouchou? Is that what you named him?”
“Tak, Chouchou! You enjoy?” Henryk murmured something in his horse’s huge, floppy ear. Chouchou—the name meant “teacher’s pet” in French, Meagan was to learn—delicately sniffed in Targa’s direction. The pony flattened her ears and snapped. “Visqueux!” Henryk sniffed, and gently soothed his mammoth horse’s supposedly-hurt feelings.
Meagan rode out into the muddy field, leaving Henryk to follow. The German horsetrader had promised the nearby road led to a castle, and she was determined to find it in the rain if necessary. She turned back and saw Henryk hopping up and down beside Chouchou.
Oh, yes, she remembered crossly. Henryk could not mount his elephant without a leg up. Meagan turned back, deciding there was nothing more useless than a knight. Fairytales could talk about shining knights riding up on white steeds, but she was beginning to think their fabled rescues could do without the knight if one had the horse. If knights were not the only people with swords, she was sure no one would pay them the least attention.
Copyright © 2008 John Royce
The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy is an adventure through history … each section is about a different time period.
Eclipsed by Shadow (Book #1 of the trilogy) won national awards including the Eric Hoffer Award for best Young Adult Fiction, and the Mom’s Choice Award for best family-friendly Young Adult Fantasy.
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Quick Links:
» See All Excerpts from The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy.
» Read the 1st Chapter online.
» Check out Book #2 of the trilogy: The Golden Spark.
» See the Media Kit for more information about the trilogy.
This is the first book I read by Royce and I have to say I was very entertained. Time Travel is my favorite genre, so I knew it would appeal to me on some level. However I would not have thought a book that helps you to understand the equestrian “how to’s” would be interesting. But I enjoyed it very much.—LibraryThing Early Reviewer
LibraryThing Early Review for The Golden Spark, Book 2 of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy:
Library Thing Early Reviewer | jll112
This is the first book I read by Royce and I have to say I was very entertained. Time Travel is my favorite genre, so I knew it would appeal to me on some level. However I would not have thought a book that helps you to understand the equestrian “how to’s” would be interesting. But I enjoyed it very much.
This would make a good “Choose Your Own Adventure” book so you could determine when she jumps through time. This book made me recall a scripture in Job that talks about the strength, power and fearlessness of the horse:
“It laughs at dread, and is not terrified. Nor does it turn back on account of a sword.” Job 339:22
The Golden Spark is the 2nd book of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, an award winning time-travel adventure through history—on horseback! The story follows the journey of a modern horsewoman lost in the distant past.
The trilogy books have won multiple national awards including the 2009 Eric Hoffer Award for best Young Adult Fiction, and the 2010 Mom’s Choice Award for best family-friendly Young Adult Fantasy.
Further information about this unique ‘creative non-fiction’ novel can be found at TheGreatHorse.com.
‘THE MUFFLED CRYING sound came again, from just over the hill. Meagan crept forward. A man was crouched at the base of the knoll, sobbing. He wore chain mail over coarse brown fabric. Next to him lay a shield and a long, tapered, brightly-painted wooden pole: a knight’s lance.’ —excerpted from Eclipsed by Shadow (Book #1 of ‘The Legend of the Great Horse’ trilogy (p. 201)
This excerpt is from Eclipsed by Shadow, Book #1 of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, an adventure through history―on horseback.
The scene is set in Central Europe in 1240 AD: While on the run with her Mongolian pony, Meagan meets a horseless knight …
THE MUFFLED CRYING sound came again, from just over the hill. Meagan crept forward. A man was crouched at the base of the knoll, sobbing. He wore chain mail over coarse brown fabric. Next to him lay a shield and a long, tapered, brightly-painted wooden pole: a knight’s lance.
She cleared her throat delicately. “Excuse me, is something wrong?”
The man whirled and rose to his feet, and Meagan saw two things immediately. First, the man was not much more than a boy, and second, there was a sword strapped to his side. The young man brandished the metal blade, then on another thought grabbed his shield. He took a fierce stance, wiping his red eyes discreetly.
“I am sorry, I did not see you before,” Meagan said cautiously. “Are you lost?”
The young man sniffed. He was blonde-haired and his plain, wide features were raw from rubbing. “Cheval go,” he said miserably.
Zhivago? Meagan enunciated clearly: “Do you mean as in ‘Doctor,’ by any chance? It’s one of my mother’s favorite movies.”
“Nie, nie!” He pointed to the bridle Meagan carried. “Cheval!”
“Oh, this?” Meagan held up the simple headgear. “It is not a shovel … it’s a bri-dle. For my horse.”
“Tak, tak! Horse!” The young man launched into an excited string of what sounded like gibberish.
Meagan held up her hand. “I am sorry, I do not understand. Do you speak English?”
“Small!” The young man nodded eagerly. “English mother once.”
“English. Mother. Once,” she repeated.
The young man pointed off into the distance. “Horse go. Mens.”
She straightened. “What do you mean, horse go? My horse or your horse?”
He pointed at himself sadly, saying, “Horse go.” Then he pointed at Meagan. “Horse go.” He made an angry face and pantomimed kicking, as if imitating a certain ill-tempered pony.
This person had no idea what he was saying. Meagan put her hands to her mouth and whistled the call that always brought Targa trotting. The pony did not come. Again she tried … the call sounded shrill and futile.
After a moment silent except for sounds of birds in the trees, the young man shyly cleared his throat. He pointed to himself apologetically. “Henryk.”
Eclipsed by Shadow (Book #1 of the trilogy) won national awards including the Eric Hoffer Award for best Young Adult Fiction, and the Mom’s Choice Award for best family-friendly Young Adult Fantasy.
__________
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.
Check out the trilogy’s page on Facebook!
John Allen Royce’s debut title, Eclipsed by Shadow, has been nominated for a Global eBook Award in the Young Adult Fiction category.
John Allen Royce’s debut title, Eclipsed by Shadow, has been nominated for a Global eBook Award in the Young Adult Fiction category. (see Press Release [PDF])
Eclipsed by Shadow is Book I of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, a literary adventure about the colorful role of horses in civilization. The story begins the adventures of a modern rider carried back into history. The title has previously won national honors including the 2009 Eric Hoffer Book Award for best Young Adult Fiction.
The author, John Allen Royce, has lived “from sea to shining sea” in his native America, and now resides in Boston, Massachusetts. Over 20 years experience in competitive riding combined with the author’s passion for historical research to spark the idea for The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy.
“Everyone is talking about eBooks!” says the founder of the Global eBook Awards, Dan Poynter. “eBooks have reached the tipping point and are outselling books on paper in several categories. eBooks are not replacing paper books; they are in addition to.”
The Awards have 79 categories in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, illustration, and multimedia. The Global eBook Award winners will be honored at a star-studded ceremony on August 20 in Santa Barbara, California.
History, fantasy, myth, adventure and proper equine care all shine brightly in this first book in the trilogy. Royce weaves all of these elements together beautifully and young readers probably won’t even notice that they are learning about history and horse care while on this great ride back through time. I learned quite a bit myself and I grew up on a horse ranch with horses always in my life. This was a “can’t put down” book for me.—Julie Dees, One Book Shy of a Full Shelf
The following is a review of Eclipsed by Shadow by Julie Dees of the book blog, One Book Shy of a Full Shelf:
OneBookShy.com | Julie Dees
I don’t know if I will have enough adjectives to describe just how much
I LOVE THIS BOOK!
Although I would like to apologize to the author John Royce first. I’ve had this book for quite a while and have just now got a chance to share my review ~ it’s one that was worth the wait though! And just in time to TOP my GIFT-WORTHY list..
Horse-crazy teenager Meagan Roberts is the proud owner of an amazingly rare Palomino Thoroughbred filly (girl horse) named “Promise”. As Meagan dreams of the future and waits for Promise to grow enough to start training, many strange people start showing up and trying to buy the unusual filly from the Roberts family. The prices they offer are both staggering and suspicious. A strange old woman also comes to visit after the filly is born at dawn on June 21st ~ the summer solstice. She makes some odd comments before going on her way. There is a lot of interest in this “backyard” foal.
Meagan receives an intriguing invitation for her and a guardian to luncheon at a mansion nearby. The mysterious hostess is Mrs. Bridgestone, the strange old lady who had come to see Promise. The reason for her interest becomes clear as she reveals that she believes Promise to be one of the legendary “Great Horses”. These horses are those who were prominent in history, making their own marks along with humans and gods. Meagan believes Mrs. Bridgestone and wonders about the warning she gives her to not ride Promise. She feels this could bring darkness according to a hundred year old letter and verse written by the beloved horseman Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce :
A hundred years hence on the westmost shore,
the Great Horse comes to men once more.History lights the future’s course,
with paths we’ve taken with the Horse;So born of loss and mother’s grief,
the Great Horse takes a mighty leap.Eclipsed by shadow, the golden spark
Shall wing her rider into the dark.Meagan’s mother Jennifer doesn’t believe the legend, even though almost every line seems to be referring to Promise. Jennifer won’t let Meagan see Mrs. Bridgestone after the visit because she thinks the old lady is crazy. I won’t go too much into detail as to what occurs next, but Promise and Meagan start on a journey where they visit other ‘Great Horses’ and make their own mark on the past of both humans and equines.
The author is obviously a horseman himself. He writes about horses, their care and behaviour with the authority of one who has lived with them. His writing is very clear and very engaging. I saw myself in Meagan as I was one of those kids who would spend 10 hours cleaning the barn before I’d spend 1 hour helping in the house. (I’m still that way I’m afraid.) She is an endearing and very likable guide on this horseback ride through time.
History, fantasy, myth, adventure and proper equine care all shine brightly in this first book in the trilogy. Royce weaves all of these elements together beautifully and young readers probably won’t even notice that they are learning about history and horse care while on this great ride back through time. I learned quite a bit myself and I grew up on a horse ranch with horses always in my life. This was a “can’t put down” book for me.
There is a very small bit of violence (as there always is when war is involved) but I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone over about 10 or 11. Especially horselovers or adventurers. Young horsemen and horsewomen will see themselves as I did in the bond that is shared by Meagan and Promise and that which Jennifer had shared with Moose ~ Promise’s dam. (Dam is what the mare is called when she gives birth or foals.)
This is definitely a book that adults and kids can both read and discuss. There is a thorough glossary in the back that would be an extremely useful tool for all. On the learning side, I think this would be a fantastic series for riding instructors and first time horse owners as well. For the adventure and fantasy lovers, some other readers have compared this to an equine version of the “Harry Potter” series. It’s a fun and engrossing story that has just begun and none of us will want to end!
Update: The 2nd installment, The Golden Spark is available now. I CAN’T WAIT!!!! This is one of those series where I could read all three books in one long session if I had them – it’s that addictive. Go HERE to learn more about the author and the series.
Eclipsed by Shadow is the first book of the award-winning fiction trilogy, The Legend of the Great Horse, a time-travel adventure through history—on horseback! The story follows the journey of a modern horsewoman lost in the distant past.
The title won the 2009 Eric Hoffer Award for best Young Adult Fiction, and the 2010 Mom’s Choice Award for best family-friendly Young Adult Fantasy.
Further information about this unique ‘creative non-fiction’ novel can be found at TheGreatHorse.com.
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