Award-winning novelist Rusty Blackwood has announced the release of Before The Grandeur: The Making of a Horsemaster, a prequel to her acclaimed Autumn series. The novel explores the early life of Cyril Landon, the central horsemaster figure in the trilogy, tracing his journey from poverty in South Wood Chester, Gloucestershire, England, to becoming a celebrated equestrian master.
According to the press release, the story follows the deprived young Englishman born into a world of poverty, where hope seemed distant. However, a labourer's job at a local farm opened a door to a future he never imagined. Blackwood stated, 'It gives me great pleasure to bring you Before the Grandeur: The Making of a Horsemaster. This trip down memory lane was a journey thoroughly enjoyed on my behalf, as it opened a well-defined observation into Cyril Landon's early life, from birth, through a difficult, poverty-stricken existence, to the acclaimed, celebrated Horsemaster you meet in The Perils of Autumn.'
Early reviews have been positive. Richard Prause of Readers Favorite commented, 'It doesn't depend on manufactured plot twists to drive the story. Instead, it focuses on the simple, powerful moments of a man earning the trust of a stallion. It's a perceptive exploration of ambition and loyalty, indeed.' Another reviewer, Asher Syed, noted that the novel 'will be a boon for readers who are already fans of the series, and a brilliant introduction to fans-in-waiting.'
The new book is available at Amazon. Blackwood's first book in the series, The Perils Of Autumn, was a finalist in the Fiction Romance category by International Book Awards in 2019 and received a 5-star rating from Reader's Favorite. That novel centers on Autumn Leeves, a young Kentucky woman born in 1946 to an unwed mother, who faces societal shunning until a kind shopkeeper takes them in. By 1970, Autumn graduates nursing school and is assigned to care for the terminally ill wife of Cyril Landon, leading to a romance plagued by obstacles.
Blackwood's previous works include Willow's Walk and Passions in Paris: Revelations of a Lost Diary, both of which garnered critical acclaim. For more information, visit Blackwood's website.
Blackwood is available for interview in the Toronto and Niagara areas. All her books are available at Amazon.
