Award-winning novelist Rusty Blackwood has announced the release of her latest novel, Before The Grandeur: The Making of a Horsemaster, a prequel to her popular Autumn series. The book is now available at Amazon.
The novel explores the early life of Cyril Landon, a character central to Blackwood's Autumn trilogy. Set in the impoverished village of South Wood Chester, Gloucestershire, England, the story follows Landon from his birth through a difficult, poverty-stricken existence to his rise as a celebrated horsemaster. Blackwood noted, "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."
According to Blackwood, the prequel provides readers with a detailed account of the character who underpins the successful life cherished by the entire Autumn cast. The novel has already received positive reviews. 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." Another reviewer, Asher Syed, stated, "Overall, this will be a boon for readers who are already fans of the series, and a brilliant introduction to fans-in-waiting."
The first book in the Autumn series, The Perils Of Autumn, earned Blackwood recognition as a finalist in the Fiction Romance category at the 2019 International Book Awards and the American Book Fest's 2019 awards program. That novel, set primarily in the early 1970s, centers on Autumn Leeves, a young Kentucky woman born to an unwed mother. After graduating nursing school, Autumn is assigned to care for the terminally ill wife of Cyril Landon, the owner of Landon Lawns Stables, a successful Thoroughbred racing stable near Lexington, Kentucky. The story weaves romance and peril as Autumn and Cyril navigate their relationship amid secrets and tragedies.
Blackwood's previous works include the 5-star rated romantic fiction novel Willow's Walk, set in Ottawa, Canada, and Passions in Paris: Revelations of a Lost Diary, a sweeping saga that has drawn comparisons to Erich Segal's Love Story and Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook. Both novels received critical acclaim, with reviewers praising their emotional depth and storytelling.
Information on all of Blackwood's work is available at her website. Readers can download paperback and Kindle versions of her books at Amazon sites worldwide, including Amazon. Blackwood, a prolific Indie author, also writes short story comedies, poetry, and children's books.
