NEW! Directory for horse loving readers!

Please check out this fantastic FREE new resource for horse lovers and those who love to read and write about horses. There will be a directory of books and authors plus regular updates and news!

http://horsebackreads.com/hello-world/

Valentine Horse for Valentine's Day!

Two words: Valentine Horse!

If you are romantic, a horse lover or both, I hope you will enjoy curling up on the sofa with the paperback edition or your kindle for an emotional read. Available from all Amazon territories - with love!

Sixteen year old Lara’s world is turned upside down after a riding accident on her lively new horse Skylark, a surprise gift for Valentine’s Day. Recovering in hospital, she meets the enigmatic Ant, an unconventional sculptor. Lara is instantly attracted but her parents don’t approve of the relationship – especially as Ant is older than Lara. 

As her feelings grow for Ant, Lara questions her relationship with her lifelong best friend, and brilliant rider, Ryan. Struggling with her emotions, she also has to regain her confidence to ride the flighty and difficult Skylark, who is the catalyst for everything that happens to Lara after he enters her life on Valentine's Day.... 

Torn between Ant and Ryan, and battling with increasing confrontations with her parents, Lara makes the gut-wrenching discovery that her beloved first pony, Spook, may not have gone to the good home she believed. Is it too late to save Spook? And when faced with a terrible choice, how will Lara find the courage to follow her heart? A heart-warming read for romantic horse lovers everywhere.

Buy link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Valentine-Horse-Jane-Ayres/dp/1505774349/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Paperback and kindle editions. 

THE HORSE ON THE BALCONY - out now!!! PLUS sequel DARK HORSES

I've just brought out TWO NEW titles for horse lovers - with a spooky twist!

The first is an unusual and moving story called THE HORSE ON THE BALCONY

 

Jenni is grieving from a loss that rips her world apart.
Holly is wracked with guilt after an accident she feels is her fault.

A chance encounter at a railway station brings the girls together and they share their tragic secrets. When Holly reveals she keeps seeing a mysterious palomino on an apartment balcony, which Jenni has dreamed is in danger, they decide to find him. In the process, they discover that sometimes, hope - and danger - is found in the most unexpected places…

 The sequel, a thrilling, spooky read is DARK HORSES

When teenager Jenni takes on a pair of stunning rescue thoroughbreds, she soon discovers that Firebrand and Lazer are not as perfect as they seem. Her friends Ella and Holly are suspicious but Jenni won't hear a word against her new horses.

After Ella is injured in a fall, Holly decides to investigate their past and a mysterious diary reveals a tragic tale of jealousy and revenge. Firebrand and Lazer hold the key to a dark and terrible secret that puts everyone in danger.......


AVAILABLE IN ALL AMAZON TERRITORIES.
BUY LINKS
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Horse-Balcony-Horses-Secrets-Book-ebook/dp/B00SV4R1R2 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Horses-Secrets-Book-ebook/dp/B00SV3J7H0

Perfect Horse in best seller list

It only lasted a day or so, but for a while, at least, The Perfect Horse was number 3 in the Amazon best sellers for children's equestrian e-books.  Yee-ha!

Related post: http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/the-perfect-horse-pony-book-with-twist.html

The Perfect Horse - a pony book with a twist!

My latest title, The Perfect Horse, is now LIVE on Amazon. Yee-ha!! Loving the fantastic cover by the amazing Klaus Hartleben. It's been 6 months since I published so I'm hoping readers will enjoy this latest story.

It's a dramatic, emotional adventure for horse lovers – with a twist! 

When teenage Krista encounters the magnificent grey stallion, Seahawk, while spending summer by the coast, she thinks she’s found the perfect horse. She’s right – Seahawk is exceptional – so special, in fact, that some folk will do anything to get their hands on him, putting Krista in terrible danger. 

But where does this perfect horse come from? And why is his past – and future – so shrouded in mystery? Reclusive artist, Mel, who lives on the isolated Mount, has some of the answers – but can she be trusted? Does Krista’s cousin, Shannon, know more than she lets on? The truth is more incredible, shocking - and sinister - than Krista could ever imagine. 

This is a fast-paced horse story with an unexpected kick. 

Suitable for older children, teens, young adults and adults. 

BUY HERE http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Horse-Jane-Ayres-ebook/dp/B00MFTBTRW

Valentine Horse for Valentine's Day!

My short novella, Valentine Horse, is now available from Amazon in all territories - just in time for Valentine's Day!  So for all those romantic horse lovers, here is a story aimed at older middle grade readers*, teens, young adults and adults.  The story focusses on sixteen year old Lara and her relationships: with Ryan, her best friend, who she has practically grown up with; Ant, an unconventional sculptor, and several years older than Lara; her overprotective parents, who don't approve of Ant; and her flighty horse, Skylark, who is the catalyst for everything that happens to Lara when he enters her life on Valentine's Day.... 

I love the cover, designed once more by Klaus Hartleben.  Hope you enjoy!

Buy links
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Valentine-Horse-Jane-Ayres-ebook/dp/B00IEOF8LU

http://www.amazon.com/Valentine-Horse-Jane-Ayres-ebook/dp/B00IEOF8LU

* NB - as a guide for parents, there is no swearing or sex in this novella.

NEW! Valentine Horse: cover reveal!

This is the time of year when I am (still) reflecting on the past and considering what the future holds. Lots of thinking, which will, in due course, become articulated through the medium of words.  Until then, here is a sneak preview of the cover (by designer Klaus Hartleben) of my next book, Valentine Horse.  Aimed at older children, teens and young adults, this is a horse story with a strong element of romance. The title will be available by - you've guessed it - Valentine's Day!  Watch this space for more....

Joyrider only 99p for 7 days!

My dark horse mystery drama for children, teens and horse-loving adults will be LESS THAN HALF PRICE for the next 7 DAYS as part of the Kindle Countdown Deal!

So if you fancy a read for JUST 99p and want to grab it before the price reverts back to  £2.01 click on the icon on the sidebar.

About Joyrider by Jane Ayres

Fourteen year old Linzi has it all. Or so it seems. She's bright, pretty, popular, lives in a glamorous clifftop apartment and has her own perfect horse - a stunning copper chestnut gelding called Ambrose. But appearances can be very deceptive....

On the other side of the sleepy seaside town, teenager Bex lives in a tiny flat with her widowed mum above the café they both run. She's prickly, moody, and a loner, trying to escape from her tragic past. She doesn't want friends - especially not girls like Linzi.

Linzi suspects her rival, Sheldon, who resents her for beating him to a place in the jumping team, is the mystery joyrider - someone who takes other peoples horses at night and rides them - and she is furious when her beloved Ambrose is targeted. However, afterwards, Ambrose seems different, and Linzi is baffled to discover that his behaviour is much better than before. Can the joyrider have a magic touch?

She determines to solve the mystery and discover the true identity - and motives - of the joyrider. But in the process she soon finds herself - and Bex - in terrible danger.

This exciting novella is a fast paced read for children, pre-teens, teenagers and young adults.

Available in all Amazon territories. 

Amazon links:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Joyrider-ebook/dp/B00F7V247Y
http://www.amazon.com/Joyrider-ebook/dp/B00F7V247Y

Book covers: working with an illustrator

Book covers are hugely important in the success of a book, and I really enjoy working on my indie pubbed titles with a brilliant designer.  Like many authors, we use images from image libraries such as i-stockphoto.com.  Of course, there are drawbacks to this.

1.       If can be very time consuming scouring images to find exactly what you want

2.       It isn’t always possible to find exactly what you want

3.       When you do, it might be too expensive for your budget

4.       When you do, you might find that image has been used before – and unless you do a Google image search, you won’t know where.  For instance, the first image I used for a book cover, I discovered, the day after publication, that another author has used the same image.  Although we had modified ours, it was still instantly recognisable.

So I decided to stretch my budget and commission an illustrator to produce an image that is exactly what I want, completely distinctive and unique. Via Facebook, I accidentally came across a wonderful artist called Sarah who specialises in drawing and painting animals.  Having seen some stunning horse portraits, I got in touch last year and recently we met, talked and she has agreed to produce the image for one of my forthcoming titles, The Perfect Horse.  It was important that the horse in question be breathtakingly beautiful – perfect, in fact, - since although the story is a thrilling pony book aimed at children and teenagers, there is a twist, and it involves genetic engineering…….

Sarah charts her progress on her Facebook page so that readers can see how the illustration work is evolving, which is a great idea. I can’t wait to see the finished result. Watch this space!

To see Sarah's work go to http://www.sarahspetportraits.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarahs-Pet-Portraits/115696751888127

The horse in my heart: FREE until Friday!

My new e-book The Horse in my Heart is now available from Amazon and will be FREE to download until Friday.

All writers have a book that they are especially proud of, and for me, this is that book.  It's an emotional story of love, friendship and loss, and, although now out of print, it was the bestselling of all my novels, selling over 162,000 copies in 7 countries. (The original title was Transitions). As with other titles in my out of print backlist, I have revised and updated the story and reissued it as an e-book in the hope that a new generation of readers will enjoy it.

If you want to try it out here are the Amazon links for US and UK: (it is also available in all other Amazon territories).

http://www.amazon.com/The-Horse-Heart-Jane-Ayres-ebook/dp/B00GJYWGFS

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Horse-Heart-Jane-Ayres-ebook/dp/B00GJYWGFS

And this is the product description:

Now, leaning on the fence, letting the soft breeze stroke my face while I watch my sweet bay horse grazing beneath the apple tree, it’s as if everything is normal and nothing has changed. But everything has changed. Forever. 

Reading Elizabeth’s diary, a year after it all happened, I experienced a strange feeling of unreality. Perhaps it was a dream. Perhaps it should have been. Sometimes, I wonder what her horse thinks of it all (he is still her horse, and always will be). Because horses remember everything. In fact, they have amazing memories, better than humans. Most of all they have souls. Deep, fathomless souls. 
And a great capacity for love. 

When nervous rider Annie innocently responds to an advert for a horse for sale, she wants a steady safe ride, but instead finds herself drawn to the lively Rocket - and his owner, the enigmatic teenager, Elizabeth. Annie knows she could never manage a horse like Rocket but Elizabeth won't listen. 
It’s a stormy start to a friendship that will change both of their lives dramatically. Because Elizabeth is on a mission to find a home – the right home – for her beloved bay rescue horse, and, despite everything, she’s convinced Annie is the one. 

But why is Elizabeth in such a hurry to find a home for the horse she clearly loves so much? When she discovers the reason, Annie is devastated. And time is running out….. 

New e-book - Joyrider! FREE for 2 Days!

My NEW e-book Joyrider is FREE to download TODAY and TOMORROW!!

About Joyrider by Jane Ayres

Fourteen year old Linzi has it all. Or so it seems. She's bright, pretty, popular, lives in a glamorous clifftop apartment and has her own perfect horse - a stunning copper chestnut gelding called Ambrose. But appearances can be very deceptive....

On the other side of the sleepy seaside town, teenager Bex lives in a tiny flat with her widowed mum above the café they both run. She's prickly, moody, and a loner, trying to escape from her tragic past. She doesn't want friends - especially not girls like Linzi. 

Linzi suspects her rival, Sheldon, who resents her for beating him to a place in the jumping team, is the mystery joyrider - someone who takes other peoples horses at night and rides them - and she is furious when her beloved Ambrose is targeted. However, afterwards, Ambrose seems different, and Linzi is baffled to discover that his behaviour is much better than before. Can the joyrider have a magic touch? 

She determines to solve the mystery and discover the true identity - and motives - of the joyrider. But in the process she soon finds herself - and Bex - in terrible danger. 

This exciting novella is a fast paced read for children, pre-teens, teenagers and young adults.

Available in all Amazon territories. 

Amazon links:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Joyrider-ebook/dp/B00F7V247Y
http://www.amazon.com/Joyrider-ebook/dp/B00F7V247Y

Sneak preview of my new book: Joyrider

Here is a sneak preview of my new title: Joyrider.  Another great cover design from Klaus Hartleben.

More later......