Book reviews for Joyrider and Coming Home

I really do feel blessed to receive such lovely reviews from Nayu's Reading Corner for two of my titles: Coming Home, about the journey of two special Norwegian Forest cats, and Joyrider, a dramatic emotional adventure.  Here are the links if you want to check them out:

http://nayusreadingcorner.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/joyrider-by-jane-ayres-young-adult.html


http://nayusreadingcorner.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/coming-home-by-jane-ayres-childrens-9.html

Reviews are great motivators for authors - and when you are feeling low and tempted to give up the rocky road as a writer, a great review can inspire you to keep going for a while longer!

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 who Dreamed of Home - out 16 February! Pre-order now!

The Horse who Dreamed of Home is now available for pre-order via Amazon - publication date 16 February!

The story behind the story: From Wild Horse Island to the The Horse who Dreamed of Home

There is always a story behind the story. 

Wild Horse Island first appeared in print in 1991 in Norwegian and Swedish.  It was my first "proper" horse novel. I'd just been taken on by my first publisher, (then Collins Armada) in 1990, and was sure it would therefore be my first published book.  But instead, they commissioned a collection of new short stories about horses, Horses in the Gallery.  Surely, then it would be the second?  No, they still didn’t want it. 

So, it was subsequently translated and published elsewhere in Norway and Sweden - but not in the original English language.  Sequels followed - Return to Wild Horse Island, Stranger on Wild Horse Island and finally, Secret of Wild Island - in a range of languages other than English. I imagined it as a film, and actually had a major animation company interested at one point, in a Hungarian production, but it didn’t happen. 

Eventually, in 2012, I got the chance to update, revise and add a whole new section and character to the story, and it was republished as Zephyr of Wild Horse Island in several countries - including the USA, in an American version. On the strength of this, I sent it to 30 independent film production companies, of which 2 expressed an interest, and I met one of the producers in London,  which was very exciting, but despite dialogue and interest, it didn’t progress further.  (Having since completed a film production course a few years ago, and understanding the huge financial implications of making a film, I can see why it was so hard to raise the funds).

So here we are in 2016.  The rights have reverted back to me and for the first time ever, it will appear  in the English language in the UK, albeit updated and revised once more - and via Kindle.  And with a different title, since now there are other books and series available with Wild Horse Island in the title, so to avoid confusion, I had to come up with something different. This was tougher than I imagined but I hope I have got it right.  I'm pleased with what I decided on, and delighted with my cover design from my wonderful designer, Klaus Hartleben.

So, for the first time ever, I have used Amazon's pre-order service.  If you want to grab a copy, it retails at just £2.38 and is available in all Amazon territories. 

BUY LINK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Horse-who-Dreamed-Home-ebook/dp/B01BB634UO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454435548&sr=8-1&keywords=the+horse+who+dreamed+of+home

Feedback always welcome! 
  

Last Chance Horse out now!

Pagan is a dangerous horse with a tragic history.

Kat is an unhappy, rebellious teenager.

They were destined to meet. 

It's a year since I published on Amazon, but I have just brought out another title on my back list - in the original but updated English for the first time! And here it is, horse lovers!  Hope you enjoy.

BUY LINK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Last-Chance-Horse-Jane-Ayres-ebook/dp/B01AH3N7EU/ref=zg_bs_3653173031_21

Happy New Year and Horse in my Heart Review

Happy New Year!

The lovely Nayu has written a wonderful review of The Horse in My Heart.
http://nayusreadingcorner.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/horse-in-my-heart-by-jane-ayres-young.html

I am so thrilled and it means so much to learn that readers are enjoying what I have written. In fact, it has motivated me to revise and prepare TWO NEW TITLES from my backlist for release via Amazon in January and February 2016, as well as working on the long-awaited sequel to Beware of the Horse.  More news to follow very soon.......

Check out Nayu's excellent Reading Corner here: http://nayusreadingcorner.blogspot.co.uk/

Buy link for The Horse in my Heart: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Horse-Heart-Jane-Ayres-ebook/dp/B00GJYWGFS

Trick Riding

Trick Riders

It's that time of the year, when I look back, reflect and then look forward.  In January 2015 I was hopeful - I was a full time writer, and had struggled to make a freelance living for the previous year or so.  (see http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/im-dreaming-of.html.)  By February, I was getting disillusioned, with the VAT changes and Amazon moving the goalposts for authors (again!), making it harder than ever to make a living. So I vowed to write just 3 more pony books to self publish by the end of 2015.  http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/the-last-pony-books.html

Did I achieve this?  Well, no unless I can write said books within the next 4 days.  So what have I done?  Not much blogging or book marketing.  I've been trying, voluntarily, to fundraise for a big arts project, and put on 2 concerts this year, which was a real learning curve and very tough but worthwhile. What else? I completed my MSc Science Communication and Society, with Merit.  I do love learning new things.  I eventually got another part time job to pay the bills. My 2 short novels, Trick Riders 1 and 2, set in the world of equestrian vaulting, have appeared in print in Norway, Sweden and Finland, and I thoroughly enjoyed researching the topic. I've had fun writing some short stories for Pony magazine, and recently finished a children's novel, Pony on the Trail, which had me researching Western riding and skateboarding, which was also fun. It will be published in summer 2016, in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Maybe I will get to try Western riding in 2016.

So I suppose 2015 has been mostly about learning.  Lots of learning.  Not succeeding in the goals I set myself but achieving other things instead.  And, to my surprise, after becoming disillusioned with my self publishing adventures, I now have a hunger to write those final pony books!  Roll on 2016....

Spectacular horse tale!

Delighted that Nayu's Reading Corner has described Joyrider as an "Absolutely spectacular horse tale!" and rated it 10E/10E - the highest rating possible!  Thank you, Nayu!  So glad you enjoyed reading it.  Inspired in part by the time I lived by the sea, the story holds a special place in my heart.

http://nayusreadingcorner.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/what-are-you-reading-290.html


Related post: http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/horse-in-my-heart-rated-epic-read.html
Buy link for Joyrider http://www.amazon.co.uk/Joyrider-ebook/dp/B00F7V247Y