Rusty Blackwood Offers Free Download of New Ebook 'Before The Grandeur: The Making of a Horsemaster'

Award-winning novelist Rusty Blackwood has announced that the ebook version of her latest novel, Before The Grandeur: The Making of a Horsemaster, will be available at no charge on July 30 and 31, 2026, at Amazon. This prequel to the thrilling Autumn Trilogy immerses readers in the equestrian world of professional racing, concealed secrets, and an unfaltering love.

The story follows Cyril Landon, a young Englishman born into poverty in South Wood Chester, Gloucestershire. With determination and grit, he seizes an opportunity at a local farm that sets him on a path to becoming a horsemaster. Blackwood stated, "Born into extreme poverty with little hope of survival, Cyril Landon's difficult beginnings throughout England's horrific war years will better assist readers in understanding the difficult journey that precedes the grandeur awaiting them in The Perils of Autumn."

The free download offers both new readers and fans of the series a chance to explore the origins of the Autumn Trilogy. Richard Prause of Readers Favorite noted, "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." Another reviewer, Asher Syed, added, "Overall, this will be a boon for readers who are already fans of the series, and a brilliant introduction to fans-in-waiting."

Blackwood's The Perils of Autumn, the first book in the series, was named a finalist in the Fiction Romance category by the International Book Awards in 2019 and received a 5-star rating from Reader's Favorite. Set in the early 1970s, it centers on Autumn Leeves, a young Kentucky woman who becomes entangled with Cyril Landon and jockey Duff Taylor, who harbors a dark secret. Reviewers have praised the novel; Ray Simmons called it "a great read," and Trudi LoPreto urged, "Please do not pass up The Perils of Autumn - you will not be sorry."

Blackwood is also known for her 5-star rated romantic fiction Willow's Walk and Passions in Paris: Revelations of a Lost Diary, which has been compared to Erich Segal's Love Story and Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook. Information on all of Blackwood's work is available at her website, and her books can be downloaded at Amazon sites worldwide.