Gallant: The Call of the Trail by Claire Eckard
A book blog tour from iRead Book Tours.
Thank you to the author, publisher, & Lauren at iRead for providing me with the information for this tour. 
Book Details
GALLANT: The Call of The Trail by Claire Eckard Published by Mill City Press on September 28, 2021
Genres: Animals, Fiction, Friendship, Saga, Teen, Young Adult, Sports
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 300
Gallant and Gracie have a special bond, rarely seen between human and horse. Separated by a bad accident when Gallant is five, each gets a second chance of happiness pursuing the long-distance sport of endurance riding, neither knowing they are leading parallel lives.
Gallant's arch-nemesis, The Almighty Flash, threatens to destroy all that Gallant has worked for. His misguided ambition and greed, developed at the hands of an abusive owner, have created darkness in his soul that turns to blind fury when his endurance career is threatened.
When Gracie meets Jack, she realizes that nothing will ever be as simple as it used to be. The characters' lives are beautifully woven together against the backdrop of a sport that tests the physical and mental endurance of horse and rider like no other.
Gallant: The Call of The Trail, is ultimately a saga of love, adventure, and self-discovery, with an unexpected ending that threatens to change everything.
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Purchase Links for Gallant: The Call of the Trail
Target Author’s Website (see link below)
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Gallant, The Call of The Trail by Claire Eckard Interview
Tell us a little about yourself and your background as a writer?
I grew up in the Southwest of England and led quite a normal childhood I suppose. I came from a middle-class family, my parents divorced when I was five, and I lived mostly with my mother and stepfather. I would spend holidays and the occasional weekend with my dad and stepmother who ran a riding school just outside of Exeter. I was always drawn to horses, in fact to all animals, and I think that shows up in my writing as I tend to write often about the connection we have with the animals in our lives.
I moved to the United States when I was twenty to be a nanny for a family in Hawaii. While there I met and married my husband, Troy, and we have now been married for almost thirty-five years. We have raised two boys and have two granddaughters. My life sounds pretty idyllic when I summarize it like that!
Why did you decide to write a novel featuring the sport of endurance riding?
For a couple of reasons. First, the book is inspired by a ninety-seven-year-old friend of mine who is very famous in the sport. I borrowed a few other childhood memories, including the ranch she grew up on as a basis for my lead female character, Gracie. Although the book is a work of fiction, those who have read Julie Suhr’s book, Ten Feet Tall, Still, will recognize some of the stories I have borrowed and woven into the story. Secondly, the sport of endurance is not very well known, and it is such an all-inclusive, wonderful and exciting sport that I thought it really deserved to be written about.
What exactly is endurance riding?
Endurance riding is a competition where a horse and rider compete on a cross-country course of usually fifty or a hundred miles. There are shorter rides which are excellent for allowing people to bring along young horses, or horses new to the sport, or for people who would like to give the sport a try. A course is marked and there are a series of vet checks along the way where the horses are checked to make sure they are fit to continue. The first ten horses to cross the finish line show for the vet to determine who wins the Best Conditioned horse award. It’s a lot of fun and a sport that attracts a wide variety of participants.
Is it an expensive sport to be involved with?
Like any sport, there are costs involved. It helps if you already have a horse, tack, and a horse trailer to get to the rides which are held all over the country and broken into regions. Most people “camp” at the ride site so anything from a tent to a motorhome can be used for that, depending on your budget. Ride Camp becomes like a village where everyone gets to make new friends, visit with old ones, help each other out, and enjoy the beauty of the surroundings. Many of the people I have met through endurance riding have become lifelong friends over the years, and it is certainly a sport where incredible memories are made.
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I love to read books through my Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription.
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About Claire Eckard
Claire Eckard is an animal lover and believes in volunteering to give back to her community, especially to the homeless animals that need to find their forever homes.
Her animals often inspire her writing, weaving their way into the stories that she writes, blending reality and fiction to entertain, teach, enlighten, and share the joy that animals bring to our lives!
Claire is an author, poet, songwriter, wife, mother, and grandmother! She lives in Arizona, splitting her time between her home in Yuma, Arizona, and her ranch in the mountains of Prescott. Claire has three dogs, eight horses, and a miniature mule!
I also reviewed Bentley and the Magic Sticks by Claire Eckard | 5-Star Children’s Book Review
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Giveaway!
Enter to win a signed copy of GALLANT: THE CALL OF THE TRAIL! (one winner/USA only) (ends Dec 17)
GALLANT: CALL OF THE TRAIL Book Tour Giveaway
Please visit more stops on the tour for extra chances to win!
Full Tour Schedule
Nov 22– Cover Lover Book Review– book review/giveaway
Nov 22 – Rockin’ Book Reviews– book review/guest post/giveaway
Nov 22 – Westviel Publishing– book review/guest post/giveaway
Nov 23 – Books are a Blessing – book review/giveaway
Nov 23 – I’m All About Books – book spotlight/giveaway
Nov 24 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review/giveaway
Nov 24 – fundinmental – book spotlight/giveaway
Nov 24 – Kam’s Place – book spotlight
Nov 26 –Chit Chat with Charity – book review/author interview/giveaway
Nov 26 – Lamon Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Nov 29 – Splashes of Joy – book review/guest post/giveaway
Nov 29 – The Page Ladies Book Club – book review
Nov 30 – The Momma Spot – book review/giveaway
Dec 1 – Bigreadersite – book review
Dec 2 – @twilight_reader – book review
Dec 3 – Writer with Wanderlust – book spotlight/guest post
Dec 3 – Writer with Wanderlust – book review/giveaway
Dec 6 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book spotlight/author interview/giveaway
Dec 7 – Captive Dreams Window – book review
Dec 8 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight/guest post/giveaway
Dec 8 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review/giveaway
Dec 9 – Working Mommy Journal – book review/giveaway
Dec 9 – My Reading Journeys – book review/giveaway
Dec 10 – Literary Flits – book spotlight/giveaway
Dec 10 – Books for Books – book spotlight
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Purchase Gallant: The Call of the Trail online from a local book store.
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Easy Amazon Links
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Book Title: Gallant: The Call of the Trail by Claire Eckard
Category: Young Adult Fiction (Ages 13-17), 300 pages
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Mill City Press
Release Date: September 2021
Tour dates: November 22 to December 10
Content Rating: PG-13: It’s a saga about love, relationships, personal growth and adventure, set against a backdrop of endurance racing. A strong middle grader/pre-teen could read it.
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Nice artwork