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M.J. Evans

Goodreads Author

Born

in Corvallis, OR, The United States

Website

http://www.dancinghorsepress.com

Genre

Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Influences

Fantasy writers such as J.K. Rowling and horse-story writers such as M ...more

Member Since

December 2010

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I am a graduate of Oregon State University. Upon graduation, I spent five years teaching at the middle school and high school levels. My writing, at that time, was limited to curriculum. That was not fun.

While raising my children, I coached their Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination teams for seventeen years. I helped them write their own stories for the competitions. During this time, I also wrote two parent handbooks for the Salem, Oregon School district on sex education.

Over twenty years ago, I was able to combine my passion for horses with my love of writing. I researched and wrote two equestrian trail guide books for the Denver area. By “research” I mean that I spent every Friday riding my horse on a new trail, be it on the I am a graduate of Oregon State University. Upon graduation, I spent five years teaching at the middle school and high school levels. My writing, at that time, was limited to curriculum. That was not fun.

While raising my children, I coached their Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination teams for seventeen years. I helped them write their own stories for the competitions. During this time, I also wrote two parent handbooks for the Salem, Oregon School district on sex education.

Over twenty years ago, I was able to combine my passion for horses with my love of writing. I researched and wrote two equestrian trail guide books for the Denver area. By “research” I mean that I spent every Friday riding my horse on a new trail, be it on the plains or in the mountains. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it! The result of that work was the publication of Riding Colorado-Day Trips from Denver with Your Horse, and Riding Colorado II. Both books continue to sell very well in the Denver to Colorado Springs area and have made my horse famous.

I was able to combine my love of horses with my love of fantasy in my first Trilogy. The Mist Trilogy, comprised of Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness and the Rising Mist received a gold medal from the Mom's Choice Awards. My next fantasy, an allegory of the Revolutionary War, but with Trolls and Leprechauns, won first place in the Purple Dragonfly Awards for fantasy. I took a brief (2 year) break from writing fantasy to complete a contemporary, coming of age novel titled "In the Heart of a Mustang." This YA novel won first place in the Literary Classics Awards for Young Adult fiction and second place in the Nautilus Awards and the Reader's Favorite awards in the same category.

On October 1, 2016, I released the first book of my new fantasy series "The Stone of Mercy: Book 1 of the Centaur Chronicles."

I have now expanded my writing interests to include Historical Fiction: "PINTO! Based Upon the True Story of the Longest Horseback Ride in History," and "The Sand Pounder - Love and Drama on Horseback in WWII."
I have also had fun working with illustrators on five picture books: "PERCY - The Racehorse Who Didn't Like to Run," and "The Skullington Family Series."

I describe myself as a “Mozart” type of writer as opposed to a “Beethoven” writer. When I sit down to write, the words just flow and I don’t have to go back and do a lot of revisions until the first draft (the foundation) is done. Then I can go back and correct and embellish all I want.
My newest venture (2026) is an Adult Mystery series set in the world of Harness racing! It's fun to try new things. ...more

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M.J. Evans’s books

Average rating: 4.52 · 1,099 ratings · 467 reviews · 26 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Stallion and His Peculiar Boy 4.60 avg rating — 188 ratings — published 2023 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Coal Dust and Dreams: The Story of a Girl and Her Pit Pony in the Coal Mines of Wales 4.75 avg rating — 105 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Finding Fionn 4.29 avg rating — 109 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	In the Heart of a Mustang 4.54 avg rating — 96 ratings — published 2015 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Silver Charm: And the Old Friends Who Save the Thoroughbreds 4.42 avg rating — 85 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Behind the Mist (The Mist Trilogy, #1) 4.12 avg rating — 81 ratings — published 2011 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Sand Pounder 4.75 avg rating — 69 ratings — published 2021 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pinto! 4.56 avg rating — 55 ratings — published 2019 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mists of Darkness (The Mist Trilogy, #2) 4.45 avg rating — 38 ratings — published 2012 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Stone of Mercy (The Centaur Chronicles, #1) 4.26 avg rating — 35 ratings — published 2016 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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M.J. Evans's Blog

COAL DUST AND DREAMS WAS RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2024!...

COAL DUST AND DREAMS WAS RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2024!

I spent a year researching the use of horses and ponies in the coal mines of South Wales. In addition to learning about the role of the Pit Ponies, I also studied the role of children and women in the mines.I set my story in the 1930's at the Penalta mine.

The Penalta MineThis was one of the largest mines. The horses (both ponies and Read more of this blog post »

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Published on January 06, 2025 12:41

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Series by M.J. Evans

The Mist Trilogy (3 books)
by

M.J. Evans (Goodreads Author)

4.26 avg rating — 148 ratings

The Centaur Chronicles (4 books)
by

M.J. Evans (Goodreads Author)

4.46 avg rating — 93 ratings

M.J. is Currently Reading

M.J. Evans is currently reading

Fire at the Track: A Harness Racing Mystery

by M.J. Evans (Goodreads Author)

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Apr 30, 2026 12:20PM

M.J. Evans is currently reading

Silver Charm - And the Old Friends Who Save the Thoroughbreds

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Oct 28, 2025 05:55AM

M.J. Evans is currently reading

Coal Dust and Dreams: The Story of a Girl and Her Pit Pony in the Coal Mines of Wales

by M.J. Evans (Goodreads Author)

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Jul 02, 2024 10:33AM

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M.J. Evans rated a book it was amazing The Rat, The Shadow and The Secret Garden: The Origin of the Secret Garden (The Cat, The Rat and the Secret Garden Book 1) by David-John Scott (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I love the use of ANTHROPOMORPHISM in writing and have used it myself in several of my own books. This one gives rats human characteristics similar to "Watership Down." The story is about a young rat named Luna who is drawn to find her purpose in the ...more
Aug 04, 2026 02:21PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Rat, The Shadow and The Secret Garden by David-John Scott. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Rat, The Shadow and The Secret Garden by David-John Scott <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.J. Evans rated a book it was amazing The Modified Ones. by L.H. Boltson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The year is 2082 and not much has really changed...politicians are corrupt--bought off by big pharma. Only this time, new pre-natal vitamins have caused birth defects in the form of gills forming on babies necks in the south and thick skin on babies ...more
Jul 27, 2026 05:25AM · like · see review
M.J. Evans rated a book it was amazing Tooth Larry by Robyn Faulkner	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This is a darling book for any child in the middle of the tooth-losing season of their life. Most children love the excitement of a pending visit from the tooth fairy. But how many times did mom or dad sleep through their obligation. Now they can jus ...more
Jul 20, 2026 02:47PM · 1 like · like · see review
M.J. Evans rated a book it was amazing Murder At The Wedding (Mayur Varma Mysteries) by Vijay Kerji (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
While discrimination based on Caste has been outlawed in India since the 1950's, it still exists in the minds and customs of most of the people, especially when it concerns marriage. In this fourth book about detective Mayur Vamer, that discriminatio ...more
Jul 19, 2026 03:40PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Murder At The Wedding by Vijay Kerji. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Murder At The Wedding by Vijay Kerji <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.J. Evans made a comment on Emirhan Korkmaz’s review of Fire at the Track: A Harness Racing Mystery " Thank you for reading "Fire at the Track." I'm so glad you liked it and even learned something about harness racing! ...more "
Jul 17, 2026 06:32AM · see review
M.J. Evans liked Emirhan Korkmaz's review of Fire at the Track: A Harness Racing Mystery: "Fire at the Track begins with a genuinely upsetting crime, but M.J. Evans handles the tragedy with restraint and quickly turns the story toward the investigation. Callie is a capable, believable lead, and her background in harness racing gives her a " Read more of this review »
Jul 17, 2026 06:31AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Fire at the Track by M.J. Evans. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Fire at the Track by M.J. Evans <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.J. Evans rated a book it was amazing Midnight in Crypto: Rational Privacy for the Digital Age by John Greene	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This is a fascinating and thoroughly researched book beginning with the earliest accounts of money and how it developed from pebbles to digital. I learned so much reading this book. While it is detailed, it is written in a very easy to follow manner. ...more
Jul 07, 2026 03:25PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Midnight in Crypto by John Greene. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Midnight in Crypto by John Greene <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.J. Evans rated a book it was amazing Decoding the Hidden World of Thera by Andrew Beardmore (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This little book is a behind-the-scenes account of the creation of the epic fantasy series: The Nessemiah." The book outlines the author's planning in the areas of world building, outlining the stories, and a fun section on the names that are anagram ...more
Jul 03, 2026 12:43PM · 5 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Decoding the Hidden World of Thera by Andrew Beardmore. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Decoding the Hidden World of Thera by Andrew Beardmore <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.J. Evans made a comment on S.M. Dapelo’s review of Fire at the Track: A Harness Racing Mystery " Thank you so much for reading and reviewing "Fire at the Track." I'm so glad you liked it and thank you for the kind review. ...more "
Jul 02, 2026 08:59AM · see review
M.J. Evans rated a book really liked it Glimpses: Foresight is 20/20 by Iain Benson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The U.S. Embassy in London is attacked...and that's just the beginning. This is a fast paced action film in book form. It takes a while to figure out what's going on as it jumps from one bloody (though not graphic) battle scene to the next and from o ...more
Jun 30, 2026 05:57AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Glimpses by Iain Benson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Glimpses by Iain Benson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by M.J. Evans (?)

“Tears welled up in Jane's eyes. "I don't need something to remember you. I can never forget you.”
― M.J. Evans, The Sand Pounder

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