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311 ratings | 295 reviews | avg rating:4.60

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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: 4.51 · 1,144 ratings · 480 reviews · 27 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Stallion and His Peculiar Boy 4.60 avg rating — 192 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 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 4.30 avg rating — 111 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 4.55 avg rating — 97 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 4.41 avg rating — 91 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
	Behind the Mist (The Mist Trilogy, #1) 4.11 avg rating — 80 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
	Fire at the Track: A Harness Racing Mystery 4.55 avg rating — 64 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
	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

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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)

4.25 avg rating — 147 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

Murder in the Winner's Circle

by M.J. Evans (Goodreads Author)

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Oct 01, 2026 11:06AM

M.J. Evans is currently reading

Fire at the Track: A Harness Racing Mystery

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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

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M.J. Evans rated a book The Shearwater’s Song by Lisa M. Marino	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 Shearwater's Song is a sweet romance set in the 1950's in Australia. Anna is a teen at first meeting when a heart wrenching tragedy comes her way. This event stays with her for many years as she struggles to overcome that painful event. I will ad ...more
5 hours, 58 min ago · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Shearwater’s Song by Lisa M. Marino. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Shearwater’s Song by Lisa M. Marino <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.J. Evans is finished with Silver Charm - And the Old Friends Who Save the Thoroughbreds: Silver Charm won the Gold Medal from the Readers' Favorite Book Awards! I'm so excited and honored. Silver Charm - And the Old Friends Who Save the Thoroughbreds by M.J. Evans (Goodreads Author) progress:	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
Oct 20, 2026 03:44AM · 1 like · like · see status · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Silver Charm - And the Old Friends Who Save the Thoroughbreds by M.J. Evans. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Silver Charm - And the Old Friends Who Save the Thoroughbreds by M.J. Evans <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
M.J. Evans and 1 other person liked Zoe's review of Fire at the Track: A Harness Racing Mystery: "Fast-paced mystery - very easygoing read. Probably good for a holiday book. The story follows an undercover investigator looking into a suspicious barn fire. Full of hidden motives and authentic horse-world details for anyone who follows that stuff :" Read more of this review »
Oct 20, 2026 02:41AM · 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 liked Avid Reader's review of Fire at the Track: A Harness Racing Mystery: "Fire at the Track was actually my first horse-centered mystery, and I was surprised by how intriguing I found the world of harness racing. M.J. Evans does a good job of bringing you into that world while still keeping the mystery and the characters a" Read more of this review »
Oct 08, 2026 09:57AM · 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 The Life Sower: Seven Days to Save Humanity. A globe-spanning fantasy adventure about life, death, love, hope and what it truly means to be human by Cailey Barker (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
Live in Life, Rest in Death. The two mottos whispered throughout the book by the Sower and the Reaper. The Sower represents all the good in humanity, all the hope for the future. The Reaper, also know as Grim, thrives in pain and taking life whether ...more
Oct 08, 2026 09:50AM · 1 like · like · see review
M.J. Evans rated a book it was amazing The Life Sower: Seven Days to Save Humanity. A globe-spanning fantasy adventure about life, death, love, hope and what it truly means to be human by Cailey Barker (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
Live in Life, Rest in Death. The two mottos whispered throughout the book by the Sower and the Reaper. The Sower represents all the good in humanity, all the hope for the future. The Reaper, also know as Grim, thrives in pain and taking life whether ...more
Oct 08, 2026 09:48AM · 1 like · like · see review
M.J. Evans finished reading Coal Dust and Dreams by M.J. Evans (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
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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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