CL Dautel

CL Dautel

About

I grew up in rural Kansas, where there was plenty of time for reading.  My mother (an English teacher) took my sisters and I with great frequency to the library.  My imagination developed rather effusively; I was certain, for instance, that a little man with a poison dart gun lived among our the basement storage, that a very skinny civilization conducted life within the walls of our home, and that a Bengal tiger (somehow) hid itself in the school bathroom.

 

Before I learned my letters, I dictated short stories to my mother.  She would read them back to me, and always I insisted on changes and corrections.  Gamely my mother worked with me until I was pleased with the story.  (I imagine she was glad when I learned to write.)  Throughout my childhood, I continued to put stories on paper.  It was my passion.

 

Eventually I went to Kansas State, where I graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa.  I did a Masters in geography, married, and had four children.  My writing had long been pushed aside; I seemed never to find time for it.  I read many, many books to my kids, though, reacquainting myself with the children’s market.  I discovered fantasy, which was a genre I didn’t read as a child.  For the past five years I’ve volunteered in the school library, visiting with the kids about books, and learning what is available on the shelves.

 

I began writing Beyond Seaside with my twin boys in mind.  Patiently they’ve sat through many a reading of various books; but only occasionally have we discovered a tale that truly enthralls them.  Beyond Seaside was written with a lofty goal in mind.  I want it to enthrall children and adults alike!

Murdo

Murdo

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Description

<p>When Jessica Bryant pesters her wealthy parents to allow her to have a dog as a pet, the answer is a resounding &quot;No&quot;; but they soon come to regret their decision when thier home is broken into one evening whilst they are out and their daughter kidnapped and held for ransom. The kidnappers, in the form of four seedy and incompetent characters wearing Disneyland-type masks, take her hostage and keep her incarcerated in a place from which there appears to be no escape. However, they reckon without the resourcefulness of our heroine, and the courage of a wonderful stray dog who comes to her aid and whom she names 'Murdo'. And so begins an exciting and humurous accounting of the couples' adventures together as they consistently foil and outwit the abductors whilst on the run together.<br /> This is a lovely story of the friendship between a girl and a dog, bringing out themes of responsibility, camaraderie, redemption, salvation and self-sacrifice. It includes some wonderful dialogue sequences as Jessica teaches her new four-legged friend how to communicate with her, with additional delightful conversations between the animals when a rabbit and a sparrow join forces with them in an effort to outwit the kidnappers and restore Jessica safely back to her parents' home. </p>

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