About
Dana Taylor writes uplifting stories filled with inspiration and humor. Born and raised in California, she graduated from the University of Redlands. She has been published in various magazines, including the Ladies Home Journal. She hosted the Internet radio program Definitely Dana! at HealthyLife.net. and won various contests with the Romance Writers of America, including Best First Book from the Desert Quill Awards. Her published works include ROYAL REBEL, AIN’T LOVE GRAND?, SHINY GREEN SHOES, and DEVIL MOON: A MYSTIC ROMANCE. Her latest release is a spiritual memoir entitled EVER-FLOWING STREAMS. Her blogsite is www. DefinitelyDana.wordpress.com. She is a founding member of the on-line community SupernalFriends.com and can be reached at supernalfriends@yahoo.com.
Description
<p><strong><em>Have you ever awoken from a vivid dream and wondered which side of waking was real?</em></strong></p><p>Burt Higgins' retirement is not going well. His children have grown, and his wife has gone off to earn a late-life degree, leaving him alone in his sprawling suburban home. With too much time on his hands, he broods on the state of the world, obsessively following the worst of cable news and the Internet. Increasingly angry at the state of affairs, he nurtures a fantasy that a dark lord from another realm has foisted these problems on humankind. If only he could transport to that world, he'd confront the demon and use the magic found there to defeat the beast and end despair forever.</p><p>On a particularly bad news day, while housebound in the midst of a snowstorm, he retreats to his study to shut out the world and immerse himself in his books. When, on a whim, he lights a candle purchased in an obscure Prague curiosity shop, a magical guide appears and offers to take him on whatever quest he chooses. When he asks to become a hero in a fantasy realm, he discovers a more complex world than he expected, and battling evil with magic turns out to be far from his greatest challenge.</p><p><strong>EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS</strong> a specualtive fantasy adventure sure not just to entertain you, but to make you consider your life, your dreams, your goals. [DRM-Free]</p><h2><strong>Books by David Litwack:</strong></h2><ul><li><em>Along the Watchtower</em></li><li><em>The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky</em></li><li><em>The Time That's Given</em></li><li><em>The Children of Darkness</em> (The Seekers - Book 1)</li><li><em>The Stuff of Stars</em> (The Seekers - Book 2)</li><li><em>The Light of Reason</em> (The Seekers - Book 3)</li></ul><h2><strong>More Great Fantasy Fiction from Evolved Publishing:</strong></h2><ul><li><em>The Awakening of David Rose</em> (David Rose #1) by Daryl Rothman</li><li><em>Shadow Swarm</em> by D. Robert Pease</li><li><em>Kingdom in Chains</em> by J.W. Zulauf</li><li>The "Grims' Truth" Series by Isu Yin & Fae Yang</li></ul><p> </p>
Story Behind The Book
I wanted to write a holiday story without the tired themes of ghosts of Christmases past. The image of the shiny green shoes came into my mind and Mazie's "voice" just took over. It was a joy to see it unfold on the page.
Reviews
Posted at Amazon.com by "Tiffany Turner of San Jose, CA"<br /><br />I enjoyed reading this short story by Dana Taylor. I've just recently purchased a Kindle, and discovered her story listed in a Kindle thread on Kindleboards.com. Taking a chance on a newer author, I was drawn back into Depression Era America. <br /><br />An actress, Mazie McDonald, finds herself reflecting on how as a child, she befriends the spinster-like Aunt Peach. Mazie quickly becomes the confident and salvation for her, and their friendship draws Aunt Peach out of her self-imposed imprisonment within her home. On the whim of following her dream, Mazie finds that the path to having the green shoes she's been dreaming about isn't always easy for a young, colored girl of the 1930s. But with determination and Aunt Peach's help, they both learn that sometimes instilling hope in others makes everyone's dreams come true. <br /><br />I would recommend this short story for anyone who would like a good holiday story to enjoy while traveling or simply spending quiet time with the family.
