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>When Jessica Bryant pesters her wealthy parents to allow her to have a dog as a pet, the answer is a resounding "No"; 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>
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.
