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Dana Taylor

Dana Taylor

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.

The Time That's Given

The Time That's Given

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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 &quot;Grims' Truth&quot; Series by Isu Yin &amp; Fae Yang</li></ul><p> </p>

Story Behind The Book

My years in Oklahoma inspired "Ain't Love Grand?" While it is a romantic comedy, the book also reflects the Oklahoma culture that I love about the Sooner state. Oklahomans are people of great heart who take care of their own. Never was that more evident than in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City Bombing. I lived 13 miles north of the site and felt my house shake when the bomb exploded. In the development of this book, it just seemed right to include a scene to commemorate the people affected by the bombing. Which was everybody. This scene from "Ain't Love Grand?" is my way of remembering and honoring the victims and heroes of April 19, 1995.

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Reviews

<p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">Booklist Review, March 15, 2004</font></span></span></p> <p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"></span> </p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3">AIN’T LOVE GRAND? ~ Echelon Press</font></span></span></p> <p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"></span> </p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"><span>Dana Taylor</span><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"></span></font></span></p> <p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"><font size="3"></font></span> </p> <p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><font size="3"><span>They first meet when he tackles her to the ground.  All Persephone Jones was doing was trying to stop the bulldozer from destroying the herb garden she planted on property adjoining hers.  But her new neighbor, Jason Brooks, was not only building a beautiful new house, but also a landing strip over her garden.  Persephone and Jason couldn't be more different.  He is a well-known, high-powered defense attorney with money to burn.  She's the illegitimate daughter of a flower child, and dispenses wheat-grass smoothies as well as herbal remedies from her modest shop.  And neither of them can understand their mutual attraction.  In spite of appearances, Persephone doesn't abide by all hippie principles.  For instance, when Jason suggests that they make their relationship more intimate, she demurs.  For her sex is an important step, indicating that marriage is on the horizon.  He feels differently, but love will have its way in this charming tale of opposites attracting.--Maria Hatton.  <br /></span><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"></span></font></span></p> <p><br /></p> <p><a></a><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">FICTION</span><a></a><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">—ForeWord Magazine May 2004</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">Ain’t Love Grand ~ <span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"></span></span></p> <p></p> <p><a></a><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">Dana Taylor<span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"></span></span></p> <p></p> <p><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">Romance novels are usually written with specific elements that readers expect. A certain amount of sensuality is paramount. The hero and heroine are thrust together against their will. A compelling force or situation pushes them apart, making the reader wonder if there will be “happy ever after.”<span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"></span></span></p> <p></p> <p><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">It’s a nice surprise to find a novel with those elements that is written with a fresh voice, an impeccable sense of comedic timing, vivid narrative, and fascinating characters. First-time novelist, Dana Taylor, has honed her craft well and earned a respectable place within the genre.<span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"></span></span></p> <p></p> <p><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">Until meeting Jason Brooks, Persephone Jones was content to tend her herb garden, run her health food store, and try to get beyond the grief of losing her first and only love. Then the high-dollar lawyer buys the property adjoining hers. Not only does he destroy part of her garden that ran over onto his land, he destroys her equilibrium with his charming smile, his delightful daughter, Val, and his dotty mother, Ruth.<span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"></span></span></p> <p></p> <p><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">While an attraction is immediate, Perse soon realizes that Jason is not interested in love and marriage. He would be content with sex and a little help with his rebellious daughter. Then she discovers that they are on opposite sides of an effort to bring a large hog farm into this rural area outside Oklahoma City.<span>  </span>How that issue is resolved is one of the most refreshing elements of the story.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">This book is full of other delightful surprises and clever lines. “Oh good lord, kiss me already. Soft lips brushed mine, a preliminary hello. Oh, yes, hello. Butterfly kisses, daring me to ask for more.”<span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"></span></span></p> <p></p> <p><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">Some of the laugh-out-loud lines include this gem, “His voice rolled through the shop like God speaking to Charlton Heston.”<span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"></span></span></p> <p></p> <p><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">The story does have serious elements that revolve around relationships – other than romantic – and a particularly nice section is about the Oklahoma City bombing and a memorial fund-raiser. “A memorial was necessary, but would never be enough for the families left behind. However, it was all we could do, and must do, to sanctify a place where evil had momentarily overtaken goodness.”<span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"></span></span></p> <p></p> <p style="margin-bottom:12pt;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">It’s a shame that some authors and publishers settle for ordinary just to fill shelves in bookstores. With a little more time and effort, readers could be treated to more jewels like this one.</span><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"> </span></p> <p></p> <p><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">Reviewed by: Maryann Miller<span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"></span></span></p> <p></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"></p> <p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';"><font size="3"></font></span> </p> <p></p>