Jordan Taylor writes. Lots. She wrote her first book at the age of six, dictating a story about red foxes to her mother at the typewriter, then illustrating it herself.
Ten years later, Jordan wrote her first novel. This time, she managed to type the 100,000 words herself on the advanced technology of a roughly thirty-pound and three-inch thick laptop. She received helpful reader feedback, revised, pitched the manuscript to a few literary agents, then stored it on an external hard drive and started writing a second novel.
Another ten years and Jordan is still writing. Still keeping her novels safe, comfortable, and top secret in storage. (And, no, she won’t tell you how many she’s written that have never been pitched or published—only needing “one more” revision before they’re “ready.”) Until the chains are broken, could she interest you in some short fiction?
After writing the first few novels, Jordan learned from various books on writing that one should break into penning fiction by starting with short stories. Uh-oh. Jumping the gun. So she wrote shorts, poetry, a nonfiction book or two, and a screenplay which she produced as a dramatic short film. (See Hope below.)
Strangely, none of this caused her novels to spring from those hard drives, publish themselves, and find their ways into the hearts and minds of millions of readers, allowing her to quit her day job and write for twelve hours a day. =
In the leftover minutes besides writing, Jordan is a professional dog trainer who worked with dogs in the entertainment industry for over five years. Her credits include short and feature length films, photo shoots, and live theater.
An artist since childhood, award winning book cover designer, amateur photographer, gluttonous reader and ice cream eater, and World War One enthusiast, Jordan’s second greatest life ambition (after being able to make a living from her writing) is to live permanently (legally) in her favorite place on Earth, the English Lake District.
See Firefly’s profile for more facts you probably never wanted to know in the first place.
Since author bios are traditionally written in third person, and Jordan cannot write a synopsis for Little Red Riding Hood, much less one for her own books, Firefly is often called upon to assist with such tasks. [Jordan has to edit her work to remove eighteen or twenty exclamation marks per paragraph.]
To be honest, writing is not Firefly’s thing. A recent unofficial retiree from acting and modeling, Firefly spends her days trying to become a better sous-chef, fridge stocker, kitchen tester, and singer. Many of Jordan’s Tweets and Facebook posts relate to her so it seems fair to give her a profile, though it may go to her head.
Jordan longed to have a Smooth Fox Terrier in the family since she first read her favorite book, The Plague Dogs by Richard Adams, as a preteen. Firefly was adopted as an adolescent from a nonprofit rescue group at the end of 2008.
She has worked in films, notably appearing in Grassroots with Jason Biggs and Lauren Ambrose, is crazy about agility and tennis balls, and has traveled across the U.S. three times and spent nearly a year living overseas.
In 2012, Firefly and Jordan walked some of the same Lake District paths together that the heroes in The Plague Dogs traverse in that amazing novel.
Please follow Firefly’s Tweets and Facebook!
Just released! Read the FREE companion booklet to Wonder Dogs: 101 German Shepherd Dog Films! Available for free on Reel Dogs Press and from the Reel Dogs blog!
It's also on Amazon.com for Kindle!
Ebook: 20 pages (estimate) - March, 2013
Couldn’t get enough GSD movies with Wonder Dogs: 101 German Shepherd Dog Films? This companion booklet of deleted scenes and special features brings you six more movie profiles, background on the writing of the original book, and why certain films were cut from those 101. Three of these can now be found in Wonder Dogs Special Features, along with one new discovery and two movies released after Wonder Dogs was published.
This concise and entertaining read will delight dog lovers and movie buffs alike!
A Novella appearing in Awake, benefitting The Trevor Project
Available on Amazon.com including Kindle
Paperback/ebook: 218 pages - June, 2011
"A very powerful, unique story. I would have loved to see this type of storyline in a full-fledged novel." ~ Let's Get Beyond Tolerance
"A very disturbing, intentionally dismal journey into not only the life of a bullied boy, but also that of his bully. A difficult read. No, not because Taylor’s writing is anything other than superb...." ~ Out in Print
After discovering the video diary of a classmate who has committed suicide, a teenage boy struggles to come to terms with the death he may have brought about in the novella Shattered Diamonds. Awake brings together the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teens through four gifted authors. The Trevor Project is the nation’s leading organization dedicated to ending suicide among LGBTQ youth.
Ebook: 50 pages (estimate) - March, 2012
"With gruesome, honest, and vivid language, Ms. Taylor brings the battles, trenches, marching, raids, and men to life. I could hear the *crack* of the rifle, feel the exhaustion poring out of every pore, and warm camaraderie building among the men.... Powerful and scary."
From the first time up the line, to the shock of battle, to nights away from trenches on rest, an infantry private recounts his experiences in the Great War through his poems. Soldier explores the life and death struggles of ordinary men thrown together and, ultimately, broken apart by war.
Griffin has his own website! www.messengerdogs.com
Ebook: 90 pages (estimate) - April, 2012
When soldiers visit his Yorkshire home in 1917, an aloof farm dog finds himself unwillingly drafted. Taken from his quiet home and family, Griffin is cast into a world of noise and army drill at the British War Dog School. Here, scores of canines are being prepared for their roles as messengers, guards, or sentries. Bewildered and miserable, Griffin can think only of getting back to his farm. His new handler, Private Rosen, must win him over if the two are to have any hope of making it through the grueling training for messenger teams.
Little does Griffin know his trials have scarcely begun as fate pushes him closer and closer to one of the most horrifying events in history: World War One—the Great War.
A short story appearing in Gods of Justice
Paperback/ebook: 204 pages - June, 2011
"I felt like I was right there, in the trenches, witnessing everything.... Even though it’s meant to be a short story, this one deserved a full length novel. It’s both poignant and surreal. The imagery is amazing.... A damn fine piece of writing." ~ Ren’s Bloggin’ About
"Believable and encompassing ... This story by itself is worth the cost [of the book]." ~ Comic Booked
An infantry corporal is freezing and exhausted on night watch in the First World War—but he is not crazy. He knows what he saw. Yet, how could anyone walk upright through No Man’s Land, risking his own life, to save wounded soldiers? When the men start sharing tales of this mysterious figure, the corporal grows determined to uncover who, or what, is out there.
A poem appearing Dogs Singing: A Tribute Anthology
Paperback: 462 pages - November, 2010
"First love, enduring love; the witness, the stoic, the companion, the protector, the better part of us, the abiding presence, the warrior, the survivor, the guardian angel. Here is a big book of many poems, all inspired, devoted, motivated by a sacred bond that happens, the supreme privilege, that something far bigger than romance—a relationship with a dog." ~ Eileen Battersby, The Irish Times
A playful but overly energetic dog loses everything and discovers what it means to be an unwanted shelter dog in Come Back Soon, a poem included in Dogs Singing: A Tribute Anthology, a stunning collection of canine poems released by the Irish press Salmon Poetry.
Ebook: 20 pages (estimate) - March, 2012
"...written beautifully"
"...it has a beautifully descriptive style"
Three boys are in search of adventure when Great Britain calls her subjects to serve in World War One. Determined to join up underage, they embark on adventures they never meant to have and witness more than they could have imagined. Based on historical events, Young Blood brings to life the experiences of child soldiers who fought in the trenches of the Western Front.
Paperback: 233 pages - December, 2009
"An entertaining, meticulously researched work on canine movie history." ~ Dog World Magazine
"This well-researched, engaging gem ..." ~ The Seattle Kennel Club
"Wonder Dogs is more than just a compelling history of the German Shepherd heroes of film and fiction. It’s also an uplifting and heartfelt tribute to the enduring bond between humans and canine companions through the ages." ~ Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author
Meet incredible dogs and fascinating people who have awed and entertained for almost a century. Informative, moving, and fun, Wonder Dogs will transport you behind the scenes with canine actors from around the world. And don't miss the brand new digital companion to Wonder Dogs, Wonder Dogs Special Features! Available on Amazon Kindle and for FREE from Reel Dogs Press!
A novella appearing in Last Gasp
Paperback/ebook: 376 pages - May, 2010
"This story is beautiful, savage, disturbing and lingers long after the last words." ~ Three Dollar Bill Reviews
"The emotions are understated and moving." ~ Well Read
Thousands descend on Canada’s Yukon Territory during the 1898 gold rush, wreaking havoc on the landscape and indigenous people. Amid the backdrop of this once pristine land, a man struggling against the destruction of his home and culture finds himself indebted to one of the people creating it. These strangers discover solace where they least expect it: with each other.
Short story appearing in Hipp-O-Dee-Doo-Dah
Paperback: 182 pages - May, 2011
"A fantastic collection of short stories for children ..."
A young girl secretly feels terrified of her best friend’s massive dog, an Akita named Centauri. But when her life is threatened by an accident, she discovers Centauri may be her only hope to survive.
Hipp-O-Dee-Doo-Dah is a collection of children’s stories to support Children’s Hospices UK and features authors Lauren St. John and Alan Gibbons, with a foreword by Michael Morpurgo.
DVD: 23 minutes
Written & directed by Jordan Taylor
Starring Susan Thomas & Dazzle as “Hope”
Following the death of her husband, a grieving woman discovers a stray dog on the beach and nurses her back to health in Hope. The tables are turned when the dog begins taking care of the woman, but another tragedy awaits them just around the corner.
Hope received its theatrical debut at the 2011 Celluloid Bainbridge Film Festival. It's up for consideration right now for the Port Townsend Film Festival so please wish us luck!
