Books with author J.P. Taylor

Deep in the jungles of Vietnam on a reconnaissance mission, Beauregard, a smart and loyal Doberman Pinscher, alerts his patrol to danger. But when the sergeant ignores Beau's warning signs, the group find themselves under heavy fire. Managing to escape with severe injuries, Beau is the only one to make it out alive.Though many in the armed forces were sceptical about the use of military dogs, Lieutenant Colonel Ricci saw Beau's potential and fought for his rehabilitation and re-assignment to a new handler. Beau then found himself in the trusting and capable hands of Corporal Chivington. What he did next proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was a worthy and indispensable part of his team. This historical fiction is a touching tribute to all of the service animals who have dedicated their lives to protecting and serving - our canine warriors.

Jago Harker has been drawn more deeply into the fateful web of the ancient Vampyre clans in ways he could never have imagined. Having discovered his true identity at a cataclysmic meeting of the Vampyre clans, he is now without his confidante Biatra, and on the run. In the dramatic chase across Europe, Jago must learn, and quickly, what was in the prophecy that made him the number-one target for both Vampyres and humans. Not knowing who to trust, and leaving a path of death and destruction in his wake, Jago is searching for the Oracle; a diamond that can predict the future. After a series of narrow escapes, pursued by both friend and foe, he tracks it down to a monastery high in the mountains above Nice, where a crowd of angry Vampyres are baying for the blood of the one who will destroy their civilisation...

The Magenta has returned to the shores of England, carrying young Kate, her friend Thomas and the ship's charismatic owner, Jacob Crane, up the Thames. They have recently escaped the sorcerer Demurral, and Kate searches the waves for a sign of their friend Raphah, lost to the sea. But further trouble awaits them in London, where their beloved ship is seized...Meanwhile, figures stir on the shores further North. Beadle, Demurral's one time servant has survived, while other shadows from Jacob and Kate's past are also awakening. Has Demurral really been vanquished forever? Who is the lady who haunts the roads South? What is the hidden secret of Salmander Street?

Two-Feather had been wandering all winter, lonely and hungry. One spring night he goes to sleep to forget the despair, only to be awakened by a voice calling his name. It is a woman, so beautiful that Two-Feather immediately falls in love with her, and begs for her to stay with him forever. The woman leads him over mountains and through forests. Two-Feather obeys her every command, even the last, most difficult, only to find she has left him, but not without ensuring that he will never be lonely or hungry again.

All peoples have their own stories of how the Earth was created, what separated the land from the seas, and how the many animals, fish, and other creatures came to have their particular characteristics. The native tribes of North America are no different: they too have stories about the “way things began.” A fascinating collection of tales that explain the origins of tornadoes, forest fires, butterflies, horses, Niagara Falls, why dogs are our best friends, and even a very funny story of why owls and rabbits look the way they do.

A wonderfully gruesome group of not-so-benign creatures from native North American folklore. In these tales, readers learn of a witch who steals buffalo and the coyote who steals them back, a giant fish that kills anyone who ventures on a lake, a greedy giant who drinks all the water on earth and another giant who drinks blood. More importantly, we meet the brave people and animals who subdue these creatures through a combination of luck, skill, and old-fashioned courage.

Iceman sits by his small fire, feeling old and tired after a long winter. Suddenly, a spry young man with a wreath of sweetgrass around his neck appears at the campsite with a message. Iceman tells the stranger, called New Dawn, of his powers: how his cold breath turned leaves brown and blew them from the trees, how he made bears and beavers hide in their dens, how he shook his head and caused snowdrifts to form. New Dawn then delivers his message, which is the coming of Spring. As he sings his song, he grows stronger and taller, the snows melt, birds return to the budding trees, and Iceman retires for the next season.

Crippled in an accident and left behind by his hunting party, Lone Warrior must overcome hunger, cold, pain, and despair to survive. But most terrifying of all his trials is the appearance of a skeleton-ghost arisen from the grave. That Lone Warrior can still remember to express his gratitude to the animal he must kill to survive, and that he does not allow fear to diminish his dignity, makes him an ideal hero.