In the three novels listed below, the city of Toronto plays as prominent part as that of the colourful characters and the imaginative plots. Readers who are familiar with the city will recognize the scenes. As the tales unfold, it is possible for readers to visualize the places where the action occurs, the addition of photos from the Toronto Archives adding to the reality of the fictional tales.
“Arse Over Teakettle,” Book One of the Toronto Trilogy – Awarded “Editor’s Choice”
A heart-Warming Story of Coming-of-Age during the 1940s in Toronto
Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn found adventure on the banks of the mighty Mississippi. Tom Hudson and his friend Shorty discovered it in the secluded laneways and avenues of a deceptively quiet Toronto neighbourhood.
“Arse Over Teakettle” is an intriguing tale of Tom Hudson’s boyhood in Toronto during the 1940s. He and his mischievous friend, Shorty, encounter eccentric characters such as Grumpy, an unconventional older man in the neighbourhood, and their fierce neighbour, Mrs. Leyer. Their confrontations with the Kramer gang are sometimes painful and at other times hilarious. As Tom and his friends become sexually aware, amusing situations develop. Shorty constantly pushes Tom to explore beyond the secure boundaries of childhood, into the world of the “big boys.”
An intimate and heartfelt tale of family life in Toronto, “Arse over Teakettle” is set during the decade when the city is transforming from a parochial city into a cosmopolitan urban centre. In Tom’s neighbourhood, difficulties arise as he confronts ethnic and religious prejudice, which wounds his boyhood friends.
“Arse Over Teakettle” is available through Amazon.com, Chapters/Indigo book stores.
The 524-page book contains over 70 photographs of Toronto during the 1940s and early-1950s.
To order directly from the publisher: http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000132634/Arse-Over-Teakettle.aspx
Book also available as an eBook
“The Reluctant Virgin” Book Two of the Toronto Trilogy – Awarded Editor’s Choice
The The Reluctant Virgin” is a chilling murder/mystery of a serial killer who chooses victims from the streets and ravines of Toronto during the 1950s. Those who know the city, will be familiar with the crime scenes. The two detectives assigned to the case are baffled, and at first fail to realize that the murders are connected to a single killer. The bodies of the victims have been drained of blood, but the methods are cleverly disguised to mislead the police.
The book is a classic “who-done-it,” as the killer continues to create havoc in a city that is unaccustomed to such brutal crimes occurring within its boundaries.
To purchase the book: http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000188306/The-Reluctant-Virgin.aspx
“There Never Was a Better Time”- Awarded Editor’s Choice Award
The novel is an entertaining and informative story of an immigrant family during one of the most thrilling times in the history of Toronto.
A Toronto historian chronicles family’s life in 1920s Toronto – “Hogtown” – as it was known in the early days – where people gravitated to “live high off the hog. “A humorous and intimate story of family life in bustling Toronto during the 1920s, as experienced by two young immigrants and their brothers, parents, and rascal of a grandfather. Jack and Ernie Taylor immigrate to Canada in 1921, and three years later their parents, John and Mary Taylor, along with their brothers and grandfather, Job, move to the city. It is one of the most dynamic decades in the history of Toronto. The brothers mature and thrive, despite the different temperaments involved, thanks in part to the strength of Mary’s discipline. She provides structure for her sons, yet they still enjoy the diverse frivolities of the time. Share in their daily life during the “Roaring Twenties.”
Have you ever wondered what it was like to ride on an old Yonge Streetcar, sail across Toronto harbour on a side-paddle ferry such as on a side-paddle ferry the Bluebell, Primrose, or Trillium. Perhaps attend the CNE when it was the greatest late-summer event in Toronto? Ever wanted to attend a baseball game at Hanlan’s Point Stadium, sail aboard the steamer Cayuga to Port Dalhousie, attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Toronto’s old City Hall, when the wounds of the First World War remained vivid, observe the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Confederation of Canada, experience the Canadian National Exhibition when it was the world’s biggest and grandest annual fair, share in the laughter of a vaudeville show at the Pantages or Shea’s Hippodrome Theatres, visit Sunnyside which was Toronto’s playground by Lake Ontario, or shop at the St. Lawrence Market in the days when produce was sold from carts and wagons inside the market buildings.
“Toronto the Good” was evolving into a dynamic, sinful metropolis, adored by many and feared by others. The Taylors witnessed the cultural identity and infrastructure of their adopted city becoming firmly established during a time of rapid urban expansion.
Book is available on Amazon.com. It may also be ordered in any Chapters/Indigo store or ordered from their web site.
Save time and order directly from the publisher, follow the link : http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000056586/THERE-NEVER-WAS-A-BETTER-
For further information on the author, visit his Home Page :https://tayloronhistory.com/