kelly swan taylor
BOOKS
The Wright Detective, Book Four: A Charming Mystery
Fiction: Upper Middle Grade
With a chill in the winter air, teen sleuth Tessa Wright discovers a heartwarming mystery this Valentine’s Day.
Beloved downtown Greeneville Heights is aflutter with couples flocking to high-end jewelry store Carmichael’s for the perfect sparkly gift. Following the trail of hearts, Tessa and her valentine Mason investigate the vintage charm bracelet dangling from her wrist. The gold keepsakes link Tessa to the past, and she is sent on a journey to ponder a forgotten life of love and adventure.
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A volunteer endeavor at Sunny View Senior Center gives the TSLR Detective Agency its next lead. While the girls create a majestic mural for the residents, Skylar’s starlet grandmother plays Cupid. But with a secret admirer on the loose, leaving behind pink “crush” carnations, Tessa once again finds herself on locker-stakeout duty in a case that is all too familiar.
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Tessa’s cross-country ankle injury may have healed, but not all injuries are physical. Fortunately, sweetheart Mason has a plan to get her back on track in time for the spring running season. As the end of the school year closes in at Greeneville Middle, the girls embark upon their biggest adventure yet: high school.
The Wright Detective, Book Three: A Haunting In Greeneville
Fiction: Upper Middle Grade
As autumn descends upon Greeneville Heights,
super sleuth Tessa Wright finds herself chasing ghosts!
The new school year means starting eighth grade, where Tessa and her friends are finally seniors on the middle school campus. But the leaves aren’t the only things changing around Tessa, as she navigates the bumpy trails of cross-country as well as her first relationship. While freaking out about her first real kiss, she discovers that choosing just the right Halloween costume is the least of her worries.
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Fall on Greeneville’s Main Street is a color explosion of vibrant foliage and puffy mums, storefront decorations, and spiced apple cider. Unfortunately, the residents are too spooked to enjoy it. After a string of break-ins turns downtown into a ghost town, the TSLR Detective Agency’s spirits are dashed and Tessa dives into the case. As the young sleuth wonders what will become of her beloved Greeneville, the clues lead her to the wrong side of a powerful and villainous business mogul.
On Halloween night, as darkness falls on creepy Huntington Manor, the girls are tasked with investigating its strange activity. Under a full moon, the local haunted house appears otherworldly, and they speculate it’s connected to a nefarious legend. But the night is all about fun dress-up and pretend, right? Tessa thinks so until she’s lured into a trap. It’s possible that whatever is happening inside the dilapidated old Victorian might be more trick than treat.
The Wright Detective, Book Two: The Trophy Case
Fiction: Upper Middle Grade
Tessa and the TSLR Detective Agency are back on the case for a sleuthy summer adventure . . .
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The basketball team’s State Championship trophy is missing!
Teen super sleuth Tessa Wright and her TSLR Detective Agency are determined to bring the trophy home before eighth grade starts in the fall. At first glance, it should be easy, especially with the crime caught on video. But you could have knocked them over with a feather when the perpetrator is disguised as Greeneville Heights’ own Falcon mascot!
It's not like Tessa’s detective dad and the trusted Greeneville police force can swoop in to help. They’re too swamped with a relentless string of downtown break-ins, crippling local businesses.
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The Falcon isn’t the only mystery circling Tessa’s head. It’s boys—specifically adorable emerald-eyed Mason Greene. Hanging out during summer vacation is a blast, but is it just as friends? Tessa is resolved to find out in the most sleuthy way possible: by putting Mason under her magnifying glass!
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When she’s not training for the upcoming cross-country season, Tessa and her spunky new kitten cool off poolside. With so many suspects hovering, the case heats up. Instead of winging it, Tessa calls on her friends to investigate what connects them all. As the summer flies by and their carefree days are numbered, they must bring the trophy back to its rightful place in the case.
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The Wright Detective, Book One: The Mysterious Locker Notes
Fiction: Upper Middle Grade
Every small-town mystery needs The Wright Detective . . .
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The first notes to drop were eerily simple: I SEE YOU . . .
Seventh-grader Tessa Wright is Greeneville Heights’ middle school track star and super sleuth. Following in her detective dad’s footsteps, she has a perfect record of solving the town’s most mind-bending mysteries with the help of her three best friends (Skylar, Leah, and Riley). The TSLR Detective Agency is always on the case from Tessa’s backyard treehouse, atop a majestic maple.
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Despite being fast on the track and in deductive reasoning, Tessa is completely stumped when creepy, cryptic notes from an unknown sender start dropping into her locker. Normally, cracking this type of case would be an easy task. Except only-child Tessa’s mind is preoccupied with a dreaded addition to her family: her mom’s baby bump.
Now, Tessa needs her friends more than ever. Too bad they are more concerned with their own worries, including the upcoming spring dance. For Tessa to keep her perfect sleuthing record and her sanity, it’s vital she solve this mystery as soon as possible. This time, the answer might be wright in front of her own eyes.
Frozen in Time
Fiction: Teen & Young Adult
Sometimes you can’t escape your past.
Sixteen-year-old Summer Ellis is terrified of ice. But there’s a valid reason. Ten years ago, she lost her childhood best friend on frozen Winterberry Lake. Returning to the remote New Hampshire town, she stumbles upon another young victim claimed by the lake. It appears the past is repeating itself.
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After her gruesome discovery, newcomer Summer is dubbed the town outcast. While she comes to terms with two tragic losses, she meets blue-eyed Tate, who quickly sweeps her off her feet. The problem? He is not just charming, but Winterberry High’s star ice hockey goalie. Which means only one thing: MORE ICE.
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With a town full of suspects and tensions as thick as January ice, Summer’s detective mom reassures the residents that the killer will soon be brought to justice. But just as the lake drew Summer to its dark icy depths so many years ago, she now feels compelled to solve its next chilling mystery.
Like the memories of her childhood, Summer is FROZEN IN TIME.
The Winning Ingredient
Fiction: Teen & Young Adult
As the past and the present collide, one baker and one quarterback team up.
The two might be the winning ingredient in a timeless recipe.
Tough cookie Mia DeSalvo can throw a perfect spiral and bake perfect biscotti. But, as George Washington High’s top student and ninth-grade class president, she’s thrown off her game when asked to tutor boarding school drop-out and star quarterback Bryce Fitzgerald. Despite his to-die-for dimples, he’s a total bore. Besides, her plate is already full, trying to save her family’s struggling century-old Italian bakery.
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With the help of her Nonna Antoinette’s Sicilian cookbook, Mia secretly devotes her free time to developing new recipes. But she isn’t the only one with a secret. Once rumors start swirling around Bryce’s lightning-speed exit from prestigious Chadwick Academy, she’s determined to get to the bottom of it.
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When Mia stumbles upon Bryce’s beautifully written journal, it’s clear his talents aren’t confined to the football field. While the journal may hold all the answers she’s looking for, the weight of its heartbreaking words may be too much for her to carry.
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Armed with an antique cookbook and a football, this unlikely pair will discover the importance of embracing an enduring legacy and keeping cherished memories alive.
The Winning Ingredient - Mistletoe & Pandoro
Fiction: Teen & Young Adult
Mia and Bryce are back to shake up the holiday season in this novella-length sequel to The Winning Ingredient!
It’s Christmastime and the DeSalvo Bakery is blanketed in sparkly white like a magical snow globe scene. Inside, business is bustling as customers shout out orders, stocking up on Italian favorites of panettone and pandoro.
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With the new holiday market event only days away, the city is aglow with festive merriment. Unfortunately, sugarplums aren’t dancing in Mia’s head. When she isn’t ripping down annoying mistletoe off every doorway, her attention is focused on sprucing up an innovative confection to clinch the coveted Tasters’ Best culinary award. But if Mia wants to sleigh the competition, the winning solution might not be found in Nonna Antoinette’s Sicilian recipe book but in trusting Bryce.
Mia discovers . . . when life gives you lemons, make . . . cake! But, as soon as she has everything wrapped up in a tight velvet bow, her conflicting feelings for Bryce snowball. What’s in an innocent kiss anyway? Mia is about to find out.
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New memories will surely be made, as the DeSalvos’ closest friends and family gather for Buon Natale and celebrate the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes. If that isn’t enough, a sprig of stubborn mistletoe might present itself at the perfect moment and be the gift Mia needs this Christmas.
In a Dark Time
Selected short fiction, nonfiction, poetry & prose
A collection of stories from members of The Association of Rhode Island Authors (ARIA) of both fiction and non-fiction committed to raising awareness of the outstanding written works crafted by writers in Rhode Island and in nearby communities.
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In Kelly Swan Taylor's short story inspired by the Block Island legend of a Palatine ghost ship, the historical fantasy, “A Portal to The Palatine Light” follows protagonist Will as he falls through a time-traveling pothole and becomes an unlikely hero.
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All proceeds from the sale of this anthology will be used to support the mission of the Association of Rhode Island Authors.
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Running for Good
Nonfiction: Running & Jogging Books
A collection of 101 real-life stories about running and walking that will inspire the reader to get out and start pounding the pavement.
In the touching “No One Runs Alone in Boston” story, Kelly Swan Taylor tells the harrowing yet heartwarming tale of running the 2013 Boston Marathon and returning in 2014 to finish the race Boston Strong.
"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members."
Coretta Scott King