WELCOME TO PARADISE, CALIFORNIA
Two dogs. Two very different ways of seeing the world.
Z and Eloise live under the same sky, wander the same trails, and call the same little corner of Paradise home. But what they see when they look at the world couldn’t be more different.
And if we’re being honest, we’re all a little bit Z and a little bit Eloise.
TWO WAYS OF MOVING THROUGH THE WORLD
Same world. Completely different experience.
Z moves through life expecting something wonderful to happen.
A new trail? Adventure.
A strange sound? Worth investigating.
An unexpected visitor? Probably a friend.
Eloise sees many of those same things very differently. She notices what could go wrong. She prefers what she knows. And when the world feels uncertain, she’s perfectly happy to watch it from somewhere safe.
They’re both right. How can that be?
They’re looking at the same world through different experiences, personal meanings, and beliefs—and each discovers a world that reflects what they expect to find.
And somewhere between the two, Zeloise shows you a door.
WHICH ONE ARE YOU?
Maybe you’re a little bit of both.
Some days, we’re Z. We see possibility everywhere. We follow our curiosity, trust the adventure, and somehow know, come rain or shine, there’s always a reason to wag our tail.
Sometimes we’re Eloise. She’s afraid nothing will ever be as good as the past. Other days, she’s pretty sure one bad experience is bound to lead to more bad experiences. So she plays it safe, hopes for the best, and keeps a side-eye out for anything that might be out to get her.
Most of us are both.
And maybe the interesting question isn’t which one we are—but what changes when we begin to notice which one is leading the way.
YOUR STORY IS JUST BEGINNING
What if this adventure was yours all along?
Maybe the world doesn’t decide what our experiences mean. Maybe we do.
Life gives us rainy days, unexpected turns, things we hoped for and things we never saw coming. But what any of it means—and what we carry with us into the next moment—is still ours to discover.
Are you curious enough to open the door and discover what changes when you see things differently?
What will you bring with you?
Z and Eloise may be living the story, but the questions they discover belong to all of us.
What will you notice? What meaning will you give your moments? And who might you become when you discover there is more than one way to see the world?
Shift a definition, and you change the world you experience.
ARE YOU COMING?
And so the story begins.
But Zeloise isn’t only their story. It’s a way of seeing your own.
Join two dogs living in Paradise—sharing the same little town, but experiencing life in two very different ways.
Z is surrounded by the comfort of a loving home, where ordinary days become adventures and there always seems to be something worth appreciating.
Across town, Eloise is living in an in-between place—a local rescue. But her attention is somewhere else entirely. She remembers the beautiful life she once had, and as far as Eloise is concerned, the way forward is simple: go back. Back to the life she knew. Back to the way things were. Back to where she believes she belongs.
Until she meets Z—and begins to question everything she thought she knew.
Through Z and Eloise’s friendship, everyday experiences become a gentle way to explore some surprisingly big questions: What else could this mean? Is there another way to see what happened? What am I believing because of it? And what might change if I choose to see it differently?
For children, the story offers an early language for understanding perspective, resilience, compassion, and choice. For grown-ups, it creates an easy way to begin conversations that aren’t always easy to begin—and a familiar story to return to when real life offers another moment worth seeing differently.
Written for children but meant to grow with us, Zeloise is a story to enjoy today—and a reminder that how you shift your perspective today can change the story you live tomorrow.
Take the story with you.
Zeloise: A Tail of Two Dogs is an invitation to notice the magic, meaning, and possibility already traveling beside you.
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HELP THE STORY TRAVEL
Already joined Z & Eloise on their adventure?
A few words from you might be just what helps another reader discover the story. If Zeloise made you smile, think, wonder, or see something a little differently, consider sharing your experience with the next person who comes along.
THE STORYTELLERS BEHIND ZELOISE
Meet The Authors
Some stories are imagined.
Others are lived long before they are ever written.
Zeloise was born from the extraordinary lessons hidden within ordinary moments—the quiet moments that ask us to pause, look inward, and choose who we will become.
Although separated by twenty-two years and shaped by very different lives, Shannon Faye and Timothy A. arrived at many of the same discoveries. Through seasons of joy, loss, change, and renewal, each learned that our lives are rarely transformed by a single extraordinary event. More often, they are shaped by the ordinary moments that quietly invite us to respond with greater awareness, courage, compassion, and personal responsibility..
Shannon brings a lifelong curiosity about the patterns that connect our inner lives to the world we create around us. As a designer and storyteller, she has spent years exploring how our thoughts, our environments, and the meanings we assign to our experiences shape the lives we ultimately live.
Tim brings the perspective of a life richly lived across decades of change. His steady presence, resilience, and quiet wisdom remind us that growth is less about perfection than about the willingness to keep showing up with honesty, humility, and heart.
The dogs simply reminded us.
They set out to tell the truth in a way that children could understand—
and adults could remember.
Because sometimes the deepest wisdom doesn’t arrive as an answer.
Sometimes it arrives as two dogs.
An ordinary day.
A gentle invitation
to see the world—
and ourselves—
a little differently.
WHERE CURIOSITY LEADS
Every Story Continues
Some stories end when we close the book.
The most meaningful ones continue quietly within us.
If Zeloise continues to raise questions, inspire conversations, or helps you see familiar moments in a different light, don’t overlook those moments. They’re often the first signs that something meaningful is already beginning to shift. Small changes have a remarkable way of becoming larger ones when we notice them, nurture them, and choose to follow where they lead. If that’s beginning to happen for you, we’d be honored to continue the journey with you.
…perhaps you didn’t reach the end of the story.
Perhaps you’ve just reached the place where your own story begins.
AN INVITATION TO STEWARDSHIP
Help Carry the Story Forward
Zeloise was created to help children—and the grown-ups beside them—explore belonging, purpose, curiosity, and the courage to remain true to who they are.
By becoming a Zeloise Steward on Patreon, you help these stories travel beyond the page and into schools, libraries, workshops, communities, and the lives they may be waiting to reach.
Every forest begins with a single seed. Perhaps this one begins with you.
MEMBERSHIP HOSTED ON
IF THE STORY STAYS WITH YOU
Perhaps This Is Where We Meet
Some stories quietly become part of us.
If Zeloise continues to raise questions, inspire conversations, or gently changes the way you see familiar moments, then perhaps it’s already beginning to work its quiet magic. Transformation rarely arrives all at once. More often, it begins with a single new thought, one meaningful conversation, or a small shift in perspective.
Those moments are easy to overlook—but they're often the first signs that something meaningful is already beginning to shift.
If you’re noticing them, stay curious… like Z. Follow them.
And if you’d like to continue the conversation beyond these pages, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re interested in bringing Zeloise to your school, library, book club, community, podcast, or simply want to share how the story found you…
our door is always open.
Invite Us to Read at Your School, Library, or Community Event
We're trained for this.
STAY A LITTLE LONGER
Follow Along Wherever You Already Are
Not every connection has to begin with a grand gesture. Sometimes, it begins by sharing a story, watching an adventure unfold, or simply allowing familiar faces to appear in your feed from time to time.
STAY A LITTLE LONGER
Watch the Story Unfold
Follow Mr. Ryan’s chronicles of Z and Eloise as everyday adventures reveal unexpected lessons about belonging, curiosity, and becoming more fully ourselves.
READINGS • WORKSHOPS • COMMUNITY EVENTS
See Where Zeloise
Will Be Next
Follow Zeloise on Facebook for upcoming events. Discover when we’ll have readings, school visits, workshops, community gatherings, and other opportunities to sit, stay, and share the story with us.
EVERYDAY MOMENTS • ART • INSPIRATION
Find a Little Wonder in the Everyday
Follow the watercolors into the ever-growing world of Zeloise. Meet new friends, peek into stories still unfolding, and discover quotes and thoughtful insights inspired by the moments behind the art.
