Dreamspinner Press

MENS REA: James Carter is forty-five and has been a police officer most of his life. He married young, lost her young, and his life revolved around his work and his son. Young is a recurring theme in his life, he thinks, when he meets the considerably younger AUSA Derek Moore on a case and finds himself ruled by the whims of his heart.

The road to love between a hotshot lawyer and a veteran cop was never going to be smooth, not in the real world, but there are criminals, misunderstandings, and a lack of communication standing in their way too. Both are so stubborn and convinced their interest is one-sided that it takes a murder case, exhaustion, and an adjournment for them to get their act together. They move fast after that, but they both know there’s no guarantee for tomorrow.

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2015 Daily Dose package “Never Too Late.”

WHEN FATE FALLS SHORT: Childhood sweethearts Nathan Maxwell and Sean Adams took ten years to realize they belonged together, followed by ten years of bliss. When it is snatched away, Sean is left alone with the aftermath. Lost and grieving in a world that doesn’t make sense without Nathan by his side, he struggles to keep himself afloat… until he meets Jesse Lawrence.

The shadow of a congenital heart defect has hung over Jesse like a dark cloud all his life. Nathan’s death saves Jesse’s life by providing the heart Jesse needs to survive, and a chance encounter between their best friends plants Jesse in Sean’s orbit. But how well can a love triangle between a dead man, his grieving lover, and the one with his heart beating in his chest possibly turn out? Real feelings and pure intentions might not be enough.

A Bittersweet Dreams title: It’s an unfortunate truth: love doesn’t always conquer all. Regardless of its strength, sometimes fate intervenes, tragedy strikes, or forces conspire against it. These stories of romance do not offer a traditional happy ending, but the strong and enduring love will still touch your heart and maybe move you to tears.

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SWEET DREAMS: Benji Crowe runs a little boutique of all things sweet in an out of the way alley, nice and secluded with a loyal clientele that keep him comfortably afloat and not much in the way of foot traffic. Occasionally someone new will find their way in, either on the advice of a regular or by accident.

When the door slams open one day, Benji thinks that his newest customer must just be really hungry. The man who sprints inside isn’t interested in the pastries, though. He snatches the beanie right off the college student sitting closest to the door before throwing himself into a vacant chair and bundling his distinctive blue coat into a ball that just barely makes it into the trash can. Benji is about to give him a piece of his mind when a dozen teenagers pour through the door shouting about Dane Harper, the latest Hollywood box office favorite.

From that moment, Benji could have been forgiven for thinking he’d fallen headfirst into the latest Hollywood box office feature. Luckily, Dane has enough box office experience for the both of them.

LAW AND DISORDER: James Carter and Derek Moore fought their way through attraction and misunderstandings to get to where they are today. Sure, they’re still figuring out how to make things work between their careers and families, but their whole world is rose-tinted with the glow of new love.

Reality hits with the force of a speeding truck when a criminal starts waging a campaign of terror against the justice system. Suddenly law enforcement officers and lawyers all across the city are living in fear as their careers put them right in the cross-hairs of a deranged killer and James and Derek’s honeymoon period falls to ruins.

With James’s protectiveness driving a wedge between them and Derek pulling away as the target on his back grows even bigger, their future is thrown into jeopardy. While Derek struggles with demons from his past, it’s up to James to catch the killer and put them back on the path to their happily ever after.

This is the sequel to ‘Mens Rea’, published in the 2015 Dreamspinner Press Daily Dose Anthology. Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited from the 31st of August, 2017.