The story continues with the dreaded Guardianship Inspector calling on Mary and Mike. The cracks are starting to show in the new regime.
This Story is set in a country where the Order of Eve, an ultra feminist party have taken power..

Men have no rights and need to have female guardians to stay out of "state guardianship", which means being sent to forced labor camps.

Chapter Two – Loretta

A second murder motivates Detective Steve Edwards to ask for more resources. Penelope Bishop is given a reprieve from purgatory and assigned to the case to assist Steve. Can these two detectives with a history of distrusting each other effectively work the case?

Link: The Wisher's Paradox Title Page and Description

---

Stirring slightly, Christina was in the wonderful middle ground between dreaming and waking, still not fully conscious, but no longer asleep. God, that was a beautiful dream! she mused sleepily. It all felt so real!

Last man standing?

Kelvin O’Reilly was a self made multi billionaire though virtually none were aware of his wealth for he didn’t have an opulent lifestyle, drove a thirty-five year old diesel Mercedes 300 because he liked it and was a self professed family man. Ruth was Kelvin’s sixth foster child and he was trying to adopt her.

This is my take on a Poco song from 1976 . Please give it a listen. I find it insanely catchy. It's about a woman called Rose Dunn in the old west.

Roll along, roll on
Rose of Cimarron
Dusty days are gone
Rose of Cimarron

Rose stood there staring out of her window, She was wearing a long black dress and was tightly corseted. She wasn't expecting any visitors, but liked to look presentable. Just in case.

A WINTER’S TALE

Prologue – The Flight North

A Tear for Bunny
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

She could not help it that she was pretty. I really should ay “he” if I am gonna tell the story, but somehow I just can’t. It just don’t seem right. But maybe I will start that way. The start is his story I guess.

His Mom never wanted him to be in a gang. She protected the kid, as any Mom would. He went to school. He walked through the Hood on his way – kept his head down. Men don’t notice kids until they get big, and maybe start to stare or give some lip.

Chapter One - April

Detectives Steve Edwards and Penelope Bishop are chasing a serial killer targeting trans women. Penelope is battling her own demons after the fallout from the Lipstick Killer case and whilst Steve is deeply in love with trans drag queen Felicity Goodnite he is tempted to stray. This is a five-part thriller with plenty of bumps and curves.

Julia spots her son fighting off three police officers. She recognized his fighting styles, which were based on her father’s style. One of the policemen manages to grab Chayton and wrestle him down to the ground.

He had Chayton’s arm in an armbar hold and had his knee on Chayton’s neck. Julia slams on the brake and opens the driver-side passenger door on the SUV “COSAINT!”

I.

I used to live in Seattle.
I want to say it was a great town.
Fine, it was okay.
Would you believe we tolerated each other?