Dreams

The House on Glass Beach #3

by Laura Susan Johnson

Dreams is book #3 in The House on Glass Beach series by Laura Susan Johnson. Dreams goes back in time to tell the story of Lloyd Tafford, the man who would be destined to rescue and adopt Jamie Pearce in Crush. Born in the 1940s and raised in the small town of Lyra, Arkansas by his loving but overworked mother, and his foul-mouthed, feisty and fiercely protective Grandma Negdar, Lloyd meets a small boy named Derek Rollins who has come to Arkansas, USA from Japan, where his RAF father, Simon Rollins, was stationed. The small, soft-spoken, boy quickly adopts Lloyd and his family. At first, Lloyd treats Derek like an intruder. But one day, Lloyd's perception of the painfully lonely Derek changes dramatically. Derek is a child begging for refuge from a home that appears normal on the outside, but hides unseen madness that only worsens once Derek's little brother Joey is born. When Simon commits an act of unspeakable brutality against Derek, one of a million of Derek's most guarded secrets escapes him as Simon flees to England to avoid arrest. With the loving guidance of Lloyd's cousin Astrid, who is transgender, Lloyd and Derek become inseparable, and Lloyd realises that Derek is much older than he appears outwardly. Once close to his mother, Eva, Derek now watching her smother her heartache with sedatives. Derek is only twelve, and his little brother Joey is barely out of diapers, and there are no other relatives to take them in, so Lloyd and his Grandma Negdar open their home to the frightened brothers.

Within months of Simon leaving for England, a terrible chain of tragedy occurs; A killer tornado rips through Lyra, killing Eva Rollins in her sleep. The same tornado overturns Lilit Tafford's car as she is driving home from her job in Fort Smith and it ends up in a roadside marsh and she is drowned. Negdar survives, but her house is demolished. As for Lloyd, Derek, Astrid, and Joey, they were down the road at a "dime store" buying sodas and candies when the storm struck head on. They protected Joey as a human shield, and all four miraculously survived.Unable to bear the memories that the broken trees in their neighbourhood bring, they relocate to the warm coast of Texas, hoping it will give them peace and a fresh start,

But a new nightmare awaits them.

Genres: M M Romance

Unknown Binding

First published December 1, 2022

About the author

Laura Susan Johnson has been writing since age eleven, cutting her teeth on tales of the family pets. Aside from writing, Laura Susan enjoys quilting, playing around with colorful makeup, clothing and hair colors, web design, and vegan cooking. She resides in California, Idaho, Arkansas, and the northern coast of Oregon.