One person's influence has the power to change their lives... It's good to have ambitions and goals, as long as they're our own and not someone else's. After a decade-long absence, Allison Cramer returns to her childhood home to pay tribute to a former teacher. Years of excelling in all of her classes, and pursuing a doctorate at MIT should give her an abundance of confidence and pride. When she realizes that the insecure, sixteen-year-old bookworm she's tried to bury is still only skin-deep, she must take a hard look at herself. Coming back may open her eyes to what her heart has always wanted. Do you quit, or continue despite insurmountable odds? Shane Taggart has seen more tragedy before his twenty-first birthday than most people experience in a lifetime. Taking the responsibility of the world on his shoulders has become a way of life. There is no room for fun and socializing, until his head is turned by a vague high school memory with blonde hair and a pile of books. Letting go of the past while being immersed in it may be the only way Alley and Shane can move forward. Leaving behind the childhood images of who they were, they discover that seeking individual dreams can be attained through the strength found in each other, and that love may be the greatest influence of all. Shane's Burden is a standalone, full-length novel with a HEA Rated PG - contains some mild swearing and kissing