I’ve been wanting to write some prequels to the Wynter Wild series for years. The Fairn brothers – Caleb, Indio, and Jesse – talked (or thought) about their childhoods throughout the books, giving me a good framework upon which to build some short stories set in the late 90s and 2000s.
The Waiting is a short story ebook (11K words) and the first Fairn Boys story, set in 1997 Anaconda right after Miriam takes her daughter Joy and leaves her sons with their father. You can read it as a standalone story, but if you’ve read the Wynter Wild books it will take on a slightly different flavor. It’s only 99c on Amazon, or free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. UPDATE: This story is now a free exclusive for my newsletter subscribers.
Caleb is nine years old when Momma leaves him and his brothers at their estranged father’s house for the summer. Dad doesn’t have a clue how to care for three boys, and nor is he motivated to try. Navigating his moods and covering for his neglect are more than any child should have to face, but as the oldest brother, Caleb knows it’s his responsibility to step up and grow up.
With his mother gone, taking his twin sister with her, Indio is battling anger and grief as well as the nagging guilt it’s all his fault. Resisting Caleb’s newfound authority, struggling to keep little Jesse out of trouble, he never gives up hope. Momma will be home for his seventh birthday, won’t she? All he has to do is wait it out.
Sara Creasy 