The First Stranger: A Where the Pines Still - The Early Years Novella

From the Where the Pines Still Stand Universe comes the second novella in the Early Years prequel series.

Before the collapse… there was the first warning.

Life at the Callahan lodge is built on hard work, family, and the quiet rhythms of the Adirondack wilderness. Jo and Gus Callahan have spent years raising their young family and creating something lasting—a home where their children can grow strong, capable, and deeply rooted to the land.

But when a stranger appears near the property line, bringing with him more questions than answers, the family begins to realize that danger doesn’t always arrive loudly.

Sometimes it slips quietly through the trees.

As tensions rise, the Callahans are forced to confront difficult choices about trust, protection, and the kind of people they want to be when trouble finally finds them.

Because long before the world falls apart…

the foundations of survival are already being built.