A masterful short fiction that received rave reviews from writing professors, published authors, and hard-core readers during its editing and production, Creekside Dogs is a suspenseful drama for the deep-thinking reader who wants to explore the tough issues of loss, guilt, and love through the eyes and heart of an uncle and his alienated young nephew. Explore the very real and delicate issues of familial rejection, the challenges of change and newness, the liberties of acceptance, and the power of friendship in small-town, rural America. Creekside Dogs is the first novella by J.W. Lynn published in late 2019 alongside Lynn's first anthology, Triptych: Garlands, a collection of three short stories. Back cover text: Chief of Police Barry Mallock is a small-town cop who is unhappily content with the way things are in his unimpressive hometown of Marbleyn, North Carolina. But when tragedy steals away his older sister, Barry's young nephew, Daniel, is uncomfortably injected into his life. The two are forced to get along in the slow-moving world of rural living that feels daunting, uncertain, and new, even to Barry. Together and separately, and with the help of an unexpected catalyst, they discover the capacity of their forgiveness, the depth of their grief, and the strength of their love. Author Bio (from back cover): J.W. Lynn holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of California, Riverside. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and son.