The Things We Protect Stories of Quiet Towns and Dangerous People This collection is unlike anything I have ever written before. Each story in this anthology was inspired by real people in my life—friends, coworkers, mentors, and wonderfully unique individuals who left enough of an impression on me to become unforgettable characters on the page. While the stories themselves are entirely fictional, the personalities, passions, quirks, and heart behind many of the main characters come from very real people. Inside these pages are bakers, beekeepers, candle makers, protectors, outsiders, and quiet small-town souls placed into dark fictional worlds filled with mystery, horror, secrets, and impossible choices. Some stories are unsettling. Some are emotional. Some are strange. But all of them were written with admiration for the people who inspired them. These are not true stories. The crimes, events, towns, and horrors are completely imagined. But the people at the center of them? They’re real. And that is what made these stories worth telling.