Where The Fawn Hides

By Adam Blake

In the quiet hollows of Appalachia, safety is a mask you never take off.

Twenty-four-year-old Traver is a master of the "fawn" response-a survival instinct honed from years of keeping the peace and staying small to avoid conflict. Living in the tight-knit town of Nimble Hollow, Traver works at the local clinic, moving through life like a well-managed ghost in a colony of ants. He has spent his life putting others first, burying his own needs to ensure he never makes waves.

Then there is Ezekiel "Zeke" Matthews.

Adopted by the Johnson family five years ago, Zeke is as mysterious as he is striking-a "Greek god" on a mountain of hay who carries his own heavy silence. When a chance encounter reignites a connection that began in their high school hallways, Traver finds himself drawn to the one person who truly sees him.

But in Nimble Hollow, breaking the mold comes with a price. As Traver and Zeke navigate a slow-burn romance built on shared trauma and horse rides to a hidden "Sanctum Sanctorum," the pressure of small-town expectations begins to fracture. From violent confrontations with local bullies like Tytus to the heartbreaking fear of disappointing the family that raised him, Traver is forced to confront a terrifying question: Is the safety of the "fawn" worth the cost of his own soul?

"Where the Fawn Hides" is a raw, lyrical debut about the courage it takes to stop pleasing everyone else and start living for yourself.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0HBVWYM69
• ISBN13: 9798253723159
• Release Date: July 2026
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 317 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.8" x 5.5"