The Quiet Storm
By A.W. Collins
A Note from the Author
This story began as a whisper. It was one of those persistent thoughts that refuses to leave you alone until it’s written down. While the characters and events in these pages are fictional, the emotions behind them are rooted in real-life experiences, observations, and feelings I’ve carried for a long time.
I’ve always believed that fiction gives us a safe place to explore the difficult truths we sometimes avoid in everyday life. In this novella, I wanted to examine the quiet battles people fight behind closed doors, the weight of unspoken grief, and the unexpected strength that can rise from heartbreak.
Domestic abuse is never okay. No one deserves to live in fear or suffer harm at the hands of someone who is supposed to love or care for them. It leaves deep emotional, physical, and psychological scars and not just on the direct victim, but often on children, family members, and even entire communities.
Thank you for taking the time to walk alongside these characters. My hope is that their story lingers with you, if only for a little while, and perhaps helps you see someone (or yourself) a little differently.
With gratitude, —A.W. Collins
The Upcoming Projects:
Project In-Motion: Verses & Vision While The Quiet Reckoning is on the horizon, I am currently underway on a project very close to my heart. Poetry was my first literary companion, and I am thrilled to partner with artist Leah LeBlanc for this collection.
Verses & Vision will contain 51 original poems, each paired with a sketch drawn by Leah based on her interpretation of the verse. It’s shaping up to be something truly special.
Coming 2026
The Quiet Reckoning: First came the Storm. Now comes the Reckoning.
The highly anticipated follow-up to the International Impact Book Award winner is on its way. In this gripping sequel, the stakes are higher and the shadows are darker. The story continues where we left off, proving that sometimes, surviving the storm is only the beginning.
Coming Spring 2026
Book Club Discussion Guide: The Quiet Storm
Dive deeper into the themes of silence, justice, and family dynamics with these discussion starters for your group.
1. The Weight of Silence The title The Quiet Storm suggests a danger that isn't spoken aloud. In the story, does silence serve to protect the family, or does it cause more harm than the truth would have? How does "not talking about it" shape the protagonist's decisions?
2. The Setting as a Character Southern contemporary fiction literature relies heavily on atmosphere. How does the Southern setting (the heat, the isolation, the landscape) mirror the internal tension of the characters? Could this story have taken place anywhere else?
3. The Child’s Perspective The bio mentions "the price of justice when left in a child’s hands." How does seeing these events through a young set of eyes change your understanding of right and wrong? What did the protagonist see that the adults might have missed?
4. Justice vs. Morality A central theme of the book is the "price of justice." By the end of the novella, do you believe justice was truly served? Was the outcome moral, even if it wasn't strictly legal?
5. Resilience & Scars A.W. Collins writes about the "resilience of the human spirit." Which character showed the most resilience in the face of trauma? Do you think they are healed by the end, or just surviving?