Once upon a time in the deep, deep woods, on a dark and stormy night, a girl faints in the arms of a boy. Only that girl is a nobody and that boy is a major somebody. Their bodies don't care. His brain tells him she's better off without him. Even then he suspects it's wrong.

Holed up in an isolated cabin in the Hoh Rain Forest, county music heartthrob Joe Bob Blade is under strict doctor's orders not to utter a sound. During a freak storm, a beautiful woman collapses at his door. Ali's gentle humor and hard-luck story captivate Joe, raised in privilege and until recently, sailing smoothly to the top of the charts. Surprised that she doesn't recognize him, he decides to keep his identity a secret. It's a novelty being treated like a normal guy, and besides, Joe can communicate only in writing. Ali doesn't reveal her last name, either. Sparks fly, but both resist the heat. Their timing couldn't be worse.

Back in civilization, Ali and Joe struggle to move on. Over the next year and a half, neither can forget those two magical days.

The Silent Woodsman is the Bronze Winner in the 2024 Readers Favorite Contest (romance/sizzle).