### Hey guys, sorry for the long break in my posting; I've been busy as hell and tired most every day for the last week, so it's been hard to muster up the mental effort to write anything.  That changes today!

And the first thing I want to write about today is a book by my very good friend Rand Eastwood, titled _Rolling the Bones_.  He recently had a promotion on it (and I am intensely sorry for not making a timely post about that, but I was _dog tired this weekend_), and it reminded me: I haven't told you guys about the literary awesome that is this book.

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_Rolling the Bones_ is an anthology of twelve stories that range from suspense, to horror, to psychological thriller.  Rand is a spectacularly talented author, and his way with words really shines in this anthology.  From the reflective tone of _Forever Anna Day_ to the Stephen King-esque coming-of-age tone of _The Crossing_, he has an excellent grasp of mood, atmosphere, and, perhaps most importantly, characterization.  His characters are fantastically fleshed out, and they all feel real.  Nuance, emotion, and the way the world they live in has shaped them are all masterfully put on the pages.

If you want some idea of the kinds of stories that are featured in the book, here's the synopses from Amazon:

> ♦ The Traveler (First Place, international short fiction competition): A succesful lawyer is up for a big promotion; bored with his small-town life, and with his marriage on the rocks, he decides to chuck it all in favor of "the good life." But when he encounters a mysterious stranger on his way out of town, everything suddenly spins out of control, and he must think and act quickly, or risk losing his life--in more ways than one...

> ♦ Forever Anna Day (novella): A sad old man, having lost everything, is living out the last of his days in a tiny, seedy apartment, surrounded by memories of his life, and facing a dismal future in a nursing home--until a sudden crisis unfolds in the building, enabling him to end the final day of his life performing one last good deed...

> ♦ The Crossing (novella): Adult life is about to be thrust on a young boy living in a small town, essentially ending his childhood and his boyhood adventures with his best friend. But the nearby haunted Black Woods beckon, and the old rope bridge that crosses the canyon by the woods offers him an escape--and what he does will mark his name down in history forever...

> ♦ Request Denied (reader favorite): A hard-working, successful businessman discovers a petty thief burglarizing his home--but when he confronts the deadbeat, he discovers that things are more complicated than they first seemed, and suddenly the tables are turned...

> ♦ CATS (not the musical) (Finalist, Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competition): One cat can be a cuddly companion...five cats can be a nuisance...but a sea of cats is something else entirely! Love 'em or hate 'em, you'll never look at cats the same way again--especially when they are quietly looking back at you...

> ♦ A Sweet Ride (reader favorite): One night a lonely, struggling writer is stuck with sudden, unexpected inspiration, and the next morning sets about hammering out his "magnum opus." So sure is he of success this time--no way anyone will reject this manuscript--that when he's finished he decides to celebrate by taking the ride of his life with his newly-acquired "dream-machine." But where he goes, and what he does next, is even more unexpected...

> ♦ Roughing It (novella): Two young couples plan a camping trip together, up in the secluded mountain woods, for a weekend of booze, partying--and of course, sex--in the Great Outdoors. But when one of them stumbles on something entirely unexpected in the middle of the night, dark memories from the past are triggered, and the weekend quickly turns from terrific to horrific..

The other thing that I wanted to mention about this is that, despite every story being entirely capable of standing on its own legs, they link to each other.  Each of these disparate stories feature characters and situations that occur in other stories, and none of it feels forced.  It's all organic, which leads to a fully-fleshed out world that all of these characters live in.  Rand manages to weave a tapestry like a master author, and I absolutely loved reading through it all.

### If you enjoy reading Stephen King, Clive Barker, or any other purveyor of suspense and horror, you have to check out this compilation of work.  Rand Eastwood is easily one of my favorite authors now, and I'm eagerly waiting for his next book to come out.

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### Speaking of which, he's currently looking into making a second anthology book covering the same themes (horror, suspense, thrillers, life and death, redemption) and he's planning on featuring other authors.  If you think this might be for you, either send me an email at glorybound87@gmail.com or DM me on Steem.chat.  As for this post, all upvotes and resteems are supremely appreciated.  For this particular post, I'm going to send the payout to Rand Eastwood.  Show him some love!

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