Ron Collins's, "Ties That Bind" is an equally satisfying story ... The story is about a warrior forced to fight gladiatorial contests and with apparently no way out. Collins's characterization goes a long way towards making the tale enjoyable.

Reviewed by Crystal Forkan
Tangent Online

The ending is something of a surprise, although a discerning reader's thoughts will probably run along the same lines. The story is nicely written and worth reading.

On Writing "Ties That Bind"

I was sitting in my car and the sun was shining. It was late afternoon, and I glanced out my window. The sunlight caught my eye and I was briefly dazzled.

Strange how the mind works, eh?

Somehow, I flashed on the viewpoint of a man laying on the ground, staring up at a backlit gladiator who was prepared to end their battle. A strong feeling accompanied this image, a mix of anger and pride and resignation. This man had fought a good fight, long and hard. He had lived a life in the ring, and was now ready to give it up. There would be a new champion.

So I wrote the story from the point of view of the new champion.

We follow him as he learns lessons that the dead champion took with him to his grave. If I can be so bold, this is a good story--a "guy" story, I think. I like it, because it's exactly what I envisioned when I sat down to write it. It's about life and servitude and whotnot. It has a point that rings true to me.

of course, I give a few of my first readers credit for their input on an early draft. John Bodin and Lisa Silverthorne, as I remember, both had a really good suggestion that I incorporated and for which I am of course grateful.