Teaser Tuesday: A Simplified Map of the Real World by Stevan Allred

Uncle Lenny's arm rested on the open window of his car, and it was the arm with a tattoo on it, a heart with a dagger pierced through it and strange words written on the blade. There were drops of blood dripping off the tip of the dagger, and this is the arm I called the scary arm, but only to myself.

 -- from "A Simplified Map of the Real World," the title story in The Renata Stories by Stevan Allred, published by Forest Avenue Press.

The 15 linked stories in A Simplified Map of the Real World take place in the fictional town of Renata, Oregon -- a rural community Allred's wonderfully textured prose makes us remember even if we never lived in a small town.

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.