A therapist is faced with a unique challenge when she is asked to counsel an accused murderer. She alone knows the truth: The murderer is connected to the gang responsible for the deaths of her family and friends, twenty-three years ago…when she was only a child.
Dancing with the Lost weaves together personal memoir, psychological drama, and procedural mystery as the therapist finds herself wandering the blurred line between justice and revenge. Her professional detachment unravels as she is pulled deeper into her patient’s memories and confessions: these offer keys to long-locked doors in her own past. Each session is a step closer to truths she has both dreaded and desperately needed. As the weight of the unsolved and the unresolved grows heavier, she sees a way out…but only if she can achieve justice for the departed and remember the lessons taught to her so long ago about how to dance with the lost.
William John Rostron (“Bill” to most who know him) is the author of a four-book series based on 1960s American culture and music. This series has received critical acclaim, and all four books are consistently rated 4.5 out of 5 or higher on Amazon. While sales have been recorded on four continents and all 50 states, the series has developed an almost cult-like following among Baby Boomers, musicians, New Yorkers, and lovers of mysteries.
Bill has also produced over three dozen published short stories. Most of these appear either in his first short story book, A Flamingo Under the Carousel, or his upcoming book, T-Rex Stole My Computer. Many of these have received recognition from the Writers Digest contests. Six of his stories have been presented either on the New York stage or made into short film productions by the Visible Ink program. Only about 3% of submissions per year achieve this status. These videos may be seen on the author’s website
In October 2023, a short proof of concept film based on his first novel, Band in the Wind, and his short story “Pretty Flamingo” won first place in the New York Long Island Film Festival.
This eight-minute film may be viewed on the website Pretty Flamingo Film website..
Bill splits his time between his Long Island home and traveling the country in his Tiffin motorhome. He and his wife Marilyn have logged over 2,000 days on the road in the last twenty years. In the process, they have visited all fifty states, all thirty major league baseball stadiums, over 100 national parks, two Canadian provinces, and numerous unusual locations. Many of their stops end up as location settings in his books.
In 2023, Bill edited the KAPOW anthology of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, illustration and photography for Red Penguin Books.
Novels:
Band in the Wind
Sound of Redemption
Brotherhood of Forever
The Other Side of the Wind
Dancing With the Lost (2025 release)
Short Story Compilations
A Flamingo Under the Carousel
T-Rex Stole My Computer (late 2024 release)
Short Stories Filmed Either on Live Stage or production videos:
Pretty Flamingo
The Garden of Eden
Ava’s Bubble
Fool on the Hill
The Last Chord
Senseless
Reviews
“Much to the delight of his devoted readers, Rostron plunges once more into the vibrant world of 1960s music and culture—this time through the eyes of a determined woman on a ceaseless quest for justice… or perhaps revenge… for crimes that cast a long shadow two decades earlier. This masterful stand-alone addition to the Cambria Series captivates from start to finish.”
“This novel beautifully dances on the precipice of despair and hope, inviting readers to accompany Maggie as she seeks not only justice but also a path to healing. For die-hard Rostron fans, there are nostalgic flashbacks to Bracko, Johnny, and the entire ensemble from previous books, enhancing the reading experience.”
“Remarkably, this single narrative weaves a powerful tapestry that combines music, crime, history, travel, nostalgia, law, and revenge, ultimately leading to a profound search for redemption.”
“What truly distinguishes Dancing with the Lost is its emotional honesty. The characters are achingly real…scarred, flawed, and earnestly searching for meaning and connection.”