Friday 23 December 2016

End of year Round Up




As we’re coming to the end of 2016, it’s the perfect time for a recap of the year. It’s certainly had it’s ups and downs, on a world wide stage as well as professional one. I’m trying my best to be optimistic  and crossing everything in the hope that 2017 will be better, but as I write this, the news is filled with doom and gloom. Terrorists attacks around the world, discontent in politics, hate crimes on the rise. Even at lunch today, I had to leave the cafe after listening to a man at the next table brag that the police were looking for him after breaking another man’s jaw. So, with that still playing heavily on my mind, I’m going to look at the good things that came my way in 2016.

Closer by Morning. Without a doubt the career highlight of the year. My first full length romance novel. The response I received for the book totally blew me away. A few people didn’t get it, or were disturbed by the violence, but over all I couldn’t have hoped for more with my debut. Some of the criticism about violence did surprise me. I was very careful about how much I showed in the book and didn’t want to make it explicit, but it’s all subjective. Unlike romance, I don’t think violence should be sugar coated. I never want to glamorise or trivialise it. Most of the violent scenes are based on true stories. I learned a lot writing this book. About myself as much as anything. It was a real blast and I’m glad that most people who read it have enjoyed it.




BUY LINKS

AmazonUK AmazonUSA PridePublishing All Romance
Hot on the heals of Closer by Morning, we had Brothers in Arms, an outstanding anthology of military themed stories that I am so proud to have been part of.  This featured Gods of Vengeance, a revenge themed MM romance.  Brothers in Arms is available in ebook and paperback formats.




BUY LINKS

AmazonUK AmazonUSA Pride Publishing
All Romance


My first release of 2017 will be the standalone ebook release of Gods of Vengeance.






Pre Order Date: 7th Feb 2017
Early download date: 21st Feb 2017
General release date. 21st March 2017


Then later in the year I have a novella due from Pride Publishing called Silent Voices.

Pre Order Date: 9th May 2017
Early download date: 23rd May 2017
General release date. 20th June 2017

I’ll post more details on this title near the time but I can reveal it’s another adult romance with a dark undercurrent. I also have a new novel coming from Pride later in the year, the first book in a trilogy. I’ve only just completed the final draft of this so no release date is set, but as soon as I know you’ll hear it here.

My writing calander is now full for 2017. I’ve got the next two books in the trilogy underway and hope to complete a standalone novella before the end of the year too. I’m probably over stretching myself but aim big, that’s what I always say. I’ve got rough outlines in place for all three books so there’s no reason not to hit that target if I work hard.

It hasn’t all been work this year. I had a coupe of great holidays with my husband. We visited Norway in April and the views of the famous Fjords were absolutely stunning.




Then in September we took a fantastic cruise around the coast of Spain. Portugal and Gibralta.

Writing this blog has made me release that they have been more ups than downs in 2016 so I shouldn’t complain. Very merry Christmas to everyone reading and best wishes for 2017. It’s going to be a good one. I know it.


Wednesday 19 October 2016

AUTUMN UPDATE


Many apologies for this long overdue update. I haven’t been around much at all for the last few months. Excuses I knew but it couldn’t be helped. First it was because of a holiday. A fabulous cruise visiting Barcelona, Gibraltar, Cadiz, Malaga and a load of other beautiful places. Secondly, I had a short spell in hospital. Nothing too serious but it did result in a little down time and being out of action. Anyway, enough of the excuses – I’m back.

Brothers in Arms a new military themed anthology from Pride Publishing is due out at the end of this month, but it’s available for early download now from the Pride site.  LINK. Only £4.  Featuring stories from Megan Slayer, Helena Maeve, Anna Lee, and Lucy Felthouse, it includes my revenge thriller Gods of Vengeance.

'Gods of Vengeance' by Thom CollinsUnited in passion. Driven by vengeance.
Owen Hazard, a young farmer is dead. Murdered while he tried to prevent a robbery on his land. His older brother, Captain Mark Hazard, returns home for the funeral. Owen’s best friend, Riley runs the local pub. He has information about the night Owen was killed—he knows who was responsible. The police are doing nothing. Vengeance is their only option. United in their passion for each other and a thirst for revenge, Riley and Mark must take the law into their own hands if there’s to be any justice for Owen.
Reader Advisory: This story contains scenes of violence.





BUY IT HERE


Gods of Vengeance will also be released as a standalone title next spring.

Now that I’m back I have lots of other writing to be getting on with. I’ve just completed a 20K word novella, which is another thriller, and am about to start editing the manuscript for my next full length novel – hopefully the first book in a series – if there’s a demand for it. I’m also developing a story that’s laid dormant for several years. I’ve always wanted to write a historical romance set in the 1960’s, just before homosexuality was made legal in the UK. I’ve attempted the story before but never felt I was ready to do it justice. But next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act 1967 which finally legalised sex between two men. It feels right for me to look at this period again.

The nights are cutting in and the leaves are falling from the trees. Autumn is well and truly here and it’s my favourite time of year. I love closing the curtains on a dark evening, shutting out the world and settling in for a quiet evening at home. Unlike a lot of people I also love the dark mornings. In the summer I often struggle to sleep soundly when it’s daylight at 3.30 am but autumn and winter is perfect. I sleep soundly in the dark until my alarm goes off. It’s blissful.

It probably helps that Halloween is my birthday. I have a love of all things dark and macabre. Ghosts stories, horror movies, lanterns and costumes – I can’t get enough of it. I’m looking forward to watching some great horror films over the next few days. Just this week I watched The Conjuring 2. Wow, it was easily the best new horror film I’ve seen in years, a real modern classic. If you haven’t already seen it, check it out.

Happy Halloween – stay safe.

Friday 16 September 2016

BROTHERS IN ARMS

Just a quick update today to let you know about a new anthology coming soon from Pride Publishing. Brothers In Arms features five great new stories including my own tale Gods of Vengeance.


Book Description:
'One Night With You' by Megan Slayer
One night to find the man of his dreams in the least likely place…
Airman Tate Gibson thought going to a party at the local college with his friends would take his mind off of his troubles. He’ll head back to Korea in two days time—after the funeral of his baby sister. He’s always taken responsibility for her and he’s not ready to deal with her being gone. He wants a man to help him deal with his sadness and give him a reason to get through his deployment.
Raine crushed on his neighbor across the hallway, but once he spots the hunky airman his thoughts center on Tate. He wants to strip the handsome blue-eyed man down and lick him everywhere, but geeky guys like Raine never get the man. He’s stuck playing the perpetual wallflower.
Will one night tear them apart before things get hot or will it be enough to bring these two wounded souls together for a long-term engagement?
'Spoil of War' by Helena Maeve
One man’s prize is another’s nightmare.
When Briar’s partner Kai returns from the Federation’s latest skirmish with a handsome prisoner in tow, Briar is both envious and wary. It is common knowledge that the tribespeople of Ganymede are violent brutes who delight in murdering and enslaving their enemies, and Dallan can be no different.
As an officer with the Federation’s propaganda machine, Briar has produced plenty of material to substantiate the need to wage war in the asteroid belt. Kai, for his part, has slayed many enemies while on active duty and watched just as many of his friends perish in combat.
For a foe to save rather than end his life is unusual in the extreme. Sparing him the horrors of a prison camp seems like a fair exchange, even if the only alternative he can offer is thraldom.
'Would You Wait For Me?' by Anna Lee
Kip made a promise to Lucas that he’d come home to him after his tour overseas, but will Lucas be waiting for him like he promised?
Kip Foster is nearly finished with his tour overseas and is ready to leave the hot desert and constant threat of danger. He hopes to reunite with his lover, Lucas Danvers. When he calls to ask Lucas to meet him at their hotel however, Lucas breaks it off with him. Lucas no longer wants to be his dirty little secret. He says he’s waited long enough for Kip to make a choice and he hasn’t. Devastated, Kip realizes how much he loves Lucas and that if he’s to win him back he needs to do something big. He needs to not let hate and fear control his life. So he makes plans to start living life the way he wants to. Will Lucas still be waiting when he comes home though?
'An Interesting Find' by Lucy Felthouse
A relaxing summer holiday is turned upside down by an interesting find…
Nathan and Lee are on a relaxing summer holiday in the UK. They plan to do lots of walking and exploring in the beautiful English countryside. Naturally, typical British weather derails their plans on their first day, leaving them cooped up indoors with little to do but read.
When the weather clears, the men eagerly put on their hiking boots and head out for a walk. However, when they reach their destination—a pond a little distance from their holiday cottage—they make a shocking discovery. An odd-looking bundle of rags turns out to be an unconscious man. With no one else around, and no mobile phone signal to call for help, they manage to get the stranger back to their cottage to get him warm and dry, and figure out what to do next.
When their unexpected house guest regains consciousness, however, things just get more complicated. The stranger—a British soldier called Jonny—doesn’t want the authorities to be notified of his presence. As the three men try to come to some agreement, the sexual tension in the air becomes apparent, and suddenly the last thing on any of their minds is leaving the cottage…
'Gods of Vengeance' by Thom Collins
United in passion. Driven by vengeance.
Owen Hazard, a young farmer is dead. Murdered while he tried to prevent a robbery on his land. His older brother, Captain Mark Hazard, returns home for the funeral. Owen’s best friend, Riley runs the local pub. He has information about the night Owen was killed—he knows who was responsible. The police are doing nothing. Vengeance is their only option. United in their passion for each other and a thirst for revenge, Riley and Mark must take the law into their own hands if there’s to be any justice for Owen.
Reader Advisory: This story contains scenes of violence.


The book goes on general release from 8th November but you can preorder your copy from 27th September and get an early download from 11th October.


LINK:



Tuesday 16 August 2016

GUEST POST: LILY HARLEM author of BAD IDEA


Bad Idea by Lily Harlem



Love hot M/M biker stories with guys who are rough, tough and determined to get what they want? If so check out Lily Harlem’s new BDSM tale about a couple who are forced to keep their love and lust secret, but when they do get together, things become explosive.



Back cover information



Bad ideas can sometimes be the best!



Roughneck Riders are not an MC club you mess with, least of all their rough and tough gang leader Heavy. But Heavy has a secret that has to be kept, no matter what—his heart belongs to a man. It shouldn’t. He’s supposed to be into women, like the other guys in the club. Junk is just too cute to resist, though. Add in his delectable body, his sweet submission and his willingness to accept Heavy’s sadism, and the couple are a perfect match.



Junk’s a probie, proving his worth to the club and demonstrating his mechanical know-how. He’s lived on the edge for a long time, flitting from one place to the next. But now that he’s settling in as a Roughneck, life is looking up. Not least because he’s in love—soul-eating, cock-thickening obsessive love. He can’t tell anyone about his desire for Heavy, but what he can do is push his lover’s buttons, all day, in full view of everyone, until he’s damned sure the night will bring a whole host of sinful delights and wicked punishments that will leave him marked, bruised and most of all, wholly satisfied.



Publisher's Note: This book has previously been released as part of the His Rules anthology from Pride Publishing. 





About Lily Harlem



Lily Harlem lives in the UK and is an award-winning author of erotic romance. She writes for publishers on both sides of the Atlantic including HarperCollins, Totally Bound, Pride Publishing, Evernight Publishing, All Romance eBooks, Stormy Nights Publishing, Tirgearr and Sweetmeats Press. Her work regularly receives high praise and industry nominations.

Before turning her hand to writing Lily Harlem worked as a trauma nurse and her latest HarperCollins release, Confessions of a Naughty Night Nurse draws on her many experiences while nursing in London. Lily also self-publishes and The Silk Tie, The Glass Knot Cold Nights, Hot Bodies and Shared have been blessed with many 5* reviews.

Lily writes MF, MM and ménage a trois, her books regularly hit the #1 spot on Amazon Best Seller lists and Breathe You In was named a USA Today Reviewer’s Recommended Read of 2014. Her latest MM novel is Dark Warrior  and you can grab Part One of her series Caught on Camera  for FREE!

Lily also co-authors with Natalie Dae and publishes under the name Harlem Dae - check out the Sexy as Hell Trilogy - The Novice, The Player, and The Vixen - and That Filthy Book which has been hailed as a novel 'every woman should read' and is available in book stores nationwide.

One thing you can be sure of, whatever book you pick up by Ms Harlem, is it will be wildly romantic and down-and-dirty sexy. Enjoy!

Check out Lily’s website for details of her other books and her Amazon Author Page. Subscribe to her newsletter to get a FREE ebook and be the first to hear of new releases and free reads, and if you enjoy Facebook, hop on over there and say hi!








Sunday 14 August 2016

NEWS and REVIEW ROUND UP




Closer by Morning is out there now and I must admit I’ve been overwhelmed by the response it’s received. The reviews have exceeded all of my expectations. Just check out what they had to say at Joyfully Jay and Diverse Reader.



 I’ve also been out and about doing guest blogs this week.  In case you missed them here are the direct links:





 So it’s been quite a week. Fantastic in every way.

Now Closer by Morning is out, its time to move on with future projects. Next up is a short story Gods Of Vengeance. This will feature in a upcoming anthology of MM military themed stories from Pride Publishing. The collection is scheduled for publication in November, followed by the ebook release as a standalone title next Spring.

I’m also writing a romantic trilogy. I’m a third of the way into writing the second book so it’s too early to talk about release dates or details but I’m having a great time writing it.

Next week I’m going to host my first guest blog post. Lily Harlem will be joining me on 16th August to talk about her new book Bad Idea. So do come back to hear all about it. You won’t regret it.
https://www.amazon.com/Thom-Collins/e/B01K5K5BJO/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1471182670&sr=8-1

Wednesday 3 August 2016

CLOSER BY MORNING RELEASE AND BLOG TOUR

Next week sees the general release of Closer by Morning. It’s been exclusively on sale with Pride Publishing for the last month but as of 9th August it’s going to be EVERYWHERE. That’s so exciting. You’ll find it at all of the usual places as an ebook and paperback.  Unlike the novel I’m not going to be everywhere but I am embarking on a small blog tour – my first ever. I’ll be chatting about the book and offering free giveaways. Please drop by and follow me when you can.

Tour dates:

9th August: http://lmbrownauthor.wordpress.com
9th August: http://joyfullyjay.com
10th August: http://lilyharlem.blogspot.com

Massive thanks LM Brown, Joyfully Jay and Lily Harlem for hosting me on their sites.

It’s an exciting time. I’m currently working hard on my next novel and have placed another story with Pride Publishing. That’s due for publication in November so I’ll provide more information nearer the time.

It hasn’t all been work and promotion. I managed to grab a few days off with my husband last week. We have a lovely weekend in London and saw The Pet Shop Boys at the Royal Opera House and the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. That was simply amazing. We also spent a fantastic day at the North Yorkshire sea side and took a boat trip along the coast.

I hope you all enjoy what’s left of the summer. Grab yourself a great read and enjoy.

Thom xxx

Sunday 17 July 2016

MY WRITING PROCESS



As writers are regularly asked about their writing process, I’ve decided to use this blog to talk about the process of writing CLOSER BY MORNING.

To plan or not to plan? The eternal question for anyone writing a novel. Jackie Collins, one of my favourite authors, claimed that she never planned a single one of her books. That she made everything up as she went along. I have great admiration for authors who work that way, but it’s never been successful for me. I don’t think my memory is good enough. Heck, I can barely remember what I did last weekend, let alone a plot point I might have started writing six months ago. So planning is crucial when I start a book.  For Closer by Morning, I began with an outline of the full story. I’ve heard writers say that they feel stifled if they have to stick to a plan, but I would never set out on an unknown journey without consulting a route planner and I can’t start a book without a plan.  The finished book rarely turns out exactly how I intended but I have to know where I’m going for at least the first two thirds of the way.

Closer by Morning took about two weeks to outline, though the process began much earlier than that with character sketches, scenes ideas, research etc in my note book.  With all my notes assembled I typed up the synopsis and character profiles – everything I would need to refer back to over the coming months.

I often begin my first draft writing in long hand. There are several reasons for this. Mainly, it allows me to take my time and really get into the story and characters. I’ve always found writing with pen and paper to be more involving. Also my day job involves staring at a computer screen for 7.5 hours a day.  When I write in the evening and on my days off, I want to escape from all that. It has it’s draw backs, mainly in that it’s a lot slower. If I wrote entirely on a computer, I could probably finish a first draft in around three to four months. The first draft of Closer by Morning took six months. I didn’t write it all in longhand, but around two thirds. By that stage, all of the characters were established, I knew where the story was going.
First draft of Closer by Morning in long hand


Around this point I began to deviate from the plan. Not massively. The book still ends more or less where I intended it to, but I took a few detours along the way. One character, intended to be relatively minor, began to push forward and demand a bigger role in the finale. Who was I to refuse?

With my first draft complete and fully transcribed to the computer, it was time to take a break. Revision benefits from a little distance. I wrote a short story, Love in Portofino, which was recently published in Bold Strokes Books anthology Men in Love, before beginning my second draft. Let me say one thing first: I HATE second drafts. They’re hard. You realise how far from perfect your original version is. You have to slog through it, line by line, trying to make it better. (I once wrote an entire novel that went nowhere because I hated the second draft so much. It’s now in a box in the garage and unlikely to be seen again) Closer by Morning wasn’t the toughest second draft but it was no picnic either. I was determined to make it work and overhauled the whole manuscript in about four weeks.

The drafts pile up


After that I took another short break to concentrate on my submission package; drafting a cover letter and a clear synopsis. I also drew up a list of publishers I thought might be interested in the book. I’ve self-published before, but because this was a new genre for me, I wanted the backing and support of a traditional publisher. Self-publishing would always be there as a back up but I was determined to put the book through the submission process before resorting to that.

Then it was back to the third draft. This was really just a polish. The tough worked had been done in draft 2, so I was only looking to refine things in this pass and it took about two weeks. Following that, it was one final proof read before sending the book out for submission.

All in all, I started writing the first draft in January and competed the final draft in August. It was a very intense, focused time. I’m not one of those writers who likes to have two or three projects on the go at any one time. What I’m trying to say is that I start something and I finish it before moving on to something new. That’s my process.

And now it really is finished. Closer by Morning is already available exclusively for early release through Pride Publishing. I hope you enjoy it.


https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/closer-by-morning


Friday 8 July 2016

The Inspiration for CLOSER BY MORNING


The inspiration for CLOSER BY MORNING

Closer by Morning was originally born from a desire I had to write something different from what I’d done before. I’d been pondering the idea of  MM novel for some time without ever setting anything down on paper.  Towards the end of 2014 I decided I was ready for a new direction; a new pen name, a new genre and new stories. It was time to get started.

I wanted to write a MM love story within the genre of a thriller. I was also determined to set the story where I lived, in Durham. So many books are set in the same major cities – London, New York, Rome etc.  Why not Durham? It’s smaller than those other cities, but is just as beautiful. Dating all the way back to 995 AD, it’s steeped in history. The mixture of ancient streets and modern design make the perfect location for a contemporary thriller like this one.

PHOTOS – Durham




Despite the location I wanted to bring a bit of Hollywood glamour to my local city. This came in the form of one of my hero’s – the gorgeous Dale Zachery. Dale is an American actor who has known some success but his career is stuck in a rut, until he lands the lead role in a UK TV series. Dale is filming that show in Durham, putting him right at the heart of the action. Dale is a great character – he’s sexy, warm and funny. Unfortunately he’s stuck firmly in closet. Now that his career is finally on the up, he can’t afford to jeopardise it by coming out.

For the hunky American actor, I knew I had to have a sexy local boy. Matt Blyth is a successful lawyer. He’s young, smart and great looking. Matt is completely comfortable with himself and out to everyone he knows. Being in the closet holds no interest for him. When Matt and Dale meet, they ignite sparks.

They meet when a killer is prowling the streets of Durham. A sadistic predator who preys on young men. Men just like them.

While I knew the things I wanted to include in the story, there were also things I definitely didn’t want in there. I’m not a fan of angsty love stories. I read a lot of books where the characters spends most of their time bickering and arguing about nothing. Seriously, if I ever met one of those crazy boys who fly into a rage at the slightest misunderstanding, I would dump his ass. Dale and Matt had to fall in love and want to be together, not bitch about nothing the whole time. That meant the conflict had to something external – a very real danger. The Durham Strangler.

How did their stories play out and entwine? Well, I had a fabulous time finding out; developing themes and relationships. It was an absolute thrill ride.  I had so much fun writing Closer by Morning and I hope you’ll have feel exactly the same when you read it.
 


Available to pre-order now in both ebook and paperback formats.

Pride Publishing
Amazon UK
Amazon USA
 

Tuesday 5 July 2016

CLOSER BY MORNING is almost here

I’m very happy to announce that my new novel Closer by Morning is available to pre-order now from the Pride Publishing website.  This has been a long time coming and I’m so happy that the book is finally done and about to be published.  I started writing this novel in January 2015 and the fine line edits were completed just last week. Phew.  When the book goes on general release at the beginning of August it’ll have had a whopping 20 months start to finish process. Obviously it hasn’t been constant work all that time. I submitted the book to Pride last August and we only started working on the edits this spring, but it’s still been a lengthy process.



Passion and love bring them together. Murder could tear them apart.
When Matt Blyth, a handsome young lawyer, joins an early morning boot camp, all he wants is to get in shape. His thirtieth birthday is approaching fast. He’s ready to throw away the past and embrace a new future. The last thing he expects is to fall in love…or become embroiled in murder.
Dale Zachary, an American actor, is stuck firmly in the closet. He spent his twenties playing good-looking jocks in bad horror films and romantic comedies. But that boy-next-door act has a limited shelf life. Dale lands the role of his career playing a sexy, psychotic killer in a major British TV series. It’s a part that could make him a star. It’s no time to fall in love, but when Dale meets Matt, the attraction is impossible to resist and they both fall hard.
Someone is killing young men in the city. A killer like no other. The murders bear an uncanny resemblance to the script Dale is shooting. A devious mind is at work. As their relationship becomes more complex, Matt and Dale find the murders intruding further into their lives. The killer is closing in on his next target. It could be either one of them…or both.


Available to pre-order now in both ebook and paperback formats.

Pride Publishing

Amazon UK
Amazon USA

Monday 23 May 2016

Multi Tasking - Why's It So Hard?


Multi tasking has never been one of my strengths. I’m a typical male in that respect. I can just about cope with a couple of different pans on the cooker top but anything beyond that is a stress. I like to do one thing at a time and see it through from start to finish. That’s not always easy for a writer with approaching deadlines and this last two weeks I’ve found myself having to juggle two projects, a novel and lengthy short story, both of which are at the stage of writing that I enjoy the least – the second draft.  Urgh, how I hate the second draft. It’s hard. True, it’s where the writing is shaped into something worth reading but it’s such demanding work.

I’m not under any great deadline with the novel, other than what I’ve imposed on myself, but the short story has to be ready by the end of May. I’d already started rewriting the novel when I realised I had to get cracking on the story. The easy thing to do would have been to take a break from the novel while I polished the story. But that’s another thing I don’t like to do with my writing – take breaks. I’ve learned the hard way that if I take a break from something it loses momentum. Other ideas start to surface and demand attention. Characters appear with stories that they want to be written. And writing is the fun part. More exciting than rewriting. If I take a break from something, either it doesn’t get finished or I have to start it all over again. So stopping is not an option.

So here I am, multi tasking with two stories on the go.  And I underestimated how hard that is. After an eight hour shift at the day job, to come home and focus on whichever story I have that day. Whoa, it makes my head hurt. I’ve heard some writers talk gleefully about having four or five stories on the go at any one time. There’s no way I could cope with that. Maybe if I wrote full time but unlikely. I tried that once before and it didn’t work out. I can’t cope with my own company all day every day. I drove myself mad and had no choice but to get out and find something else to do. If anything I was less productive when I wrote full time. I’ve written more while working a day job than I ever did as a stay at home writer.

I’m trying to work alternate days on each piece so it doesn’t have a chance to go stale. Hopefully I’ll have the story licked by early next week and focus on one thing at a time.

Rant over. I hope everyone who read The Players enjoyed it. I’m happy to say I wrote that story some time ago and didn’t have to juggle the instalments along with everything else. I’ll put a full ebook version online as soon as I’ve given it one final polish. Hopefully in the next two weeks.

Closer by Morning is still on track for publication this August with Pride Publishing. I’ll provide more info on the publication date when I know it’s fixed.

The novel I’m currently rewriting is the first book in a proposed trilogy. I had a couple of very loose idea about what would happen in books 2 and 3. I didn’t want to commit myself until I knew exactly where the first book would end (and who would still be alive). Now that’s all set I’m really looking forward to starting the next book. Discovering where my old characters are going while getting to know new ones. It’s always an exciting part of the process. Creating characters, planning the story and writing the first draft. That’s the best thing about writing – starting the journey and seeing where it takes me. I hope you’ll join me for the ride.

Sunday 10 April 2016

MEN IN LOVE Edited by Jerry Wheeler

Men in Love edited by Jerry Wheeler is out this week.  It features my story Love in Portofino.  Check it out



BLURB:
Spring approaches with the promise of new beginnings, fresh adventures, and the thrill of romance rekindled or discovered. Hot, sexy guys abound-meeting on the ball fields or the boardroom, at the theater or the classroom-falling in love and lust for the first time or celebrating a lifetime. Come join the rites of spring and indulge yourself in the passion and pleasures of our luscious men in love. Stories from some of today's popular m/m romance authors explore the many faces of men in love: gay for you, seductions, weddings and more.



The official publication date for UK readers is 12th April.
Check it out here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1626397368

Wednesday 6 April 2016

A FEW THINGS ABOUT ME

JUST FOR FUN....


One thing I enjoy:

1: Writing. Creating characters and telling their stories. Without it I would probably go mad. If I’m not working on a story, or am stuck with one that’s not going well, I can get very moody.

Two names I am known by:

1: Thom Collins – M/M romantic fiction
2: Thom Wolf – Gay erotica

Three places I have worked:

1: In a hospital.  As a trainee nurse in my late teens. The wrong job for me.
2: Durham Passport Office. Not as interesting as I thought.
3: National Probation Service.

Four things I love to watch:

1: Cookery shows. Bake Off, Masterchef, Nigella Lawson – I love them all.
2: Horror movies – the more scary and intense the better. Nothing worse than bland and boring.
3: Documentaries – especially anything sea related.
4: Live theatre – musicals, plays, ballet, opera

Five things I am looking forward to:

1: My next holiday – a two week cruise
2: The summer – time to spend outdoors
3: Writing my next book. The second in a trilogy – book one is already written.
4: Getting a new kitchen. This can’t come soon enough. It’s the only room in the house I haven’t renovated since moving in 6 years ago and I hate it.
5: The publication of Closer by Morning – summer 2016

Six Favourite Films:

1. Basic Instinct (1992) – my all time favourite.
2. Halloween (1978) - October 31st is my birthday so I’ve always had a soft spot for this one.
3. The Strangers (2008) – one of the best modern horror films. Very scary.
4. Piranha (1978) I love a killer fish movie.
5. King Kong (1976) – guaranteed to make me cry.
6. Showgirls (1995) the ultimate guilty pleasure.

Seven Favourite Books

1. The Bridges of Maddison County – Robert James Waller
2. Lovers and Gamblers – Jackie Collins
3. Maybe the Moon – Armistead Maupin
4. Jaws – Peter Benchley
5. The Rats – James Herbert
6. Valley of the Dolls – Jacqueline Susann
7. Hollywood Wives – Jackie Collins

Eight Favourite Places:

1. Blackpool, England. – favourite place for a fun weekend
2. Malaga, Spain.
3. Portofino, Italy.
4. Ibiza, Spain.
5. Rome, Italy.
6. Puerto De La Cruz, Tenerfie.
7. Durham, England.
8. Whitby, England.

Nine things I couldn’t live without:

1. My husband
2. My family
3. My writing
4. Books
5. My I-pod classic (I accept music downloads but will never take to streaming)
6. Good wine.
7. Holidays – they make work worthwhile.
8. Sex – need I say more.
9. Pizza – spicy chicken is my favourite.


Friday 1 April 2016

HOW I CAME TO WRITE M/M FICTION


How I came to write M/M fiction.

I’ve always been into genre fiction, as both a reader and writer. I love thrillers, horror, erotica, spy novels, crime fiction and romance. My first erotic story was published back in 1993 (I was very young – honestly) and I’ve written hundreds of short stories, three novels and several novellas in that time. But I never thought of myself as a M/M author. The term didn’t even exist when I started. Stories about gay men falling in love and having sex were confided to gay magazines and literary publishers. There was no “mainstream” market for these stories back then.

I must have become aware of the term M/M about 3 or 4 years ago. For a while I resisted it. In my ignorance I thought these were just “woman’s books”: gay stories written by women for female readers. I was narrow minded and continued to write my “gay erotica” believing M/M was not for me. Over time as I began to read M/M fiction I realised that it was not so different to the stories I was writing. Over time the focus of my stories had changed anyway, focusing as much on the relationships between my characters as the sex. I was writing M/M fiction at the more explicit end of the market.

Closer by Morning is my first proper M/M novel. From the very beginning I knew this wasn’t going to be one of my usual sex books. There’s sex in it but it’s not the main thrust of things. The book is many things – a love story, a thriller, a mystery, a bonkbuster – but it’s not a porn novel. I like to think of it as a gay romance with shades of Jackie Collins and Harold Robbins. I started writing it as a challenge to myself. After a 20 plus years could I even write a book that wasn’t 80% sex?

The answer was definitely yes. Not only could it write it, it poured out of me. It was the easiest book I’d ever written, it came so naturally. I was a M/M author after all. I loved the book when I finished it, but wasn’t 100% convinced it would find a home. A lot of the M/M novels I read were filled with angsty characters and miserable situations and that’s just not me or my book. There are dark situations within the story and the characters are put through a devastating ordeal, but they aren’t the kind of men who wallow in misery or bicker over the tiniest thing.  They stand up for themselves and fight.

I was delighted when Pride Publishing picked up the book. The doubts I had about the content of the book and whether it fit into the M/M genre, vanished.

Closer by Morning is scheduled for publication this summer. I can’t wait for people to read it. I’ll provide more information nearer the time.





Tuesday 29 March 2016

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to by new blog, set up especially to launch my new pen name - Thom Collins.

It looks pretty sparse at the minute but don't worry, I'm working on it.  I've got a lot of new content to upload in the coming weeks: details of my new novel Closer by Morning which will be published this summer by Pride Publishing. There is also a free novella which will be serialised right here over the spring. As well as all the usual blog stuff, musing and ramblings.

But I can start off with some news about a brand new anthology from Bold Strokes Books.

Men in Love is edited by Jerry Wheeler and features my story Love in Portofino. 



BLURB:
Spring approaches with the promise of new beginnings, fresh adventures, and the thrill of romance rekindled or discovered. Hot, sexy guys abound-meeting on the ball fields or the boardroom, at the theater or the classroom-falling in love and lust for the first time or celebrating a lifetime. Come join the rites of spring and indulge yourself in the passion and pleasures of our luscious men in love. Stories from some of today's popular m/m romance authors explore the many faces of men in love: gay for you, seductions, weddings and more.



The official publication date for UK readers is 12th April.
Check it out here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1626397368