Friday 19 May 2017

The Men of Silent Voices


As Silent Voices was released last week, I thought I’d do something different today and give readers an insight into the main characters and what makes them so special to me.


Josh Jackson is the protagonist. The guy who gets the story going. Josh is an independent business man who runs a successful restaurant called The Cellar Steps. There’s a lot of me in Josh’s character. He’s the kind of man I’d like to be in another life. If I hadn’t gotten into writing and criminal justice, The Cellar Steps is exactly the kind of business I would like. He’s a smart guy and loyal to his friends and family. His concern for his young cousin is the spark that starts the book. Josh has a very clear sense of right and wrong and once he uncovers the misdeeds at the heart of the story, he’s has a steely determination to put things right. Blond, good-looking, caring and clever – Josh might just be the perfect guy.




The other main character is Ed Brolin. Dedicated and smart, Ed’s a journalist whose work has taken him all over the world, always moving and following the action. Ed’s investigation into the owners of Winterstone Grange brings him in contact with Josh, who happens to be looking for his missing cousin at the same time. The attraction on both sides is instant, but Ed doesn’t let romance get in the way of his quest for the truth. Like Josh, I fell completely in love with Ed while writing Silent Voices. His rugged, dark good-looks and green eyes get me excited even now. I loved writing about him, especially the love scenes with Josh, which are very hot.


It’s always fun to imagine who would play your characters in a movie version of the story. I’m hard pushed to think of someone for Josh but Ed is easy. James Wolk is an American actor from the TV series Zoo and the later series of Mad Men, and he would be perfect. He’s got the dark good looks and killer smile that would make him a perfect choice for Ed. He’s also off-the-scale sexy. I can’t think of anyone better.






Silent Voices in a sexy, sometimes dark, contemporary thriller, but it was almost a lot darker. I learned something crucial while writing this book. It’s the first story I’ve written without planning it in detail before I started. I knew roughly what I wanted to do but not how I was going to achieve it. As the book moved towards the climax I found it taking me to places I wasn’t comfortable with, forcing me to stop and pull back. I like an edge to my romance but there have to be limits. As a result I ended up changing the last two chapters to something far more satisfying. It was hard work but worth it. I love the way the books ends now. And it taught me a lesson – never start without a detailed plan. Some writers love to make things up as they go along, to see where the characters take them, but that method doesn’t work for me. I prefer to tackle the big problems upfront, at the planning stage, and make the writing process a more enjoyable task.


Check out the book and see what you think.



Pride Publishing: https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/silent-voices

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XXH9T1N/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491562233&sr=8-3&keywords=thom+collins

Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Voices-Thom-Collins-ebook/dp/B06XXH9T1N/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491562407&sr=8-3&keywords=thom+collins

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/silent-voices-15


Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/silent-voices-thom-collins/1126168330;jsessionid=5F7489723C6FD83BD2A1910F02E6693C.prodny_store02-atgap09?ean=9781786515605

Friday 12 May 2017

PRE ORDER ANTHEM OF THE SEA

You can pre-order Anthem of the Sea from today.



An ocean of possibility. For love, revenge and murder.

Daniel Blake, a handsome young singer, boards the Atlantic Anthem in Portugal for the final voyage of her maiden season. The state-of-the-art ship is the jewel in the Royal Atlantic cruise fleet. For Daniel, a one-time boy band member and TV talent show winner, it’s an honor to perform aboard such a vessel. Daniel loves the freedom and adventure of the sea. He began his solo career as a cruise ship entertainer and returning to the ocean as a headline act brings him full circle. He isn’t looking for love.

Neither is comedian Elijah Mann. Working at sea has given Elijah’s career the boost it desperately needed. Often considered too good-looking and sexy to be funny, work has been hard to come by since his TV show was canceled. With a potential new career opening up, he must remain focused. But when Elijah meets Daniel the attraction is mutual and instant. As the ship sets sail for England they have three days to get to know each other. Elijah can’t let that opportunity pass.

The voyage home is far from smooth. Also on board is a figure from Daniel’s past. A man who’s been holding a grudge for years, waiting for his moment. As a storm builds in the North Atlantic, Daniel and Elijah discover that the trip of a lifetime could be their last.

Pre-Order: 9th May
Early Download: 23rd May
General Release: 20th June

 PRE ORDER IT HERE:  Pride Publishing

Tuesday 9 May 2017

RELEASE DAY: SILENT VOICES

My erotic thriller Silent Voices is on general release from today.



A desire for justice as strong as their passion for each other.

Concerned about the welfare of his young cousin, Josh Jackson, a restaurant owner, traces the boy to Winterstone Grange, a gated manor deep in the country. Miles from anywhere, the protected walls of this stately house conceal dark secrets. Josh’s search brings him into contact with Ed Brolin, a handsome journalist who has spent weeks investigating the secrets of the Grange and its owner. Ray Armstrong is a wealthy business man with influential connections in Parliament and the police. Ed knows exactly what goes on at the Grange but without evidence, he hasn’t got a story.

Drawn together by instant attraction and a powerful hunger for justice, Josh and Ed are determined to expose the sordid secrets of the grange despite the risks it poses. Josh has never met a man like Ed before—so strong, determined and masculine. Falling in love is easy. But they’ll have to put their emotions aside if they’re going to give a voice to all the silent victims of Winterstone Grange.



EXTRACT:

Josh Jackson didn’t worry when his cousin failed to come home. It was Saturday night and Kevin was eighteen. Josh wasn’t about to impose a curfew on the kid. Neither was he going to babysit. Kevin was old enough to take care of himself.

Josh checked Kevin’s room when he came home from work at one o’clock. The spare bed hadn’t been made since Kevin had gotten out of it that morning and yesterday’s clothes were all over the floor—discarded jeans with his boxers still inside them, a scruffy T-shirt and a pair of dirty socks. The smell of the socks hit him from the doorway. Despite the reek of cheap deodorant and aftershave filling the room, the socks were pungent. Teenagers. Josh wasn’t about to tidy up after him so he left things as they were, including the damp towel draped over the foot of the bed. The kid was only staying a few nights. If he wanted to live in a mess like that, so be it, so long as he left the place as he’d found it when he moved on.

Josh shut the door and went to bed. He wished his cousin luck. If the boy wanted to get laid, he’d rather he did it somewhere else. It was bad enough that Josh’s lodger, Bobby, regarded the place as a Grindr pit stop, without his cousin treating it like a knocking shop, too.

Josh read for a while and half-listened for the sound of Kevin coming home, but eventually fell asleep.

He wasn’t overly concerned in the morning to find Kevin’s room just as he’d left it, though by now it smelled considerably worse. The fancy fragrances had worn off and all that remained was the fetid odor of teenage sweat and damp towel. So, he stayed out all night. Good on him. Josh had been a teenager once, a horny one at that, so he could totally relate. Kevin wouldn’t get the chance to fuck around much when he was at home. His mother had very rigid views on that. It wouldn’t have mattered whether Kevin had turned out straight or gay. His mother had raised a good boy and intended to keep him that way.

Kevin will be going back to her in a couple of days. He might as well have fun while the leash is off.

He was a good-looking lad. Josh knew he’d be popular in town. A little baby-faced for his age, but with the family features of blue eyes and blond hair, his fresh twinkie image would attract plenty of attention. He looked a lot like Josh had at that age. Josh had been a slim-looking twink until well into his twenties. It was only in the last few years he’d filled out with muscle and looked more like a man. The beard helped. How grateful he’d been when the ability to grow more than a few wisps of pale chin-fluff finally occurred. He kept it neat with a regular trim, but now that he had grown a beard, he couldn’t ever see himself being without one.

Josh called Kevin’s mobile while waiting for his morning coffee to brew. It rang a few times before going to voicemail. “Hi, it’s me,” he said. “Not checking up on you, I just want to know you’re okay. Give me a ring back, or a text when you get this message. Just to say you’re alive… Otherwise I’ll have to call your mother,” he added jokingly and hung up.

He had bigger concerns than a randy teenager. His restaurant, The Cellar Steps, was short on staff today and fully booked for both lunch and dinner. He’d asked all his remaining staff to come in early to help with the prep and service, which meant getting in even earlier himself. As the owner, it wasn’t necessary, since he employed a manager for the day-to-day running, but Josh believed in setting an example from the top down. That meant rolling up his sleeves when things got tight. He thought about putting a little cash Kevin’s way to help out, if he arrived home in decent time and wasn’t too hung over.

He heard the heavy thud of the newspapers landing in the hall. Perfect timing. A little news and some freshly brewed coffee. A relaxing start to an otherwise hectic day.

Josh sat at the kitchen table with multiple Sunday supplements spread all around him when Bobby stumbled out of his bedroom in just his boxers and a T-shirt, yawning and scratching his belly and balls at the same time. His semi-hard dick waggled in the front of his shorts. Bobby lurched into the bathroom and returned a few minutes later, looking fractionally more awake, minus morning wood.

“Coffee?” Bobby asked. “Okay if I help myself?”

“You know where it is,” Josh said, drawing back from the stench of alcohol that came off him in stale waves. “Jesus, your blood must be one hundred proof.”

“I think I’m still drunk,” Bobby observed. “The hangover hasn’t kicked in yet.”

“I don’t envy you when it does.”

“One cup of this and I’m crawling back beneath the duvet.”

Josh looked at him uncertainly. An idea had just occurred to him. He hoped he was wrong. “I don’t suppose my cousin is under that duvet with you?”

Bobby chuckled, his dark eyes crinkling. “Wouldn’t that be something? He is kinda hot. But little blond cupcakes are not my thing. In Kevin’s case, I could make an exception. Maybe.”

“But did you?”

“Too close to home, bro. The kid’s a cutie but he ain’t worth the earache. I’d never hear the last of it.”

It was some relief. Josh didn’t have a problem with his young cousin fucking around—but with Bobby, no way. His lodger was a good friend but a total slut. Kevin would need a lot more experience under his belt before he was ready for that old hound. “I don’t suppose you do know where he is? He hasn’t been home.”

“He’s between somebody’s sheets, all right. I walked into town with him last night, had a drink and showed him where to go.”

“You left him on his own?”

“No, he left me. I guess I cramped his style. He headed off toward Gala Square with a group of studenty types. He didn’t know how fast to ditch me once he got to talking to people his own age.”

Josh loosened up again. He’d been right about Kevin. He knew what he was doing. A young man in a new city making friends fast. There was nothing to worry about.


BUY LINKS:

Pride Publishing

Amazon UK 

Amazon USA

KOBO 

Barnes and Noble


Friday 5 May 2017

GETTING AHEAD


Good afternoon everyone. It's been another busy week and I'm looking forward to a laid-back weekend. Kicking off with margaritas and beef tachos with my husband tonight.

I've been working on the fine line edits for Anthem of the Sea, which is due out in June from Pride Publishing. Even better, you’ll be able to pre-order the book from next week. I'll post the link once it goes live. I'm so excited about this one. A lot of work has gone into the book - the first in my Anthem Trilogy. As I've mentioned before the second book is already finished and I’ve just started writing book three. Today in fact. It's important to get this right. I don't want to leave anything to chance so the outline had to be right before I began. It's really exciting. The outline alone got my pulse racing. I’ll be a nervous wreck when I get round to writing the actual scenes.

I'm current writing a number of blog posts to promote Anthem of the Sea in June. Links etc will come once it’s all finalised.

In the mean-time Silent Voices goes on general release next Tuesday. Another exciting day. I've written a blog post for the site Because Two Men Are Better than One. The post should go live on Tuesday HERE

So, as mentioned above, I started the first draft of Anthem 3 this morning. I like to write my first drafts without too much distraction, so have been working ahead to get everything in place for Anthem of the Sea and Silent Voices before I start. Multitasking is not one of my strong points so it takes a lot of advance planning. I’m not one of those writers who can have several projects on the go at one time. I like to focus on one story at a time. And now it’s all about Anthem 3. I can't wait. I’ve loved writing the first two books and want to give the trilogy a very fitting conclusion.