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Archive for May, 2020



Reina Torres: An Idea, Some Spare Parts, and a Little Bit of Magic (Contest)
Sunday, May 17th, 2020

UPDATE: The winner is…Pansy Petal!
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First Response: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology

My degree is in Costume Design and Construction, so I make the BIG MONEY! Just kidding, but you knew that already. What I love about costuming, especially on a big scale with a small budget, is just how creative you have to be.

I guess, when you look back at my life, my passion has been in the arts. I was a type-A student for the academics stuff, but I loved the arts. As I grew older, it wasn’t just being a dancer or an actress, the background/technical theater “stuff” became my new focus.

Now, I never made a living as a costumer, but when my son was in middle school, they did a small scale production of Pirates of Penzance. There was already a costumer on the show, but I enjoyed finding cheap alternatives for costumes… and that continued on into my son’s high school years. When they did a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I had a blast!

But I also had a huge headache!

How do you take $600 dollars and make a complete production with one seamstress (me) and my costume assistant (my son)? Well, my mother’s curtains became Peaseblossom’s bodice and hood, a bag of ripped T-shirts from Goodwill were cut into leaves for Oberon’s costume so he could hide as part of the forest…and on and on…

But my biggest “make it work” moment was Bottom’s donkey head. It started out as a random concept of putting foam on a hat and then adding the “skin.” So out I went to get foam scrap, some super glue, a yard of grey felt, and a few random odds and ends.

I had to chop the foam and stick it here and there on the baseball cap from my son’s peewee days, and then carve away the mound of foam until it looked like a donkey head. It’s a random, learn-as-you-go process, but that head cost me less than ten dollars and it was a complete labor of love…and creativity.

Now, why am I telling you all of this?

Well, writing a short story, for me, follows the same process.

Get the idea, gather some parts (plot points), and start adding in the magic. For the First Response: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology I started with the idea…a rescue.

Firefighters. Good one.

Oh, a firefighter rescuing a firefighter. Okay…then what?

Rival firehouses? Okay…that’s good for conflict!

Maybe they knew each other in the Academy? And they were almost a thing? Okay, okay, keep it coming. And now that he…no, now that she pulled his hot ass from the frying pan…oh…someone’s getting lucky! Oh, wait! No, they both are!

Once I had those pieces together, I realized I needed more pieces. I went to a talk done by Kristin Higgins’ husband about firefighters, and when I asked him for his advice about what kind of an accident would require time off but not endanger his job or career, he answered and I’m so grateful.

All of this for a short story?

Yep! Absolutely! And writers? We do it over and over again. It’s a rush, it’s a drudge, it’s a crazy random happenstance sometimes! So, here’s hoping you’ll order your copy of First Response: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology and discover the rollercoaster that I took Webb & Gina on!

You’ll also see them in my Center City First Responders Series! So make friends with them now!

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope you’ll enter the giveaway, too!

Contest

Sometimes, we have to create on the fly. A missing ingredient in a recipe. Or a Halloween costume created from some bedsheets and bungee chord? Tell me what’s a moment that made you celebrate your own creativity!!

Win your choice of one of my books, like Justice for Sloane!

Coming Tuesday! HOT SEAL, DECOY BRIDE, a SEALs in Paradise story! (Contest)
Saturday, May 16th, 2020

UPDATE: The winner is…Ani Stubbs!
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Next Tuesday, I’m releasing the next SEALs in Paradise story, which is related to my New Orleans Nights series! This is our third collection of related stories. If you remember, I released these previous SEALs in Paradise stories:

Hot SEAL, New Orleans Nights
Click on the covers to learn more about these stories!
 

Tuesday’s story is related to New Orleans Nights, and the first book in the new series named after it, One Hot Night, which released last month!

One Hot Night

If you’ve read New Orleans Nights and One Hot Night, you’ll see some familiar faces. However, Decoy Bride is a standalone story, so you don’t have to have read either of the two previous stories.

Anyways, long story short, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of Decoy Bride when it releases!

Decoy Bride

Hot SEAL, Decoy Bride

A former Navy SEAL is teamed with a feisty ex-Marine to provide protection for a Greek tycoon’s daughter to make sure the bride gets safely to her destination wedding…

Former Navy SEAL, Trigger Matthews, now a special operator with Justin Ballard’s Black Knight Security in New Orleans, is teamed with a feisty ex-Marine as part of the protection detail for a Greek tycoon’s spoiled daughter. The prickly woman proves to be a challenge he’s eager to explore.

Due to her uncanny resemblance to their client’s daughter, Cassandra Locke is tasked with being a “decoy bride”, a job that sees her going through some matrimonial hoops while fighting her growing attraction for her partner for this operation. Together, they create diversions to make sure the real bride has a chance to prepare for her coming nuptials.

Both loners, and unaware of the fact that they are indeed lonely, Trigger and Cass find out they have many more qualities in common, including an inability to stay away from each other. As the real bride’s day draws closer, they learn that she’s more than a girl born with a silver spoon in her mouth and find unexpected friendships along the way.

When danger draws nearer, they must trust each other’s strengths to get them through it.

Get your copy here:
Kindle | Nook | Kobo | iBooks
Available in Print now!

Contest

Have you already ordered your copy?
Comment for a chance to win a copy of
S*x on the Beach or New Orleans Nights!

Reminders! Open Contests & Giveaways!
Friday, May 15th, 2020

This is just your friendly author with a friendly reminder that there are still open contests you can win! Enter today!!! A couple of them close Sunday!

  1. Open Contests & a New One! And Story Time — Your Story!Ending Sunday!! Win an Amazon gift card!
  2. Happy Mother’s Day! (and a Puzzle!)Ending Sunday! Win an Amazon gift card!
  3. My Mother’s Day (Contest) — Win an Amazon Gift Card!
  4. Thom Collins: The Anthem Box Set (Contest—3 Winners!) — Win an anthology!
My thoughts at 1 AM… How much do you love insomnia?
Thursday, May 14th, 2020

Have you ever heard a whooshing sound like the ocean in your ear? One where the waves come as often as the ticking of one of those solar-powered bobbly-rocking tchotchkes? I notice these things. I have two bobbly things ticking at different rates on my desk right now—along with a whoosh in my ear. All that noise is a little annoying…

Now, that I’ve described my early morning issue, what’s yours?

Thom Collins: The Anthem Box Set (Contest—3 Winners!)
Wednesday, May 13th, 2020

UPDATE: The winners are…ALL 5 commenters!
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Thanks for having here today to talk about the box set reissue of The Anthem Trilogy from Pride Publishing. This is a real pleasure for me, as the Anthem books are very close to my heart. I spent the best part of three years working on the trilogy, and the characters became part of the family for that time.

My original plan was to write one big novel, but I realized very quickly that would be commercially impossible. No romance publisher would take a 600-page book at that time, and instead, I set about telling Daniel and Elijah’s love story across three books. I always plan my books in advance, working out all the character and plot details, and that was even more important when telling such a big story. The three novels are thrillers as much as romances, and I had to make sure that all the elements fit in place before I began.

But at the heart of everything is Daniel and Elijah. I love these guys. They meet in the first book while working on a luxury cruise ship. Daniel is a singer, Elijah a comedian, and they hit it off right away, but it’s far from smooth sailing for this pair. Across the three years in which the story takes place, I put them through hell. The guys get caught up in a horrific storm at sea, murder, betrayal, and revenge.

The timing of this reissue is kind of fitting, too. I should have been on a cruise right now, but like everyone else, those plans are on hold indefinitely. So why not join Daniel and Elijah onboard the Atlantic Anthem and take a trip to sea with them? It will be a bumpy voyage, but definitely worth the risk.

THE ANTHEM TRILOGY

  1. Anthem of the Sea
  2. Anthem of the Dark
  3. Anthem of Survival

When Daniel Blake meets Elijah Mann the attraction is instant. Handsome and talented, they are immediately drawn together. The perfect men for each other. Daniel has never been in love before. Most of his adult length has been focused on his career, first in a failed boy band, before cutting his teeth on the cabaret circuit and finally finding success on a TV talent show. At twenty-nine, he’s achieved more than most. The time is right to focus on his personal life. Tall, dark, sexy and funny, Elijah has it all and Daniel can’t resist him.

But a figure from Daniel’s past comes back into his life just as he meets Elijah. Jealous, bitter and twisted, Oliver Gill has never forgiven Daniel for his success. A success that was rightfully his. Fueled by hatred, Oliver’s actions set in motion a catastrophic chain of events that have far retching consequences for Daniel and Elijah, a threat not just to their happiness, but to their lives.

GET IT NOW:
Amazon USA
Amazon UK
Pride Publishing
Barnes and Noble
Kobo

Contest

Comment for a chance to win one of THREE copies of the ANTHEM TRILOGY!

About Thom Collins

Thom Collins is the author of Closer by Morning, Gods of Vengeance, Silent Voices and the Anthem Trilogy. His love of page-turning thrillers began at an early age when his mother caught him reading the latest Jackie Collins book and promptly confiscated it, sparking a life-long love of raunchy novels. He is currently working on a new series.

Thom has lived in the North East of England his whole life. He grew up in Northumberland and now lives in County Durham with his husband and two cats. He loves all kinds of genre fiction, especially bonk-busters, thrillers, romance and horror. He is also a cookery book addict with far too many titles cluttering his shelves. When not writing he can be found in the kitchen trying out new recipes. He’s a keen traveler but with a fear of flying that gets worse with age, but in 2013 he realized cruising is the best way to see the world.

Check out his website for news updates and a free ebook The Night!

Links:
Website: www. thomcollins.co.uk
Twitter: @thomwolf
Instagram: ThomCollinsAuthor
Email: thomcollinsauthor@aol.com

Open Contests & FREE Short Story!
Tuesday, May 12th, 2020

You can still enter these contests!

  1. A. Catherine Noon: The Great Pause (Giveaway) — Get a free app!
  2. Flashback: Crescent Moon (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
  3. Open Contests & a New One! And Story Time — Your Story! — Win an Amazon gift card!
  4. Happy Mother’s Day! (and a Puzzle!) — Win a $5 Amazon gift card!
  5. My Mother’s Day (Contest) — Win an Amazon Gift Card!

FREE Short Story

Hey there! I know many of you are self-isolating and reading like mad! Here’s a short story you can read quickly. Be warned: there’s a threesome involved! Enjoy!

Fraternizing just got hotter—before, during, and after business hours…

Zoe and her stepbrother Grayson get caught by Grayson’s boss “playing” in his pool. He holds their futures in his hands, and Zoe couldn’t be more thrilled…

Get your FREE copy here!

My Mother’s Day (Contest)
Monday, May 11th, 2020

UPDATE: The winner is…Mary Preston!
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For gift-giving celebrations, my daughter and I like giving each other a bunch of little things rather than one big gift. It’s always been our thing. I love little tchotchkes, little figurines, pretty Post-Its, little bits of inexpensive jewelry, things I’ll clutter up my desk with.

My dd nailed it for Mother’s Day.

First, she gave me one of those engraved silver bar pendants with my mother’s name inscribed on it, with a little angel wing beside it and my mom’s birthstone-colored crystal on the other side. Perfect. We both got teary-eyed. I’ll wear it often. I have it on now.

Next, she got me the perfect coffee cup, right?

Lastly, she got me this little inch-and-a-half long figurine of a snail riding a turtle’s back. A long-running joke in my family is that I know only one joke. It’s true, and it goes like this:

What does the snail say as it rides on the turtle’s back?

Wait for it…

WHEE!

Yeah, I know. The lamest joke ever, but I remember it because of the imagery of that little snail going for a joyride. So, perfect! The kids couldn’t wait to see my expression, and of course, it joins all the snail figurines they’ve given me over the years that reside on my desktop!

Mother’s Day was almost perfect. The 15-year-old made breakfast for the moms—featuring French toast. Our dinner was carryout from our favorite Mexican restaurant.

However, mid-morning, our dryer went kaput. Not sure what The Powers That Be are telling us, but dang, it would konk out just as I NEEDED to wash my huge pile of laundry…

Contest

What’s your most memorable Mom’s Day Gift—either that you received or gave? Comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!