Thom Collins's Blog
April 11, 2025
Out now NOTHING BUT THE NIGHT
The second full length novel in my Basic Instincts series is out now. Are you ready for another hot murder mystery? Nothing but the Night works as a standalone story, though there are some references to other books and over lapping characters.
Be careful what you look for in the night.
Three months after the death of his brother, Marc Glass faces a whole new dilemma. A tabloid journalist has made a connection between Theo and a prominent politician. Theo’s death might not be all it seems. Marc knew all about his brother’s secret sex work, but it’s a scandal that would destroy his family, who have already suffered enough.
Private Detective Jason Durham might be the answer. Marc enlists Jason’s agency to look into Theo’s unsolved murder. The police investigation is dead, but if they can solve the case on their own, they could head off the potentially damaging story. Marc isn’t sure who he can trust with the details of Theo’s life, but Jason seems like the man.
As secrets are uncovered, Marc and Jason must fight their attraction to each other, but when their prime witness is murdered, they are suddenly caught in a web of mystery and increasing danger.
As the nights grow darker, will either of them make it until morning?
February 10, 2025
New Release: NOW COMES THE DARK
My new novel Now Comes the Dark is out now. I’m soexcited about this one. It’s the first book in my new series Basic Instincts.This is my most personal work yet. Not that it’s autobiographical, but it’s thekind of book I’ve always wanted to write. I’ve always loved the erotic thrillergenre. The movie Basic Instinct had an incredible impact on me when itcame out. I think I saw it 6 times at the cinema on that original release and it’sstill my all time favourite movie. Body Heat, Sea of Love, Fatal Attractionare all favourites too. There’s something about those neo noir sexually chargedmurder mysteries of the 1980s and 90s that I can’t get enough of.
Most of my previous books give a nod in thatdirection, but I’ve always wanted to write an erotic thriller with a gay/queerslant. And now I have. Not just one, but a whole series of them.
Are you ready to step into the dark?
Two strangers fuelled by desire, and akiller consumed with lust.
Roman Ballentyne is forced to make some changes. Thecity he loves in no longer safe. Tensions are high as a psychotic killer preysupon the LGBTQ community. Five men have been murdered in the last year. Every encounteris a risk. Anyone could be next. The Viaduct was once the shame of Blyham, an illicitclub filled with private booths and dark rooms. Sleazy in the extreme. Now itoffers a secure space to hook up when it’s too dangerous to take a strangerhome.
Mallon Garnier catches Roman’s eye. He’s moody and matureand the hottest man in the club but as Mallon pairs up with someone else, Romanthinks he’s missed his chance. When Roman is the victim of a hate crime at theend of the night, Mallon is his saviour, taking on his attackers with savageefficiency. Their attraction is immediate and intense. Roman knows it’s wrong togo home with a stranger but what harm can there be from the man who saved him?
The encounter is the start of an intense andpassionate affair. But as the murders continue, Roman learns Mallon is keeping adeep secret and the killer is closer than he thinks.
BASICINSTINCTS SERIES.
Discover the murky streets and hidden corners ofBlyham, a city of sin, violence and dark romance. This is a series of mm eroticthrillers featuring dangerous men, murder, mystery, and hardcore thrills. Eachbook is a standalone story in the neo noir setting of Blyham. If you wantromance with a tougher edge then indulge your basic instincts.
November 13, 2024
Out Now: SHOW NO MERCY
My new novella is out now. Show No Mercy is standalone MM romance thriller. I wrote it this summer in-between books for my upcoming Basic Instincts series. I love creating the series ideas, but there's something about a single story lines that allows me to run while.
Early reviews have been fantastic too. The book is available in ebook, paperback and Kindle Unlimited.
A chance encounter brings them together,but in a world of danger, it might not be for long.
When a blind date ends in disaster, Hector is about toswear off dating for good, until he sees a handsome face across a bar andchanges his mind. A drink with a troubled man called Callum leads to somethingfar more meaningful. After an instant connection, Hector offers Callum the chanceto off load his problems.
But the night soon takes a turn for the worse. When they’reattacked by two men carrying knives, Hector is plunged into a dangerous worldof vengeance and retaliation. His decision to stand by Callum puts his life atrisk in ways he could never have imagined. Is he prepared to lose everythingfor a man he barely knows?
GET IT HERE
August 2, 2024
Anthem Sale and Jagged Shores Behind the Scenes Part 2
Dear reader
I hope this finds you enjoying the warm summer days. I didn’t think we were going to get they there in the UK this year, but we’ve had a few nice days lately. Best make the most of it while we can. It’s been quiet a busy summer for me. Owing to a restructure at Pride Publishing, my next releases have been pushed back to early next year. The first two books in the new series are already complete, so rather than rush headfirst into book three, I’ve spend the summer writing a MM suspense novella. I’m working on the second draft right now before it goes off to the editor. All going to plan, I hope to put this out for my birthday at the end of October – Halloween to precise.
More news on that soon once I know we can definitely hit the release date, but you can expect a contemporary MM thriller with hot guys, mega suspense and plenty of spice.
In the meantime, Pride Publishing are running a special offer on Anthem of the Seas, the first book in the Anthem Trilogy. If you missed this first time around, you can get book one for just 99c/99p. Don’t miss out on a bargain just in time for summer.
GET IT HERE
JAGGED SHORES – BEHIND THE SCENES – SAFE HARBOUR
It’s always a challenge when starting a romance book to deliver what the readers expect of the genre, without repeating yourself and Safe Harbour was no exception. As Dominic and Arnie got their happy ending in North Point, the first idea I had was to use Dominic’s old house as the setting for the second book. With the property now being used as a holiday let, it was the perfect opportunity to bring a stranger to the town.
When Matt and Jake meet, they both have a history of bad marriages behind them. Matt’s marriage is far in the past, though Jake’s ex-husband is very much a present problem. Vince, who became the villain of the story, was based on some I used to know, but to be fair, the Safe Harbour version of Vince is much worse than the real person. Matt and Jake are mainly fictional, though my husband is a lawyer so that must have filtered through into this great guy. I also wanted to continue the lifeboat theme from the first book, so it made sense that local boy Jake would be a volunteer hero.
I decided early on that the big, suspenseful climax would take place on a boat, but it couldn’t be too similar to the finale of North Point. Add in a jealous ex and a gun and the stage was set for a nail-biting end. I’ve mentioned before that North Point was intended as a standalone so I wasn’t sure if I could pull off a second book, but I was delighted with the way Safe Harbour turned out. The mix of romance, tension, sexy and danger were so much fun to write. Together with North Point, this second book set the template for what the Jagged Shores series would be.
GET IT HERE
Happy reading
Thom X
May 17, 2024
JAGGED SHORES Behind the Scenes Part 1
Dear reader
With the series now at an end, I thought it would be funto share a few behind the scenes moments with you on the creation of Jaggedshores.
First up – it was never intended to be a series. Thefirst book, North Point, started life as a standalone. I wanted to write astory set on the north east coast of England which would feature a life boatvolunteer as one of the heroes. I grew up in Northumberland and am familiarwith the coastline but there wasn’t one specific town that I thought would bebest suited as a location, so I created Nyemouth, which was an amalgam ofseveral different places.
I plan all of my novels in advance using a studentproject book. I usually start with a bit of a mood board, collecting images ofthe kinds of people and locations I want to feature.
From there it’s a case of creating a cast list, buildingthe characters and then the story outline. Only when that is all in place, do Istart writing.
It was when I turned the book in to the publisher thatthey came back and asked if I could develop it into an ongoing series. Myinitial reaction was – not really. Dominic and Arnie had their happy ending,and I didn’t want to mess with that. But I quickly realised that Nyemouthitself could be the basis for a series of loosely connected standalonethrillers. There were supporting characters like Jacob who could return againand again. Once I hit on that idea, everything fell into place.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this behind the scenes look at mycreative process. Look out for more details in the coming weeks.
Happy reading
Thom X
May 10, 2024
JAGGED SHORES 75% off Books 1-4
Dear readers
If you have missed any of the previous Jagged Shores books,First for Romance have a great deal on at the minute with a massive 75% off thefirst four books – North Point, Safe Harbour, Deep Waters and Cold DayDawning. They also have Jagged Ends for Just £3.99 – considerablyless than other retailers. At the time of writing this, Jagged Ends isalso the number 1 book across all romance genres at the site.
Get them here: Jagged ShoresSeries (firstforromance.com)
It’s been just over a week since the release of Jagged Ends and there have been some fantastic early reviews.
“The climax is so suspenseful I couldn’t put the book down. It is not often the suspense side of the story captivates me so much more than the romance but for me, JAGGED ENDS is all about the suspense and I loved it.”
“I’ve read every book in this series and each one was a 5-Star read for me and Jagged Ends is no exception. This gripping story had me hooked right from the start and for much of it I was on the edge of my seat. Thom Collins really knocked it out of the park with this one.”
I love that readers are appreciating the thriller aspects of the book as much as the hot romance. I put so much effort into building suspense that it’s a huge reward to hear it paid off.
That’s all for now but if you’re a Jagged Shores fan look out for upcoming posts where I’ll let you into the development of the series and some of the guys who inspired all those hot characters.
Happy reading
Thom X
April 30, 2024
JAGGED ENDS Out Now
Dearreader
I’mdelighted to be celebrating the release of Jagged Ends, the fifth and finalnovel in my Jagged Shores series. I can’t quite believe we’re here. When I wroteNorth Point, I intended it would be a standalone, but my editor at the timeasked if there was any chance of turning it into an on-going series. Five bookslater and here we are.
Areyou ready to return to Nyemouth for one last time? If you do you can expect hotguys, passion, romance and a very twisted villain. In Jagged Ends we meet Andy,manager of a local hotel. Andy’s quiet life is turned upside down with thearrival of Jerico, a celebrity chef, who is about to open a restaurant in thetown. Jerico also happens to be Andy’s ex. Their reunion gets off to anexplosive start when someone attempts to sabotage Jerico’s new business and as the two menreconnect, they find themselves in increasing danger.
Asit’s the last book, you can also expect appearances from some old favourites toensure the series goes out on a high.
GET IT HERE:
JaggedShores may have reached an end but I’m currently putting the finishing touchesto the second book in a brand-new series. Stay tuned for more information whenan introductory story drops later this summer followed by the first book inOctober. Expect the same thriller and suspense elements that make Jagged Shoresso much fun, only things are about to get a lot sexier and darker.
Havea great time and happy reading.
ThomX
April 23, 2024
DEEP WATERS - only 99c
In the run up to the release of JAGGED ENDS on 30th April, you can get the ebook of Deep Waters for just 99c for a limited time.
Don't miss out and take advantage of this great offer
The previous titles in the series are all also available at a discounted price in the lead up to the release of the new book.
JAGGED ENDS the final book in the series is available to pre-order now.
September 7, 2023
PTSD and the final Jagged Shores Book
Afterlast weeks post about the Cold Day Dawning character of Antoni, I’vebeen asked by a couple of people to elaborate on my own PTSD experience whichinformed Antoni’s character development. Happy too.
Triggerwarning – some reader might want to skip what follows.
Iwon’t go into huge detail because I don’t want to reignite the situation, butabout 11-12 years ago, I encountered someone who bore a grudge against me.After a short period that involved threats and menacing phone calls, thisperson broke into my office, emptied two cans of petrol over my desk and chairand set fire to it. Long story short, this person was arrested within a fewdays, admitted to the whole thing, and went to jail.
Althoughit was a shock at the time, it didn’t seem to bother me too much in thebeginning. I was made to go for counselling by my employers, but it did nothingfor me (not least because the counsellor spent most of the sessions telling meabout her holidays – but that’s another story.) It was a few months later thatI started to feel the impact. Nightmares. I was angry a lot of time. I didn’ttrust the people I encountered at work. I withdrew and didn’t want to go out. Ibecame security obsessed. It all culminated in some suicidal thoughts, which iswhen I finally asked for professional help. Getting help was only the beginningof a long recovery process and although I’ve processed it, I still gettriggered occasionally.
Whenthis person was first released from prison, they went on to commit an even moreserious violent offence against someone else, which brought a lot of my anxietyback. They went to prison on an even longer sentence, but when they escapedfrom custody a couple of years ago, I wasn’t allowed to go into work until theywere apprehended.
Theyare next due for release in two years time.
Sothat’s basically it. Although I’ve never written about what happened directly,I can see that it’s influenced a lot of the stories and characters I havecreated. My first novel Closer byMorning is very dark. I wrote it as I was still recovering, and Ithink it reflects the troubled place I was in at the time. I was certainly ableto draw on those difficult times to write about what Antoni goes through in theaftermath of Deep Waters andduring Cold Day Dawning. I don’tthink PTSD defines me or my books. I write romance stories, but I’ve had a lifelong love of thrillers and horror which have always been huge influences. Ithink I’ve been able to harness the PTSD experience and process it in apositive and cathartic way.
Ifanyone is going through that kind of thing now, I can only offer my bestwishes. There’s a lot of help available but it’s not always the right help, orthe help you need at the time, but it’s better to reach out and tell someone.As I said above, recovery is a long process, it takes years, but for meacknowledging something was wrong and talking about it, was a great beginning.So,on a happier note, the reviews for ColdDay Dawning are fantastic. I’m delighted that the book is being sowell received. Last week I sent the final book in the series to mypublisher, and they have fixed the release date already. Jagged Ends (Jagged Shores 5) will beout on 30th April next year. Ican’t say too much about it yet. It’s another standalone romance, but if you’veenjoyed the series so far, I can promise the return of some favouritecharacters before the series reached an end.
August 31, 2023
Cold Day Dawning - who is Antoni?
Cold Day Dawning isout in the world and getting a great reaction – always a relief. I thought I’dshare a little bit of my writing process and how I came to create one of themain characters Antoni Nowak.
Antoni was easy in a way as he had alreadyappeared in a supporting role in the previous book Deep Waters. Imake detailed notes and bios of all my characters, so I already knew hisbackstory. The challenge this time was to discover how his injuries in the lastbook had impacted upon him.
Antoni is a photographer who runs a gallery inthe town centre with his brother Roger. He was left in a critical condition atthe end of Deep Waters with serious injuries. When we meet himagain, his physical wounds have healed but the mental scars have left a morelasting impact. He suffers from anxiety attacks, lack of appetite and hastrouble sleeping, but he’s a survivor and is slowly rebuilding his life withsupport from his family and friends.
I found myself digging deep into my own pastfor this. I went through an event in 2012 that left me with PTSD for a severalyears afterwards. While my own experience was more psychological than physical,I was able to tap into that to address Antoni’s circumstances in this book.
I plan all of my stories and characters inproject books. No modern software or folder structures for me – it’s all doneon pen and paper. I use a lot of actors and models to give the physicalfeatures for the characters. Again, I’m very old school with this, printing andcutting out photos of people I like.
So Antoni already had a detailed bio andphysical description from my Deep Waters story notes. For thisbook I had to update them with what he’d been through since and where he wasright now.
When Antoni meets handsome Dalton Caine at aparty, it seems like his life is about to take a turn for the better. But asthey get to know each other and their relationship develops, Antoni and Daltonare plunged into a twisted mystery that put both their lives at risk.
I’m so proud of Cold Day Dawning andthe character of Antoni. I enjoy romance and suspense in equal measures andfeel I hit it just right in this book.
