Blog Tour Stop and Giveaway: Storm Warning by Thom Collins

 

Check out Storm Warning by Thom Collins and don't forget to enter the tour wide giveaway as Thom Collins will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. The tour is sponsored by Goddess Fish Promotions and check out all the tour stops HERE

Let's chat with author Thom Collins and see what he's up to next as we talk about Storm Warning.

Thanks for stopping by to talk a little about your writing! Let's jump right in. When did you begin writing and why? 

I’ve always written. I can remember back to when I was around 9 or 10, and I always had a note book with me, writing short stories. Professionally, I had my first story published in 1994 when I was around 22. It was an erotic story for a UK gay magazine. I wrote a lot of gay erotica under pen names in the 1990s and 2000s. It was a boom time back then with gay magazines and publishers all looking for content. I started writing romance around 2015 and my first book was published in 2016.

Do certain themes and ideas tend to capture your writer’s imagination and fascinate you?

My initial answer to this question is no, but as soon as I think about it, that’s not true. There are certain themes that recur through my writing. Top of which would be the sea. I’ve written two novels that were set exclusively on cruise ships, and another four which take place in coastal towns and have the ocean as major features in the story. That came about unintentially, because when I start to develop a new book, I always start with the characters, but some how I always gravitate to the sea as a settling. 

I suppose that must be because I love the water so much. I grew up in a small seaside town, but moved inland twenty five years ago when I met my husband. That love of the sea has never left me and it’s the one thing I miss most in living where we do. It’s always been my intention to move back to the coast when we retire, so in the meantime I suppose I indulge that love through my books.

Do you come up with the hook first, or do you create characters first and then dig through until you find a hook? 

It always starts with the characters. I’ll usually have an idea for someone and then as I discover their backstory and what makes them tick, the story will spark from something in there. For Storm Warning, it arose from the character of Jamie, a man who has been mourning his late husband for five years and living a very closed down existence. I knew Jamie was ready to step outside his comfort zone and experience something new, which is where the idea of him taking a working holiday on a cruise ship came from.

Where’s the story set? How much influence did the setting have on the atmosphere/characters/development of the story?

The story takes place onboard a cruise ship called Atlantic Star, which immediately gave me a colourful backdrop and setting. The voyage to Iceland also gave a nice structure to the narrative, as the ship docks at different locations each day, giving Jamie and Dexter the opportunity to explore further afield. I took that same cruise myself last year which gave me firsthand experience of what the guys encounter and that was a major influence on the book.

What do readers have to look forward to in the future from you? 

Next up will be book 2 in my Jagged Shores series, the first of which North Point was released by Pride Publishing in July. North Point was really well received and I can’t wait to share the next part of the story. Also coming up are books 2 and 3 in my Success series. So there’s a lot in store for 2021. I can’t wait to unleash it all.

Storm Warning

GENRE:   Gay romance

BLURB: 

Jamie Johnson is going to sea for the first time in his life. Atlantic Star is one of the most luxurious cruise ships in the world, and a two-week trip to Iceland offers Jamie the perfect escape. His life has been on hold since the death of his husband and a working holiday onboard a state-of-the-art ship is an opportunity to explore the world he’s been hiding from. A chance to think about his future and decide what he wants to do with the rest of his life.

When Dexter Fordyce steps onboard, all he wants is a good time. The cruise is his first holiday in years, and workaholic Dexter is ready to relax and enjoy himself. If he can manage a little fun with someone like Jamie, even better. Jamie is flattered by the attention. Dexter is handsome, charming and great fun and proves impossible to resist.

Jamie’s hopes of romance died with his husband. The prospect of a shipboard passion is attractive, but Jamie’s heart has been broken for too long and he can’t take the risk of falling in love. With stormy weather ahead, the two men are set for a voyage they will never forget.

Storm Warning Links

Amazon USA

Amazon UK

Amazon CA

Amazon AU

Excerpt Two:

 

Jamie gazed at Dexter again. From his expression, bemused embarrassment, he appeared to share Jamie’s feelings on the matter. Their eyes locked, lingering for a long moment. Jamie looked away before any of the others noticed the exchange.

 

Maybe Dexter wasn’t as young as he first thought. There were lines around his eyes, suggesting maturity, which put his age in his thirties rather than twenties. Was there just a hint of grey at the temples of his otherwise jet-black hair? Jamie couldn’t be sure in the soft light of the restaurant. There were seductive shades of hazel and amber in his eyes, very like his mother. He didn’t know what his father looked like, but Rachel was right about Dexter inheriting some of Davina’s striking looks.

 

Whatever his background, Dexter didn’t share Davina’s accent. There was no trace of America in his voice. The soft, southern delivery suggested an upbringing exclusive to England, most likely a posh area of London.

 

It was impossible for Jamie to keep his eyes off him. Dexter was the most attractive man he’d met in years.

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Thom Collins is the author of Closer by Morning, North Point 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 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

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