BLOG TOUR with GUEST POST
Book Title: Cold Day Dawning (Jagged Shores #4)
Author: Thom Collins
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Release Date: August 22, 2023
Genres: Contemporary MM romance, thriller, suspense
Tropes: Small town romance
Themes: Family, rivalry, revenge, overcoming PTSD
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Length: 63 223 words
Although it can be read as a stand-alone, this book is best read as part of a series.
It does not end on a cliffhanger.
Buy Links
Available from Amazon, Pride Publishing,
First For Romance, B&N, and Kobo
Danger comes in the cold of morning
Blurb
It should be the perfect weekend away. Dalton Caine makes the long journey to Nyemouth to attend a party hosted by his sister. Catherine is estranged from most of the family, but Dalton feels the time has come to build bridges between them. Things don’t turn out how he wants, however, when Catherine gives him a cold reception at the party. But the evening is not a complete waste of time when he meets local photographer Antoni.
Following a near-fatal attack six months earlier, Antoni has struggled with his physical and mental recovery. Catherine’s party is the first time he has been out at night since then, and he’s ready for an early exit when he meets Dalton. The stranger is warm, friendly and incredibly handsome. When Antoni overcomes his reservations and accepts a drink at Dalton’s hotel, it could be the start of something new for them both.
Despite the joy of fresh romance, things soon take a darker turn. The morning after the party, Catherine’s boyfriend reports her missing. Dalton isn’t initially concerned. Catherine has disappeared of her own will before, and he’s more interested in getting to know Antoni, but the men soon find themselves at the centre of a twisted mystery, one that puts both of their lives at risk.
Reader advisory: This book contains violence, murder, PTSD, memories of a child in danger and mental illness. Although it can be read as a stand-alone, this book is best read as part of a series.
Excerpt
A few moments later, a door on the right opened and a man stepped out. He caught Dalton’s attention straight away. Dressed in jeans, a black T-shirt and a dark overshirt, the man looked nothing like the pretentious people he’d encountered so far this evening. He was also very handsome, which didn’t hurt. He was naturally good-looking, with brown hair, slightly wavy on the top and cut short at the back and sides where it was starting to turn grey. He had a serious-looking face, and Dalton’s initial impression was of something quite sad about his eyes and downturned mouth.
“Hi,” Dalton said cheerfully, hoping the guy wouldn’t turn out to be like all the other guests.
“Hello.” The man didn’t return the smile, but seemingly noticing Dalton’s interest in the photographs, he came closer. “Do you like them?”
There was a trace of an accent there. Dalton couldn’t quite place it. Eastern European, he guessed.
“Very much,” he replied. “They’re remarkable. I’ve never seen Catherine like this before.”
The man looked between Dalton and photographs. “I’m glad you like them. I took all of these.”
Up close, he was even better looking than his first appearance. His eyes were dark grey and there was stubble on his square jaw, also flecked with grey.
“Wow,” Dalton said. “They are sensational…really.”
At last, his mouth turned upwards into the smallest suggestion of a smile.
“Thank you.” He held out his hand. “My name is Antoni.”
Dalton accepted the handshake. The party had finally improved.
About the Author
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.
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.
Other links
Twitter: @thomwolf | Instagram | Newsletter Sign-up
Giveaway
Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win
one of five ebook copies of Cold Day Dawning.
COLD DAY DAWNING
GUEST POST
Cold Day Dawning is the fourth book in my Jagged Shores series. Although I wanted to maintain the themes of romance and danger that have been integral to the series so far, as well as all the familiar locations of the fictional town of Nyemouth, I also wanted to try something a little different with this story. There is more of a mystery element at play this time.
Dalton Caine arrives in Nyemouth to visit his estranged sister Catherine. Dalton is keen to build bridges, despite resistance from the rest of the family, and when Catherine invites him to a house party, he is happy to accept. Catherine has caused a lot of turmoil in the past, but Dalton thinks they are mature enough to move on from it. The initial reunion does not go to plan and Catherine soon rubs her younger brother up the wrong way. But he’s not the only one. Photographer Antoni Nowak fails to be impressed by Catherine, a mid-tier social media influencer, too. Luckily, he gets on much better with Dalton and they quit the party early.
The guy’s bond over drinks in Dalton’s hotel and make plans to see each other again the following day, but when Catherine goes missed, they find themselves at the heart of a dark and twisted mystery.
Like the previous books, Cold Day Dawning can be read as a standalone story, though there are some returning characters, including Antoni who had a small but crucial role in the previous novel Deep Waters. When we catch up with him now, he’s struggling with some deep issues, including PTSD from the trauma he suffered at the end of book 3. It was great to revisit Antoni and give him a main character role this time. I suffered from PTSD myself following an arson attack about 10 years ago. I haven’t wanted to write about that experience before but felt enough time had passed for me to examine it, and while Antoni’s fictional ordeal is different from my own, I was able to bring something authentic to his story.
But despite the darkness and semi-autobiographical themes, at its heart, Cold Day Dawning is a pacy, twisty romance with lots of passion and passion and suspense. I loved writing it and hope readers will enjoy it just as much.
No comments:
Post a Comment