Beyond The Darkness by Thom Collins

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Beyond The Darkness (Basic Instincts Book 3)

Author: Thom Collins

Publisher: Entwined Publishing

Cover Artist: Kelly Martin

Release Date: October 7, 2025

Genres: Contemporary MM Romance, Crime and thriller

Tropes: Celebrity, murder mystery, Erotic romance, Suspense 

Themes: Theatre, stalking 

Length: 64 453 words/259 pages

It is a standalone story that is part of a wider series (Basic Instincts)

It does not end on a cliffhanger

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A starring role in a new show could give Hudson the career boost he needs…

if he lives that long.

Blurb

American actor Hudson Rhodes enjoys working in the UK. After a successful career in film and TV in his twenties, he’s established himself as a bankable star in the theatre world. A month-long run in a new play at Blyham’s Empire Theatre has the potential to lead to a West End transfer and Hudson is ready for it. The only thing threatening to spoil it is a series of sinister letters that point to a role he would rather forget.

Rehearsals for the show are going smoothly until a local journalist, Luke Kamal, arrives to write a piece about the production. Luke is handsome and smart and highly regarded in his field, but Hudson hates reporters. He’s learnt the hard way that the press cannot be trusted.

When a member of the cast is murdered, the show is thrown into greater jeopardy. The victim is someone close to Hudson. As he struggles with his attraction to Luke, the menacing letters continue to arrive. The killer has Hudson in their sights, and he might not make it to opening night.

Excerpt 

The handsome man was still at the end of the bar. Their eyes locked once more as Hudson stood. Hudson gave him a friendly smile of acknowledgement and his cock stirred as he walked out of the door. Maybe another time, when he had less on his mind.

The sun was hidden behind the high buildings when he stepped out, but it was still a fine and clement evening. He decided to take the long way back. He would go down to the river and follow the waterfront for a while, before heading up into the city.

“Excuse me,” a voice called from behind. “Mr Rhodes.”

He turned, stunned to find the hot guy from the bar following him. The warm sensation returned to Hudson’s neck, climbing over his face. His balls tightened.

As the man approached, the dazzling smile was at full voltage. He was even more attractive than he had appeared from a distance.

And he already knew who Hudson was.

“Hi,” he said, coming closer. Was that a flush of red in his cheeks and neck? “Sorry to bother you. I didn’t like to disturb you earlier, I just wanted to say hello.” He had a strong accent that Hudson had come to recognise as being unique to this city. He was familiar with Geordie, and this was similar, but softer, sexier.

Hudson returned the smile, full on. This guy was not like the typical fans who approached him for selfies. On the whole, he mostly got recognised for a handful of cheesy romcoms he’d made in his late twenties and early thirties, and it was often women who flagged him down. 

Through the open neck of the man’s shirt, he caught a teasing glimpse of dark chest hair. Hudson’s dick swelled to a semi state.

“Luke Kamal,” the man said, thrusting his hand forward.

Hudson took it welcomingly, noting the firm, dry grip. “Hi, Luke. I guess you know who I am.”

Luke’s dark eyes focused directly on him, and it was quite disarming. Hudson had worked with some world-famous actors and heartthrobs and very few of them possessed the raw magnetism of this stranger.

“You’re quite a big deal around here. Everyone is excited about the play launching in Blyham.”

Luke was an apparent flatterer, but he was so good-looking Hudson took his comment as a compliment rather than pure bullshit. “You’re coming to see the show then?”

That smile again, then Luke broke eye contact, seemingly shy. It was quite endearing. “You could say that. Actually, I’ll be there tomorrow. That’s why I wanted to say hello when I spotted you. It seemed rude not to.”

For a second, Hudson wondered if he was so hypnotised by this hot man that he’d misheard what he’d said. And damn, he smells great too. “Oh, we don’t actually open for a couple more weeks. The first preview is early next month, I think.”

“I’ll be there for that too, but I’ll be there tomorrow for the rehearsals.” The blank expression on Hudson’s face seemed to confuse him too. He continued. “Luke Kamal, from The Blyham Chronicle. I’m the arts and culture editor. Well, editor is putting it grandly, but I cover all the major arts, music and theatre events for the paper. We’re going to run a major feature on Darkest Blue over the next few weeks—that’s why I’m sitting in on rehearsals for a few days.”

Again, Luke’s words were not computing with Hudson. “Wait, you’re a journalist…? You’re going to watch us put the show together?”

The smile wavered then disappeared. “It’s been arranged for weeks. I thought you knew.”

Hudson withdrew into himself, trying to make sense of what he’d heard. What the actual fuck? How the hell were they supposed to dig deep into themselves, to make themselves vulnerable in search of the characters and stories, with a reporter watching and taking note of every fuck-up, every misstep?

“That can’t be right,” he managed. “You’ve got it wrong.”

Luke fumbled in his trousers, pulled out a leather wallet and produced his press card. “It’s all legit. I’m due there at ten tomorrow and then in and out all the way to opening night.”

“Not if I have anything to do with it,” Hudson muttered.

“I’m sorry. I thought they would have told you. Hasn’t it been cleared with the cast?”

“No, it fucking well hasn’t.” Hudson’s lust for Luke was on the verge of turning into anger. Not just at him but at Rav and Andie and this whole damn shit-show of a production.

About the Author 

Thom Collins is the author of the Jagged Shores series and the Anthem Trilogy as well as numerous standalone novels and novellas. 

His new series Basic Instincts launches in spring 2025 with the novel Now Comes the Dark.

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.

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one of five ebooks of the novel.

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The Sins of the Righteous by Colin Smith

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: The Sins of the Righteous

Author and Publisher: Colin Smith 

Release Date: July 27, 2025

Genres: Contemporary LGBT fiction, Murder/mystery/suspense

Tropes: Forbidden love

Themes:  Coming out, forgiveness, historical elements

Heat Rating: 1 out of 5 flames

Length: 17 675 words/71 pages

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Blurb

In this riveting mystery steeped in compassion and conviction, a former pastor—cast out by his church for being gay—finds himself drawn back into the community that rejected him when a beloved elderly congregant is found murdered. Bound by loyalty and grace, he refuses to turn away. As he hunts for the truth, his identity becomes both a source of scrutiny and strength.The Sins of the Righteous is more than a murder mystery—it’s a powerful reflection on redemption, injustice, and the courage it takes to embrace authenticity in the face of rejection. With surprising twists and an emotionally resonant journey, this story offers a gripping exploration of faith, identity, and the secrets that bind us. Ideal for readers who love character-driven suspense with spiritual depth and social nuance.

Excerpt 

Chapter 1

The call came at 11:17 PM, the same time Pastor Thomas Reed had received all emergency calls during his fifteen years of ministry. Something about that hour—late enough for trouble but before the true darkness of midnight—seemed to draw out crisis like a splinter.

"Pastor Tom? It's Betty Jenkins. Something's wrong with my television again."

Thomas closed his eyes and pressed the phone to his ear. Eight months after they'd forced him out, Betty and Margaret had gone to the District Superintendent with their "concerns," and she still called him for help. Still, he answered.

"Mrs. Jenkins, it's rather late." He glanced at the half-empty bourbon tumbler on his desk and at the open laptop with the paused video he'd been watching. Men who looked nothing like the congregation who had abandoned him, men who looked everything like the truth he'd hidden for decades.

"Please, Pastor. You know how I depend on my nighttime programs to sleep."

The resignation came like muscle memory. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."

Thomas closed the laptop, hiding away temptation as he had for so many years. He slipped on his jacket with patches at the elbows that made him look scholarly and trustworthy—the costume he'd worn for as long as he could remember.

As he drove through the quiet streets toward Betty's modest home, his mind drifted to the day everything changed. Not when they forced him out—that was merely the culmination. No, he thought of that winter night when he'd found young Jamie Tucker shivering in his underwear on the sidewalk, bruises forming on his thin arms, teeth chattering in the bitter cold. The night Thomas did the Christian thing, the human thing, he opened his door to someone in need.

The night that, ironically, had condemned him.

Thomas parked in Betty's driveway, noting that her porch light was out, unusual for a woman so afraid of the dark. As he approached the door, a movement in the shadows caught his eye—something familiar in the silhouette that disappeared around the side of the house.

"Betty?" he called, knocking firmly. "It's Pastor Tom."

Only silence answered.

Another oddity was that the door was unlocked. Betty Jenkins, who checked her locks three times before bed and called him monthly to change her security system batteries, had left her door open to the night.

"Mrs. Jenkins?"

The house was dark except for the flickering blue glow of the television. Thomas moved carefully through the familiar layout, toward the living room where Betty would be waiting in her floral armchair, remote in hand, complaints at the ready.

The remote was there, on the carpet. Betty was in her chair, but she wouldn't be complaining anymore.

Blood had pooled and darkened on her pale pink housecoat. Her eyes, which had narrowed in judgment so many times at church board meetings, stared blankly at the ceiling.

Thomas reached for her wrist automatically, pastoral instincts overriding shock. No pulse. Her skin was still warm.

His phone was in his hand, 9-1-1 already dialed, when he noticed the photograph on the side table. It had been turned to face the chair deliberately—Betty and Margaret standing proudly outside the District Superintendent's office the day of his hearing. Someone had drawn a red X across Margaret's face.

As the dispatcher answered, Thomas realized three things simultaneously: his fingerprints were throughout this house, the murderer couldn't have gone far, and the shadow he'd seen had reminded him of David—the man no one in his congregation had ever known existed.

"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"

Thomas stared at Betty's body, at the evidence of violence that part of him had imagined in his darkest moments of resentment. "I need to report a murder," he said, his voice steadier than it had any right to be.

The pastor who'd counseled countless grieving families now stood over a dead woman who'd helped destroy his life, in a house where he shouldn't have been, connected to secrets that could never come to light.

And somewhere in the darkness outside, someone who knew those secrets was watching.

About the Author 

Colin Smith is a freelance writer and historian, and is known for his clear narrative, historical accuracy, and ability to tell a great story. 

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Our Uncle’s Promise by Ruta Levu

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Book Title:  Our Uncle’s Promise

Author and Cover Artist:  Ruta Levu

Publisher: Book Writing Maestros

Release Date: July 31, 2025

Genre: LGBT Non-fiction

Themes: Family love, loss, two straight older people, two gay men, coming out and learning to smile again

Heat Rating: No sexual content  

Length: 367 pages

It is a standalone book  

Goodreads

Buy Links - Hardback, Paperback, and ebook

Barnes & Noble  |  Amazon US  |   Amazon UK 

Pierre was the turkey demon from hell.  

Sina was demoted from she-demon status to rabid squirrel with active rabies status.

Ruta was the unicorn that farts rainbows and saw the evilness of Sina, the rabid squirrel with active rabies.

Blurb 

This is a story about two grandparents, two gay uncles and four little girls growing up in the 1970s and 1980s.  The girls’ mother had passed away and their father was transferred by the military so the maternal grandparents and uncle raised the girls.  The book is about learning to smile and laugh after loss. Also, this story includes a mean turkey named Pierre and a sassy adorable diva.

This story is about loss but also about unconditional love and the adventures with fun loving uncles around the San Francisco Bay Area.

The story goes through the heart break that the little girls should not have had to face so young, but they were rescued by their grandparents and their loving uncles.  The four little girls learned that there is a rainbow after the rain and that you can laugh and smile after loss.  In our lifetime a door may have closed but a window opened for unconditional love and an occasional disco dance with the uncles.

Excerpt 

Chapter 10

It was Halloween of 1974, and I have to admit, my costume was awesome. Sina, though, looked like a boring farmer’s wife or whatever lives on a farm.

“You girls look so adorable! Aww…” Uncle Rueben praised, reaching out to hug us close.

“No, Uncle Rueben, don’t hug us yet,” I warned. “I don’t want my red cape to get all wrinkled and smashed.” I held up my hands to ward off the hug coming our way.

On Halloween night in 1974, Sina was dressed like Dorothy from the movie The Wizard of Oz. I was dressed as Red Riding Hood with a kick-butt red cape. Oli wore a Casper the Friendly Ghost costume and mask.

I have to admit, I was A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E with a capital A, but I knew I had to stay humble. Sina looked like a boring farmer’s wife in a blue checkered dress and red shoes. My red cape, on the other hand, made me feel like I could save the world—or at least that’s how I felt wearing it.

Rueben drove us to a swanky part of San Francisco, known for giving out full-size candy bars.

“All you girls stay by my side. No running ahead, and always hold each other’s hands when going up to a door. Never leave my side unless I give you permission, okay?” With the safety instructions given, Rueben led the way with a nod of his head.

Back in the 1970s, everyone seemed to give out candy, and all the kids dressed up for Halloween.

As we made our way from house to house, Uncle Rueben could be heard shouting, “Oli, don’t let go of my hand yet!” or “Sina, Ruta, don’t run too far ahead of me!”

“Hold Oli’s hand now and go up to the door. Be nice and say thank you when they give you candy,” Uncle Rueben called as we hurried toward a house with its porch light on.

Ring. Ring. Sina usually pressed the doorbell. We waited in excitement. A few moments passed. No one answered. We were the only kids at that door. Ring. Ring.

“I don’t think anyone’s giving out candy at this house,” Sina said with a sigh.

We had almost turned around when the door creaked open, and a strange fog rolled out from within. Suddenly, a lady in ragged white clothes appeared, arms raised, screaming in our faces!

“Aah! Aah! Aah!” The three of us screamed right back at the scary ghost lady! I dropped Oli’s hand like a hot rock and bolted from the porch. I thought we had all run, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. In that moment, I didn’t care if Sina or Oli made it out—I was in danger of being killed!

I figured I just needed to be faster than Oli, and I’d be safe. “You only have to outrun the slowest person,” was something Grandma and Pop used to say when watching TV shows. Plus, I wasn’t that attached to Oli. She could always flash her dimpled smile, and maybe the killer scary ghost lady would spare her. Honestly, I didn’t care if either of them was left behind—all I knew was it was every girl for herself. And I should add: not only did I save myself, but I also made sure to save my candy bag. Apparently, danger didn’t mean leaving behind my hard-earned candy stash.

“Run, Uncle Rueben! Let’s go!” I screamed, racing toward where the car was parked. We were going to make it! I didn’t care who else survived.

Uncle Rueben, however, didn’t seem to grasp the gravity of our situation. He was doubled over, laughing hysterically. Fine—let the killer scary ghost lady get him. Then I stopped in my tracks. NO! Uncle Rueben had to survive—he was our ride home!

Little did I know that Sina was right behind me until I turned to look for Uncle Rueben. Of course, she hadn’t warned him to run like I had. She only cared about herself. Big question—who was going to drive us home? I couldn’t drive. Sina couldn’t drive. Uncle Rueben had to survive. Unlike me, Sina had no long-term vision.

Uncle Rueben was still bent over, laughing. Oli was hugging his legs. How could he laugh? Did he not realize we were all in mortal danger?

Uncle Rueben walked confidently towards the danger, and I saw him pick up Oli’s shoe that she lost trying to run or whatever she did, away from the killer scary ghost lady. 

“Run, Uncle Rueben! Come on, you’re in danger!” I shouted.

Sina and myself were breathing like we had just ran a few miles when we had only run a half block. I started noticing other kids staring at us, and parents chuckling. Did I mention that adults sometimes have no sense of urgency? What was wrong with them? Did they not realize there was a killer scary ghost lady in that house?

Finally, Uncle Rueben reached us and the car. It took him forever, but at least he was still alive.

About the Author  

Ruta Levu, the unicorn that farts rainbows., is currently married and lives in the Pacific Northwest.  Ruta has a daughter and five fur babies.  I am the crazy cat lady on the block and proud of it.  I speak with and see my sisters often.  I still bring my glittery joy and happiness to my sisters’ lives to this day.

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