2022 Book Awards

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 23, 2022
Media Contact:
M. Thomas (Tom) Collins
(615) 948-1544
Tom.collins@i65n.com

Books by Local Author Tom Collins Earn Top Awards

Tom Collins’s book, Exploring Asheville—Its History Attractions, Mysteries, Ghosts, and Tall Tales earned the top spot as the 2022 winner in the regional category at both the Independent Press Awards and the NYC Big Books Awards. Also winning in the NYC Big Book Awards was his novel, Beyond Visual Range, as a 2022 Distinguished Favorite in Military Fiction.

M. Thomas (Tom) Collins writes from his home in Franklin, Tennessee, where his characters come to life and frequent familiar places in the bucolic middle Tennessee landscape and the majestic mountains of Western North Carolina. A pioneer entrepreneur of the information technology industry, Tom is now retired from the commercial world and devotes his time to creating his mystery series, Mark Rollins Adventures, and writing about Asheville and Western North Carolina.

Regarding his two award winning books, Collins explained:

As an author, the awards are even more meaningful because the books are so different from each other. “Exploring Asheville” is not your typical travel book. It addresses the Western North Carolina destination as a whole to make the reader ‘Asheville Smart’—to understand why it’s called “The weirdest, happiest, quirkiest, most haunted place in America.” As for “Beyond Visual Range”, it is the fictional story of a paraplegic former female fighter pilot turned drone pilot who exposes the reader to the moral injury suffered by drone pilots deployed on kill missions.”

Books by Tom Collins are available from your favorite neighborhood bookstore. Print and eBook editions are also available on Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBooks, Smashwords, and other online bookstores. Audio editions are available on Amazon, iTunes and directly from Audible.com.

To inquire about a review copy or an interview, call (615) 948-1544 or email tom.collins@i65n.com.

X-37B Mystery Space Plane

The X-37B is in the news again as the US military's mysterious space plane zooms toward a new record—exceeding its prior record of 780 days continuously orbiting Earth. For details read Leonard Davis in Space.com.

While controversy has surrounded the vehicle due to its top secret mission, you will never be able to think of the X-37B spy plane the same way after reading my book Beyond Visual Range—a Mark Rollins Adventure. The mysterious plane plays a villainous role in the mystery adventure.

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All of my books are available from Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million as well as your favorite neighborhood bookstore. Ebook and print editions are also available on Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBooks, Smashwords, and other online bookstores. Audio editions are available on Amazon, iTunes and directly from Audible.com. The latest book, Exploring Asheville, was the winner of the Independent Press Award for its literary category.

Southern Cornbread Dressing Recipe

This post is especially for the many newcomers (folks from California and New York) who don’t know how to make the most important Thanksgiving dish on a southern dinner table. It is, of course, the “dressing” that accompanies the Turkey. Not just any dressing, but good ole Southern cornbread dressing and gravy! Some folks still call this dish “Turkey Stuffing” even though most of us no longer actually cook a stuffed Turkey. The recipe below has been handed down for at least three generations in the Collins family and will keep about twenty people happy at Thanksgiving. For more or less just adjust the recipe accordingly.

• Prepare two large skillets of cornbread-about 8 cubs. I use Martha White Self-rising Cornmeal Mix. Make in advance, break apart, and let it try dry out for two or three days.

• Dry out a few slices of white bread, remove the edges, and tear into small pieces—enough for two cups.

• Crumble the cornbread into a large mixing bowl. Add the pieces of white bread.

• Sauté 2 large onions (chopped) and an equal amount of celery in butter. When tender, melt an additional stick of butter in the same pan and then mix the onions, celery and the added butter into the cornbread mixture.

• To the above mixture, add the following and mix thoroughly:

• 2 tsp. of poultry seasoning

• Four Chopped boiled eggs

• Two cups of chicken stock

• Two raw eggs

• Dust with pepper and salt

The mixture should moist. If it seems too dry, add more melted butter or stock. Transfer to baking pans or casserole dishes. I use disposable aluminum pans and transfer the finished cornbread dressing to serving dishes when ready to serve. Bread is a great insulator, so it will take longer to bake than you expect to thoroughly heat the dressings to a safe temperature of 165 degrees (200 degrees is even better), and that may take an hour or longer depending on the depth of the mixture in the banking dishes. The mixture should not be deeper than one and a half or 2 inches in each banking dish. Bake at 325 degrees. Do the cooking ahead of time, and reheat to warm your dressing when you are ready to serve. The cooked dressing can be refrigerated and even frozen to serve later.

Now for the Gravy that people rave about. The truth is, my closely guarded secret gravy receipt (handed down from my mother) is nothing more than Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup thinned slightly with chicken stock and milk or cream, and to which small handful of Turkey meat bits has been added for a real homemade look.

Finally if you and your dish are traveling on Thanksgiving, remember time passes faster and the drive seems shorter listening to an audio book. All of my Mark Rollins Adventure mysteries are available on Audible and Amazon. The most recent, Beyond Visual Range, was the NYC Big Book 2022 Award’s Distinguished Favorite in Military Fiction.

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Ask your independent bookstore about the latest book by Tom Collins, Stories from Applewood Manor—Explore Asheville, North Carolina’s History. Mysteries, Ghosts, and Tall Tales. For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Ebook and print editions are also available on Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and other online bookstores. Audio editions are available on Amazon, iTunes and directly from Audible.com. The latest book, Exploring Asheville, was the 2022 winner of the Independent Press Award and the NYC Big Book Award for its literary category. My novel, Beyond  Visual Range, was NYC Big Book 2022 Award’s Distinguished Favorite in Military Fiction. 

UFOs May be Earthly After All

In my book, Beyond Visual Range, a rogue military group, in an effort to stop impeachment of the President, has taken control of a top secrete space plane, the X-37B. From their perch in outer space, they use laser technology to create visions of images (orbs) to confuse and frighten their targets. It turns out, that the ability to create UFO type images may not be entirely fiction. On May 29, 2021, Jeffery Scott Shapiro, writing in the Wall Street Journal, reported that the military has a pending patent application for a method to create laser holographic images (UFOs) as a decoy to detract enemy fighter pilots, incoming missiles, or other threats.

Shapiro points out that the patent is only pending, and the U.S. technology may or may not be operational. But he points out that a foreign adversary may already be using something similar. He notes that in 2017, Russia claimed it had achieved “next generation” laser plasma weaponry.

Beyond Visual Range is a Mark Rollins adventure mystery. In the story two women drone pilots from the Nashville area find themselves in the middle of a military attempted coup. One is a former fighter pilot who, after a crash, now flies from a wheelchair. This dynamic female drone crew has to defend the country from the X-37B, now under control of a rogue military crew with the ability to strike the earth with weapons of nuclear like destructive power.

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For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print, eBook and audio editions are available from Amazon. Most online bookstores carry one or all of the various editions (print, eBook and audio) including Barnes & Noble, Google Play/books, Apple iTunes’ iBookstore, and Smashwords.com.

Wounds of War

A June 5 Wall Street Journal article titled The Physic Toll of Killing with Drones documents the mental and emotional wounds suffered by crews of Remotely Piloted Aircraft, RPA. Like other warriors some suffer gravely from PTSD experiencing flashbacks, recurrent memories and difficulty sleeping. It a subject covered in my recent book, Beyond Visual Range.

Beyond Visual Range uses the pending impeachment of the President as a backdrop, and its main character is Major Samantha Miller (aka Sam or “Sparks”). Major Miller earned the nickname Sparks as an F-35 fighter pilot before a terrible crash put her in a wheelchair, forcing her to leave airborne work to become a pilot of a MQ-9 Reaper drone or what the Air Force now calls a Remotely Piloted Aircraft or RPA.

Here is an excerpt where Major Miller is explaining what it is like to hunt and kill a high value target.

“Finally, I have him alone and in the open. There is a nearby alternate safe target if for any reason at the last minute I need to abort the kill. I fire my missile. Seconds before the missile will strike home, a little girl runs out of the house and wraps her arms around his legs. I prepare to send the missile to the safe site only to discover that it has now become a soccer field full of little boys. There is nothing I can do. I watch the horror on my victim’s face. I see it in his eyes as he looks up in the direction of a faint whining noise that he hears for the first time. Then nothing. After a few minutes, I look down on the spot where he and the little girl had stood. There is only a smoking hole—a crater in the ground. Then I see his wife running from the house, her arms flailing over her head, and she’s screaming. Of course, there is no audio, but I hear her screams anyway—even if just in my head.”

Beyond Visual Range is available in print, digital and audio formats from amazon and other online retail outlets.

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For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook editions are available on Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and other online bookstores. Audio editions are available on Amazon, iTunes and directly from Audible.com. Check out the latest book by Tom Collins, Stories from Applewood Manor, that explores Asheville, North Carolina’s History, Mysteries, Ghosts, and Tall Tales.  
Published by I-65 North, Inc.

2020 River Swing

With COVID-19 hanging over our heads, the Harpeth Conservancy like many other organizations has had to reinvent its programs and activities in support of its mission to restore and protect clean water and healthy ecosystems for rivers in Tennessee. That includes reimagining its annual fund raising event, “The River Swing”.

For 16 years, the annual River Swing event has been a fabulous celebration while raising nearly one third of the needed funds for the Conservancy’s mission. This year, the 17th annual River Swing will forgo the in-person celebration, but it still needs your financial support by way of the Internet. First, you can support the organization by making an individual contribution or becoming a River Swing sponsor—Go to https://harpethconservancy.org/river-swing/ for details. And second, participate in the annual River Swing Auction. This year the auction is entirely online. Bidding starts October 19, and the final gavel falls on October 25th, 2020.

Be prepared to start bidding on October 19, 2020 by registering here in advance. Do not get out bid. Check the status your bids daily or more often. The auction includes great donated merchandise and packages. Martha and I have donated two packages for the auction:

• First, for wine lovers, is a 2014 bottle of Chateau Cheval Blanc together with a signed copy of my novel, The Claret Murders.

• The second, is a two night stay at the historic Applewood Manor in Asheville, NC accompanied by a signed copy of my new mystery, Beyond Visual Range.

The auction is a wonderful way to support a clean Harpeth River while taking advantage of some super bargains—so happy bidding!

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For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook editions are available on Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and other online bookstores. Audio editions are available on Amazon, iTunes and directly from Audible.com. Be sure to check out the latest Tom Collins Novel, Beyond Visual Range on Amazon.
Published by I-65 North, Inc.

Win a Challenge Coin

The pictured item is it the challenge coin for the United States Air Force MQ-9 Reaper Drone, a remotely piloted aircraft system.

If you collect challenge coins you will want to add this MQ-9 Reaper to your collection.  If you are not already a collector, this coin would be a could start.  It weighs over two ounces with a 2 ¼ inch diameter.

MQ-9 Reaper is featured in my latest novel, Beyond Visual Range.  In the new book, a modern day Dr. Strangelove is set to deploy a super non-nuclear weapon from space. Beyond Visual Range is-a frightening, plausible thriller that Foreword Clarion Review described as right out of today’s news when it gave the book four stars.

Enter the contest to win one of the five challenge coins (a $20.00 value), I am giving away this week.

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For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook editions are available on Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and other online bookstores. Audio editions are available on Amazon, iTunes and directly from Audible.com. Be sure to check out the latest Tom Collins Novel, Beyond Visual Range on Amazon.
Published by I-65 North, Inc.

Win a French Beret

The Beret has been a significant feature in more than one of my books including my first, Mark Rollins New Career and the newest, Beyond Visual Range. That is me in the photo. It was taken at a sidewalk café in the 5th arrondissement of Paris near the Pantheon. The memory of my French Beret stayed with me and found its way into my novels. I have several black berets leftover from a book signing promotion.  If you would like one for free, enter your name and email address before August 20, 2020  for a chance to win one. Ten winners will be selected at random. To enter go to the contest page on the Tom Collins Facebook page.
PS: Guys, they look even better on the ladies.

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For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook editions are available on Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and other online bookstores. Audio editions are available on Amazon, iTunes and directly from Audible.com. Be sure to check out the latest Tom Collins Novel, Beyond Visual Range on Amazon.
Published by I-65 North, Inc.

Audible Editions of Mark Rollins Adventures

Beyond Visual Range joins Diversion and The Claret Murders on Audible. The other three books in the series will follow, hopefully by the end of the year. I do have a few promotion coupons reserved for Facebook Friends that are still available for Beyond Visual Range and Diversion. Email me before the end of the week, and be sure to indicate if your request is for Diversion or Beyond Visual Range. While I can’t require it, if you request one of the coupons please consider posting a review.

The audio editions are available from Amazon, Apple Books or directly from Audible.

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Signed copies of Collins’s books are available at www.tomcollinsauthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook editions are available on Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and other online bookstores. Audible editions are available on Amazon, iTunes and directly from Audible.com.

What One Reviewer Had To Say

The reviewer preceded his review comments with the statement that Beyond Visual Range should be required reading. Since my writing is financed from royalties that would be great—I wish! While it will not become required reading, I hope you will read it and if you do, I hope you will post a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or another book related site.

The technology exists. The possibilities are all too real... and frightening. Once I started into it, I couldn't stop reading until the end. It was captivating and well written all the way through.

Politics usually sends me off in another direction when I'm looking for something good to read, but the technical aspects got my attention. This novel peels the skin from the flesh and bone of our everyday life. Not only can this happen; some or all of it probably is happening. Not only is our future in the balance, our very existence is too.

Right now, you can still take advantage of the one month sale ending June 31st. Until then you can purchase the Kindle edition for only $0.99. July 1st the price reverts to $4.99. And don’t forget that the audio editions of Diversion and The Claret Murders are currently on sale for $7.49. Shortly Beyond Visual Range will also be available in an audio edition. Production has been completed, we are just waiting on Audible to distribute the finished product to Amazon, iTunes and other retailers.

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For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook and audio editions are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores.
Published by I-65 North, Inc.

Southern Festival of Books Goes Virtual

Celebrating the written word since 1989.

Humanities Tennessee, the organizer of the state’s largest literary event, will transition the three-day festival to virtual access during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Readers and writers from across Tennessee, and the world, will be able to celebrate the joy of reading and lifelong learning while enjoying sessions online with more than 100 authors. 

“We will miss being at the beautiful Nashville Public Library and on War Memorial Plaza, with all of the buzz and energy that the Festival weekend brings. But the important traditions will carry on in new and exciting ways; the opportunity to hear writers read from and discuss their works, and the chance to engage in ideas and discourse that are vital today. Writers will join us from around the country, and we will also share some sites and literary history from Tennessee,” said Serenity Gerbman, Literature and Language Program Director for Humanities Tennessee.

Be sure to check out the latest Tom Collins Novel, Beyond Visual Range on Amazon.

For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook editions are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores. Audio versions of The Claret Murders and  Diversion are available from iTunes, Audibles and Amazon. eBook editions are also available through Apple iTunes’ iBook’s Store and Smashwords.com.
 
Published by I-65 North, Inc.

Four Stars

Foreword Clarion Review just gave Beyond Visual Range four stars!
Here is the full review:

Ending on a hopeful note, Beyond Visual Range is a military thriller with a tinge of political realism.

In Tom Collins’s timely novel Beyond Visual Range, drone technology collides with a political intrigue that’s reminiscent of current events.

Despite a time of great economic growth and nationwide security, President Tanner is in the hot seat amid allegations of misuse of power. The Speaker of the House leads the charge, raising allegations that Tanner violated his oath of office and ignored foreign sovereignty. In a staggering twist, a splinter group within the American military steps forward and threatens to use force if Tanner isn’t removed from office. Meanwhile, a pair of drone operators are swept up in the conspiracy, as the drones they pilot are commandeered and manipulated into striking foreign civilian targets. The commander, Major Samantha Miller, turns to Mark Rollins and his off-books team for help with preventing the future loss of life.

The book continues the adventures of Mark Rollins and the Women’s Health Club—which operates as a front for a private operations group that protects America from threats foreign and domestic—but functions as a standalone thriller. Context is revealed when needed, allowing the current issue of drone misuse and impeachment to remain in the spotlight.

Major Miller embodies the strong characterization present throughout the narrative. Ample space is given to the sudden loss of control of the drones while hinting at a mystery in Miller’s background—the accident that led to her winding up in a wheelchair. At first introduction, she seems to be noncentral, but careful backstory reveals and her professional relationship with Rollins center her as a capable, compelling lead. The primary cast—Rollins, his team, and a select group of military people and civilians—are equally developed.

Swapping between the drone threat and the impeachment proceedings, the story is well paced. In a literal twist, a threat from Earth’s orbit requires that the story enter space. Dialogue directs much movement, though exposition also comes through prose at the proper times. Intense sequences featuring military jargon stand out, and Major Miller and Rollins have distinct voices, helping to showcase events from both of their viewpoints. The book’s harrowing aerial battles and contemplative discussions are both grounded thanks to clear details and staging. However, when characters take notes or present material, unusual formatting overshadows the narrative; words run together in such spaces.

Ending on a hopeful note, Beyond Visual Range is a military thriller with a tinge of political realism.

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For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook editions are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores. Audio versions of The Claret Murders and  Diversion are available from iTunes, Audibles and Amazon. eBook editions are also available through Apple iTunes’ iBook’s Store and Smashwords.com. 
Published by I-65 North, Inc.

Birthday Time #79

Thanks to everyone for the birthday greetings. Note the hair, the result of being deprived of access to my hair “stylist” due to COVID-19 sheltering rules.  I lost the hair during chemo treatments and never allow it back until now. While now returning, it is doing so as an unruly child.  It does not remember how to behave.

I am busy promoting the new book, Beyond Visual Range. If you are considering a belated birthday gift—I could use reader reviews on Amazon. They are important and slow to get started. People don’t like to be first. So, I need some brave souls to take the plunge.

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For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook editions are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores. Audio versions of The Claret Murders and  Diversion are available from iTunes, Audibles and Amazon. eBook editions are also available through Apple iTunes’ iBook’s Store and Smashwords.com.
 Be sure to check out the latest Tom Collins Novel, Beyond Visual Range on Amazon.
Published by I-65 North, Inc.

Major Samantha Miller

The main character in my book Beyond Visual Range isn’t new to the Mark Rollins Adventure series.  Our heroine first appeared in the book Diversion where she was addicted to Percocet and almost died. Fortunately, Samantha Miller (Sam to her friends) was saved at the last minute by the Rollins team.

In Beyond Visual Range Sam is now Major Samantha Miller, an air force fighter pilot.  After her F-35 fighter crashes off the coast of Cuba, she becomes a drone pilot which she flies from her wheelchair.

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For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook editions are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores. Audio versions of The Claret Murders and  Diversion are available from iTunes, Audibles and Amazon. eBook editions are also available through Apple iTunes’ iBook’s Store and Smashwords.com.
 Be sure to check out the latest Tom Collins Novel, Beyond Visual Range on Amazon.
Published by I-65 North, Inc.

The X-37B Returns to Space

According to an article in Science Alert the mysterious X-37B space plane is returning to orbit, And for once we are being told why. Are you really sure about that? You can read the May 7, 2020 article by Christopher Wood by clicking on Science alert.  Or, you could just read about the X-37B in the fictional work Beyond Visual Range,  and  let your imagination run wild.

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For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook editions are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores. Audio versions of The Claret Murders and  Diversion are available from iTunes, Audibles and Amazon. eBook editions are also available through Apple iTunes’ iBook’s Store and Smashwords.com.
 Be sure to check out the latest Tom Collins Novel, Beyond Visual Range on Amazon.
Published by I-65 North, Inc.

The Book is on the Printing Press!

Ingram has the print editions of Beyond Visual Range in the print queue. Unfortunately, the company just sent out the following notice:

“Please note that we are extending our current print turnaround times for some U.S. order types as we work diligently to uphold our commitment to the publishing industry while also protecting the health and well-being of our associates.”

Nevertheless, I would expect to see the print editions on Amazon within ten days and the eBook editions within two to three weeks. I must admit that my predictions on turnaround times have not been exactly accurate to date.  However, I think you will find this sixth book in the Mark Rollins Adventure series worth waiting for. To remind you about the story check out the video below:

One of the interesting things about the content of this and other videos is in the background. Check out the artwork and the bookcase contents—I always do when seeing interviews on TV or watching other video presentations.  

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For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook editions are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores. Audio versions of The Claret Murders and  Diversion are available from iTunes, Audibles and Amazon. eBook editions are also available through Apple iTunes’ iBook’s Store and Smashwords.com.  Look for book number six in the Mark Rollins Adventure series coming soon.
Published by I-65 North, Inc.

Working Hard

I always remember W. C. Fields saying, “It was a woman that drove me to drink, and I never got a chance to properly thank her.”  In my case the woman is my latest book.  

I’m working hard to get this new book in your hands, or on your computer, iPad or iPhone. But the gears are moving slowly.  Here is the amazing thing.  I wrote the guts of this story in six weeks.  That was the quickest part. Editing and polishing has taken almost four months. After that process the finished manuscript, which is in Microsoft Word, has to be professionally formatted for the printed editions and digitally encoded for the various eBook editions.  The Kindle requirements for example are different from Nook requirements or the Apple iBook format.

The pipeline is flowing very slowly right now.  The formatter has said than I am in the production slot for April 8 with a 3 to 5 day turnaround.  The eBook editions follow about a week later. Once the formatting company has done its work, the formatted manuscript goes to Ingram for printing and distribution. I’m just hoping that the presses keep rolling.

Here is a reminder of what you are waiting for:

The Outer Space Treaty prohibits nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons from being placed in or used from Earth’s orbit. What no one could have imagined was that mankind would conceive of the simplest weapon ever deployed – one with extinction power – to launch from space. The military named this weapon “Rods from God.” And yet, it’s not nuclear, biological, or chemical. Two women drone pilots battle in outer space to defend their country. One is a former fighter pilot who, after a crash, now flies from a wheelchair. This dynamic female drone crew from Nashville, Tennessee, now based in Florida, is drafted to defend the United States from a rogue military element threatening to use force to stop the impeachment of the president. Their weapons are twenty-foot tungsten rods. A single rod dropped from orbit would strike Earth at ten times the speed of sound with the impact of a nuclear weapon. As weapons are readied, our heroines find they are Beyond Visual Range.

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For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook editions are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores. Audio versions of The Claret Murders and  Diversion are available from iTunes, Audibles and Amazon. eBook editions are also available through Apple iTunes’ iBook’s Store and Smashwords.com. 
Published by I-65 North, Inc.

Merry Christmas 2019

I haven’t posted in a while.  That’s because after over two years of procrastination, the author juices finally started flowing on Mark Rollins Adventure number six, Beyond Visual Range. The draft is finished, the polishing and editing is ongoing. As he did for my  other books, Tom Trebing is designing the cover.  I’ll tell you more about the new book in the days to come.

This has not been a particularly newsworthy year—just one devoted largely to trying to keep our older bodies in repair. The biggest news is about what we didn’t do. We had placed a deposit on an apartment in the new wing of The Heritage in Brentwood—a full service senior living facility; but we canceled and decided to stay put in our current home. The other big item is that I got a new shoulder in August. That’s the price I paid for falling in early May. Take my advice, don’t fall.

Martha and I wish you a very Merry Christmas

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For signed copies of books by Tom Collins, go to TomCollinsAuthor.com. Unsigned print and eBook editions are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores. Audio versions of The Claret Murders and  Diversion are available from iTunes, Audibles and Amazon. eBook editions are also available through Apple iTunes’ iBook’s Store and Smashwords.com. 

Published by I-65 North, Inc