Silver Falchion Award

My latest book, Treasure of the Diary, is a finalist in the Literary Fiction Category for the coveted Silver Falchion Award. The novel, #7 in the Mark Rollins Adventure Series, was also honored as the Independent Press Award’s 2023 pick for Distinguished Favorite in Literary Fiction.

The Silver Falchion Award honors the best books of the year that incorporate elements of mystery, thriller, and suspense across numerous genres. It is administered by Killer Nashville, which is considered the premier forum for mystery writers. The awards are presented at the annual Killer Nashville Writers’ Conference. The event marks the 18th year of the forum's international writers’ conference. The four-day event is scheduled to begin on August 17th in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Collins’s books are available from neighborhood bookstores and online sources. E-book editions are available on Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBooks,  Smashwords, and other online bookstores. Audio editions are available on Amazon, iTunes,and directly from Audible.com.

Civil War Gold Unearthed!

Is there really lost Civil War Gold as depicted in my novel Treasure of the Diary—Gold Treasure just waiting for someone to stumble upon it or the clue to its hiding place? As Oscar Wilde noted, Literature always anticipates real life. Validating the legends of buried Civil War gold, a Kentucky farmer just unearthed a 150-year-old fortune dubbed the Great Kentucky Hoard. This unearthed bounty is a testament to the time-honored legends of the lost Civil War Gold. It is likely that whoever hid the gold left clues behind as is the case in the novel Treasure of the Diary.

The Great Kentucky Hoard is a historic treasury of seven hundred United States gold coins minted during the tumultuous years of 1862 and 1863. The treasure's denominations range from $1 to a staggering $20. To truly grasp the magnitude of this discovery, consider the value of each 1863 gold Liberty double eagle coin. Depending on its condition, a single coin is likely to sell anywhere from $100,000 to a jaw-dropping $400,000 at auction.

Kentucky, the heartland of several intense Civil War skirmishes between the Union Army and the Confederate cavalries led by Nathan Bedford Forrest and Kentuckian John Hunt Morgan, has always been shrouded in intriguing tales of buried treasures. The theory goes that this gold was buried as a safeguard against advancing enemies. With the discovery, the legends of lost Civil War gold, whispered rumors of riches concealed by those claimed by war or disease, suddenly seem much less mythical. The Great Kentucky Hoard underscores that truth can be as strange - and as captivating - as fiction.

And so it is with Treasure of the Diary—another unearthing of Civil War gold. The story is set in two contrasting timelines that connect the distant past and the present, tracing the quest for a cache of buried gold weighing an astounding half-ton. It weaves Civil War miseries and the lure of hidden gold into an intriguing and educational mystery that is available in print, digital and audio formats.

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Collins’s books are available from neighborhood bookstores and online sources. E-book editions are available on Amazon, Google Play, Apple iBooks,  Smashwords, and other online bookstores. Audio editions are available on Amazon, iTunes,and directly from Audible.com.

Voice Actor Brings New Life to Opioid Novel

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 Award Winning Author, Tom Collins, and Eric Bryan Moore Reunite for the Revised Audiobook Edition of the Opioid Mystery Novel, Diversion.

 Franklin, Tennessee, May 2, 2023—Tom Collins and acclaimed voice actor, Eric Bryan Moore, are reuniting to re-record the audio edition of Collins' thrilling opioid-laden mystery novel, Diversion. This collaboration marks the renewal of a successful partnership that has brought the author's captivating stories to life through Moore's masterful narration.

 In the revised audiobook edition, Moore, who has narrated all of Collins' books except for The Claret Murders and the original audio edition of Diversion, returns to lend his distinctive voice to this suspenseful story of illegal drugs in Tennessee. Collins explained, "The previous narrator did a professional job as a reader. Nevertheless, I thought the story deserved Eric Moore’s voice as a full-time professional voice actor." With over 150 audiobooks to his name, Moore records from his home studio in São Paulo, Brazil, and remains dedicated to the art of storytelling. "I love sitting down in my booth and telling a good story. I take great pride in bringing perfectly nuanced stories to life," he said.

 Diversion, set in the picturesque countryside around Manchester and Tullahoma, delves into the murky world of illegal drugs and their link to our nation’s enemies. In the story, the Middle Tennessee area is fast becoming the primary East Coast source for the illicit diversion of pharmaceuticals through pill mills. The area also includes the Bonnaroo Music Festival, and the Arnold Air Force Base housing the nation’s only propulsion test facilities. Both Bonnaroo and Arnold are threatened by enemies willing to die to harm us.

 The new recording of Diversion promises to provide an immersive and engaging listening experience. The powerful combination of Tom Collins' compelling storytelling and the exceptional narration of voice actor Eric Bryan Moore will surely captivate readers and listeners alike.

For more information go to authortomcollins@i65n.com and https://www.ericbryanmoore.com/

For media enquires contact: Tom Collins, tom.collins@i65n.com or 615-948-1544


 Notes to editors:

       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 Collins is now retired from the commercial world and devotes his time to creating his mystery series, Mark Rollins Adventures and authoring his short stories about Asheville and Western North Carolina. You will find his books in neighborhood bookstores or online sources. His books are available in print, digital and audio formats.

        Recent Awards: Collins’ book Exploring Asheville earned the top spot as the 2022 winner in the regional literature category at both the Independent Press Awards and the NYC Big Books Awards. Also winning in the Big Book Awards was his novel, Beyond Visual Range, as a 2022 Distinguished Favorite in Military Fiction. In 2023, his novel, Treasure of the Diary, received the Independent Press Distinguished Favorite Award for Literary Fiction. Diversion is under consideration for the Independent Press (Spring 2023) Awards.

        Works by the author:

o   Mark Rollins’ New Career & the Women’s Health Club

  • Mark Rollins and the Rainmaker

  • Mark Rollins and the Puppeteer

  • The Language of Excellence

  • The Claret Murders, a Mark Rollins Adventure

  • Diversion, a Mark Rollins Adventure

  • Beyond Visual Range, a Mark Rollins Adventure

  • Stories from Applewood Manor

  • Exploring Asheville, Its History, Attractions, Mysteries, Ghost, and Tall Tails

  • Treasure of the Diary, a Mark Rollins Adventure

Press Release March 10, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: M. Thomas (Tom) Collins
Tom.collins@i65n.com

Author Tom Collins receives national recognition through the INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD®


Franklin, Tennessee—The INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD ® recognized Treasure of the Diary by Tom Collins as a Distinguished Favorite in the category of Literary Fiction making it the fourth national award received by Collins.

The competition is judged by experts from different aspects of the book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, book cover designers and professional copywriters. Selected IPA Distinguished Favorites are based on overall excellence.

The literary fiction novel, Treasure of the Diary, is the seventh book in author Tom Collins’s Mark Rollins Adventure series. The story weaves historical events and familiar places into an educational and entertaining adventure when three college students discover a 150-year-old diary. The old journal belonged to a Confederate prisoner of war. The reader relives events of the Civil War and the plight of prisoners as the students read through the diary—page by page searching for a secret, one that they hope will lead them to treasure—a half a ton of buried gold!

In 2023, the INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD had entries worldwide. Authors and publishers from countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Norway, Scotland, and South Africa, participated. Books submitted included writers based in cities such as Atlanta to Los Angeles; London to Nova Scotia; from Cape Town to Mumbai; from Albuquerque to New York City, as well as others. "We are proud to announce the distinguished favorites in our annual 2023 INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD. This year included an array of quality and diverse independent books," Olczak said. "Independent publishing is pushing on every corner of the earth with great content. We are thrilled to be highlighting key titles representing global independent publishing." said awards sponsor Gabrielle Olczak. For more information, please visit independentpressaward.com; and to see this year's list of IPA Distinguished Favorites, please visit 2023 DISTINGUISHED FAVORITES: https://www.independentpressaward.com/2023df.

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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, Collins is now retired from the commercial world and devotes his time to creating his Mark Rollins Adventures series and authoring stories about Asheville and Western North Carolina. The 2023 award is fourth national award received by the author’s novels.

Half a Ton of Buried Gold is at the Center of Tom Collins’s New Novel.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 24, 2023

Media Contact:
M. Thomas (Tom) Collins
615/948-1544
Tom.collins@i65n.com

Half a Ton of Buried Gold is at the Center of Tom Collins’s New Novel

A gang of confederate irregulars stormed a Union train carrying gold. Unable to outrun pursuing troops, the surviving train robbers stashed the gold in Western North Carolina where it remained waiting to be discovered.

Treasure of the Diary, the seventh book in author Tom Collins’s Mark Rollins Adventure series, weaves historical fiction and familiar places into an educational and entertaining adventure mystery when three college students discover a 150-year-old diary. The old journal belonged to a Confederate prisoner of war. The reader relives events of the Civil War and the plight of prisoners as the students read through the diary—page by page searching for a secret, one that they hope will lead them to buried gold.

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, Collins is now retired from the commercial world and devotes his time to creating his mystery series, Mark Rollins Adventures and authoring stories about Asheville and Western North Carolina. His book Exploring Asheville—Its History Attractions, Mysteries, Ghosts, and Tall Tales earned the top spot as the 2022 winner in the regional literature category at both the Independent Press Awards and the NYC Big Books Awards. Also winning in the Big Book Awards was his novel, Beyond Visual Range, as a 2022 Distinguished Favorite in Military Fiction.

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Collins’s books are available from neighborhood bookstores and online sources. E-book editions are 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 request a review copy of this or other books by the author, or inquire about a live or online appearance, contact the author at www.authortomcollins.com.

Exploring Asheville Independent Press Award Winner

PRESS RELEASE

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 19, 2022
Media Contact:
M. Thomas (Tom) Collins
615/948-1544
Tom.collins@i65n.com

Tom Collins’s New Book, Exploring Asheville, is a
2022 Independent Press Award Winner

Franklin, TN– Now that we are beginning to enjoy traveling again, Tom Collins shines the light on Western North Carolina in his award winning ninth book, Exploring Asheville—Its History, Attractions, Mysteries, Ghosts, and Tall Tales. The 270 page book distributed by Ingram Content Group is available locally through independent bookstores as well as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online sources for $19.95 and is available in digital eBook format for $4.99. Independent Press Awards, also known as IPPY Awards, typically review over 5000 entries annually from which one winner is selected for quality and excellence in each category. In creating his book, mystery writer, Tom Collins, departed from his usual genre to explore Asheville–the city they call the Weirdest, Happiest, Quirkiest, and Most Haunted Place in America.

The Author explained: I started writing about Asheville after my son purchased one of the city’s historic bed and breakfast inns. The more I wrote, the more enamored I became. Asheville is more than a place—it has a rich history filled with extraordinary people who shaped its unique diverse culture. It has its own mysteries and secrets, a robust fondness for art, music, and festivals and the list of things to do and see is impressive. The book is more than just about things to do, however. I call it the book that has everything you need to know to be Asheville Smart—a guidebook for visitors to get the most out of their Asheville experience! Asheville is a favorite vacation spot for the people living in the greater Nashville area including my hometown, Franklin. If you haven’t been there before, this is a book that will have you and people from all over packing their bags to visit the majestic mountains of Western North Carolina.

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, he is now retired from the commercial world and devotes his time to penning his mystery series, Mark Rollins Adventures, and writing about Asheville and Western North Carolina.

Other works by Tom Collins:

Mark Rollins’ New Career & the Women’s Health Club
Mark Rollins and the Rainmaker
Mark Rollins and the Puppeteer
The Claret Murders, a Mark Rollins Adventure
Diversion, a Mark Rollins Adventure
Beyond Visual Range, a Mark Rollins Adventure
The Language of Excellence

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

New Book is a Must for Visitors to Asheville, NC

 PRESS RELEASE
December 13, 2022

Franklin, TN– Just as we are beginning to enjoy traveling again, author Tom Collins put the finishing touches on his ninth book, Exploring Asheville—Its History, Attractions, Mysteries, Ghosts, and Tall Tales. The book’s striking cover depicts the view down Patton Avenue toward City Hall painted by Asheville artist Jeff Pittman. The 270 page book distributed by Ingram Content Group is available locally through independent bookstores and retailers as well as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online sources for $19.95.

The Author Explained: I started writing about Asheville after my son purchased one of the city’s historic bed and breakfast inns. The more I wrote, the more enamored I became. Asheville is more than a place—it has a rich history filled with extraordinary people who shaped its unique diverse culture. It has its own mysteries and secrets, an extraordinary fondness for art, music, and festivities and the list of things to do and see is extraordinary. The book is more than just about things to do, however. I call it the book that has everything you need to know to be Asheville Smart—a guidebook for visitors to get the most out of their Asheville experience! It is a book that will have people from all over packing their bags to visit the majestic mountains of Western North Carolina

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, he is now retired from the commercial world and devotes his time to penning his mystery series, Mark Rollins Adventures, and writing about Asheville and Western North Carolina.

Other works by Tom Collins:

  • Mark Rollins’ New Career & the Women’s Health Club

  • Mark Rollins and the Rainmaker

  • Mark Rollins and the Puppeteer

  • The Claret Murders, a Mark Rollins Adventure

  • Diversion, a Mark Rollins Adventure

  • Beyond Visual Range, a Mark Rollins Adventure

  • The Language of Excellence

  • Stories from Applewood Manor

  • For more information about Tom Collins’s book, to inquire about a review copy, or to schedule an interview, please contact him at 615/948-1544 or tom.collins@i65n.com.

2021 River Swing Event and Auction

The 18th annual River Swing event takes place September 18, 2021 at River Circle Farm in Franklin Tennessee from 6:00 pm to 10:00pm. It is not to late to purchase event tickets. The annual event and auction raise a third of the operating funds that enable the Harpeth Conservancy to carry out its mission of protecting Tennessee’s rivers and clean water.

The auction is accessed in person for attendees and on-line as well. So even if you are unable to attend the event you can participate in the auction. The auction is scheduled to be open online by September 12th. To sign up for the online auction and get the internet link go to https://harpethconservancy.org/river-swing/ between September 12th and 18th.

Celebrating my new book, Stories from Applewood Manor, we have contributed three items for the auction. If you are a lover of great wines, you will not want to miss the opportunity to bid on two first-growth wines from our private collection.

  • A 1994 bottle of Chateau Margaux: This Premier Grand Cru Classe is one of Bordeaux's most famous wine estates. The 1994 is a classic, long lived Bordeaux—consistently rated excellent to superb.

  • A 1995 bottle of Chateau Angelus: The most highly desired wine out of the St. Emilion region of Bordeaux—a Premier Grand Cur Classe.

Each of the wines come with a copy of my new book, Stores from Applewood Manor. And you can also bid on two prepaid nights at Applewood Manor. The historic Manor (Circa 1912) is Asheville North Carolina’s premier luxury bed and breakfast inn. The auction is a wonderful way to support the Harpeth Conservancy’s mission to restore and protect clean water and healthy ecosystems of Tennessee rivers while taking advantage of some super bargains—so happy bidding!

News Release 05/10/2021--Stories from Applewood Manor by Tom Collins

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 10, 2021

Media Contact:
M. Thomas (Tom) Collins
615/948-1544
Tom.collins@i65n.com

Local Author Tom Collins’s new book focuses on Asheville, North Carolina.

Nashville, TN – Just as we are beginning to travel again, local author Tom Collins put the finishing touches on his eighth book, Stories from Applewood Manor—a book that will have you packing your bags to visit the majestic mountains of Western North Carolina.

The new book is quite a departure from the adventures mysteries that to date has been his preferred genre. Stories from Applewood Manor is a collection of short stories that explores Asheville, North Carolina’s history, attractions, mysteries, ghost stories, and tall tales from the perspective of an historic bed and breakfast inn (circa 1912), the Applewood Manor.

The Author ExplainedMy son and his wife purchased the bed and breakfast inn in 2020, and I was immediately struck by its ambiance. There is a feel about the historic Applewood Manor that is unique. More than a hundred years old, it touches the past yet shares the remarkable character and culture of Asheville—a city that has been called many things: weirdest, happiest, quirkiest, most haunted place in America, Santa Fe of the East, New Age Capital of the World, Paris of the South, Beer City USA, and Land of the Sky. The Manor and its city have many secrets, mysteries, and legends—some factual, some alleged, some exaggerated and some hard to believe at all. I have tried to capture their spirit and personality through the stories in the book’s five sections:

  1. Stories About the Historic Inn

  2. Moments in the History of the City

  3. Things to Do and See in Asheville

  4. Mysteries and Ghost Stories

  5. Tall Tales from the Rocking Chair Porch

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, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the ALM publication, Law Technology News, for his contribution to the use of technology in the legal services community. Citytech, a London-based publication, called him an “outstanding individual and visionary” when he was named as one of the Top 100 Global Tech Leaders. Although now retired from the commercial world, he continues to write and speak on leadership and management as well as pen his series of Mark Rollins Adventure mysteries and his short story series, Stories from Applewood Manor.

Other works by the Tom Collins:

Mystery Series:

  • Mark Rollins’ New Career & the Women’s Health Club

  • Mark Rollins and the Rainmaker

  • Mark Rollins and the Puppeteer

  • The Claret Murders, a Mark Rollins Adventure

  • Diversion, a Mark Rollins Adventure

  • Beyond Visual Range, a Mark Rollins Adventure

Professional Guidance:

  • The Language of Excellence

For more information about Tom Collins’s book, to inquire about a review copy, or to schedule an interview, please contact him at 615/948-1544 or tom.collins@i65n.com.

Wanting to be Rich is OK

The Political Economy Research Institute of Middle Tennessee State University will host the Zoom lecture, Why It’s OK to Want to Be Rich, on April 20, 2021 starting at 4:30 PM Central Time.

Ok to be rich.jpg

 

About the Event: "Finger-wagging moralizers say the love of money is the root of all evil. They assume that making a lot of money requires exploiting others, and that the best way to wash off the resulting stain is to give a lot of it away. In Why It’s OK to Want to Be Rich, Jason Brennan shows that the moralizers have it backwards. He argues that, in general, the more money you make, the more you already do for others, and that even an average wage earner is productively “giving back” to society just by doing her job. In addition, wealth liberates us to have the best chance of leading a life that’s authentically our own."

About the Speaker: Jason Brennan is the Robert J. and Elizabeth Flanagan Family Professor of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. He specializes in politics, philosophy, and economics. He currently has 7 books under contract with Oxford University Press and Routledge Press, at least 2 of which will be published in 2022. He is the author of 13 books, including Why It's OK to Want to Be Rich (Routledge Press 2020), Good Work if You Can Get It (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020); Injustice for All: America's Dysfunctional Criminal Justice System and How to Fix It, with Christopher Surprenant (Routledge, 2019); Cracks in the Ivory Tower: The Moral Mess of Higher Education, with Phil Magness (Oxford University Press, 2019).

# # #

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.

 Wanting to be Rich is Ok.

Mark your calendar for April 20th,2021. That is when the Political Economy Research Institute of Middle Tennessee State University will host the Zoom lecture, Why It’s OK to Want to Be Rich! It is not to early to register—to do so click here.


 

About the Event: "Finger-wagging moralizers say the love of money is the root of all evil. They assume that making a lot of money requires exploiting others, and that the best way to wash off the resulting stain is to give a lot of it away. In Why It’s OK to Want to Be Rich, Jason Brennan shows that the moralizers have it backwards. He argues that, in general, the more money you make, the more you already do for others, and that even an average wage earner is productively “giving back” to society just by doing her job. In addition, wealth liberates us to have the best chance of leading a life that’s authentically our own."

About the Speaker: Jason Brennan is the Robert J. and Elizabeth Flanagan Family Professor of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, and Public Policy at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. He specializes in politics, philosophy, and economics. He currently has 7 books under contract with Oxford University Press and Routledge Press, at least 2 of which will be published in 2022. He is the author of 13 books, including Why It's OK to Want to Be Rich (Routledge Press 2020), Good Work if You Can Get It (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020); Injustice for All: America's Dysfunctional Criminal Justice System and How to Fix It, with Christopher Surprenant (Routledge, 2019); Cracks in the Ivory Tower: The Moral Mess of Higher Education, with Phil Magness (Oxford University Press, 2019).

# # #

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.

 

2020 River Swing Auction

Claret and Beyond.jpg

This year the annual fundraising auction for the Harpeth Conservancy will be entirely online. Bidding starts October nineteen, and the final gavel falls on October 25th, 2020. Register as a bidder in advance to look over the fabulous donated merchandise and packages. Once you place a bid, avoid being outbid by checking the status of your offer throughout the seven day auction period. There are two Mark Rollins adventure packages included among the auction items.

  • A signed copy of The Claret Murders accompanied by a fantastic French Claret—a 2014 bottle of Château Cheval Blanc— total package value $774.00.

  • A signed copy of my new mystery Beyond Visual Range and while you are reading it a two night stay at the historic Applewood Manor Bed and Breakfast Inn in Asheville, NC—total package value $729.00.

The auction is a wonderful way to support the Harpeth Conservancy’s mission to restore and protect clean water and healthy ecosystems Tennessee rivers while taking advantage of some super bargains—so happy bidding!

# # #

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.

PRESS RELEASE

July 30, 2020
Media Contact:
M. Thomas Collins
Tom.collins@i65n.com

  Franklin Author’s Four Star Novel is Now Available on Audible

Strangelove without Millitary.jpg

Franklin, TN – Tom Collins’s seventh novel, Beyond Visual Range, is now available as an audio book. The Audible edition joins three other formats—hardcover, paperback and eBook editions. On June 28, Foreword Clarion Review described the new mystery as “a military thriller with a tinge of political realism” and gave the book four stars. Collins writes from his home in Franklin, Tennessee, where his characters come to life and frequent familiar places in the bucolic Middle Tennessee landscape. What makes Collins’s latest mystery different from other novels in his Mark Rollins adventures series is that his Nashville heroines take the story into outer space. The author explained:

“For more than two years, I've known that I wanted to write about the problems faced by our military drone pilots. That mission was reinforced when I read the New York Times story by Eyal Press titled The Wounds of the Drone Warrior. However, I was missing a compelling plot until real life events supplied the material I needed for my story--the impeachment, the mysterious X-37B space plane, and the migration of retiring military flag officers to the Music City area.  Proving again that real life is the material of good fiction.”  

More about the story, Beyond Visual Range – 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 overthrow the government. 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.

M. Thomas (Tom) Collins is one of the pioneer entrepreneurs of the information technology industry. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the ALM publication Law Technology News for  his contribution to the use of technology in the legal services community.  Citytech, a London-based publication,  called him an "outstanding individual and visionary" when he was named as one of the Top 100 Global Tech Leaders. Although retired from the commercial world, he continues to write and speak on leadership and management as well as pen his series of Mark Rollins Adventure mysteries.

For more information about Tom Collins’s new Novel, to inquire about a review copy, or to schedule an interview, please contact him at tom.collins@i65n.com.

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

Foreword Clarion Review **** (Four Stars)

Foreword logo.jpg

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.

by John. M Murray (June 8,2020)

PRESS RELEASE

Ebook cover 2560 pixels bby 1723.jpg

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 1, 2020
Media Contact:
M. Thomas Collins
Tom.collins@i65n.com

  Franklin Author Tom Collins’s Sixth Mystery Moves to Outer Space

Franklin, TN – While sheltering in place for the COVID-19 pandemic, local author Tom Collins put the finishing touches on his seventh book and sixth mystery in his Mark Rollins Adventures series. Collins writes from his home in Franklin, Tennessee, where his characters come to life and frequent familiar places in the bucolic middle Tennessee landscape. What makes Collins’s latest mystery, Beyond Visual Range, different is that his Nashville heroines take the story into outer space. The author explained:

“For more than two years, I've known that I wanted to write about the problems faced by our military drone pilots. That mission was reinforced when I read the New York Times story by Eyal Press titled The Wounds of the Drone Warrior. However, I was missing a compelling plot until real life events supplied the material I needed for my story--the impeachment, the mysterious X-37B space plane, and the migration of retiring military flag officers to the Music City area.  Proving again that real life is the material of good fiction.”  

More about the story, Beyond Visual Range – 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 overthrow the government. 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.

M. Thomas (Tom) Collins is one of the pioneer entrepreneurs of the information technology industry. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the ALM publication Law Technology News for  his contribution to the use of technology in the legal services community.  Citytech, a London-based publication,  called him an "outstanding individual and visionary" when he was named as one of the Top 100 Global Tech Leaders. Although retired from the commercial world, he continues to write and speak on leadership and management as well as pen his series of Mark Rollins Adventure mysteries.

For more information about Tom Collins’s book, to inquire about a review copy, or to schedule an interview, please contact him at tom.collins@i65n.com.

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Beyond Visual Range available for Prerelease Order

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 could conceive of the simplest weapon ever deployed – one with extinction power – to launch from space.   And yet, it’s not nuclear, biological, or chemical. The military named this weapon “Rods from God.”

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Collins’s sixth book in his Mark Rollins Adventure Series has two women drone pilots battling in outer space to defend the country. One is an ex-fighter pilot who after a crash now flies from a wheelchair.

The Florida-based female drone crew from hometown Nashville, Tennessee is drafted to defend the country from a rogue military element who is threatening to use military force in order to stop the impeachment of the President. The rogue element’s weapons are twenty-foot tungsten rods. A single rod dropped from orbit would impact 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.

From the Editorial Review of "Diversion" by Foreword Clarion Reviews--

“This dramatic thriller reveals many dark truths about the opioid crisis. Fueled by a murder mystery and a missing girl, Tom Collins’s page-turning thriller Diversion explores the opioid crisis and illegal drugs through myriad plotlines…. The book’s many antagonists add intrigue and excitement. Lena and Carlos, two drug-dealing crime lords in Florida’s pill mill enterprise, are crooked and manipulative, and their scheming creates constant uncertainty as to what will happen next. Tom Lewis and Rocco, two other corrupt adversaries, are sleazy and dishonest, and their role in the story results in astonishing developments.” Foreword Clarion Reviews

BOOK INFORMATION

Author: Tom Collins
Publisher: I 65 North, Inc.
Genres Mystery Thriller
ISBN-13: 978-1-939285-90-4
Publication Date: Sep 29, 2017

Press Release

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: M. Thomas Collins
Phone: (615) 948-1544
Email: tomcollins@i65n.com

The Opioid Drug Crisis Dominates Nashville Mystery Writer Tom Collins’s New Book, Diversion, The Fifth Book in his Mark Rollins Adventures Series.

Author Tom Collins new book, Diversion, is the fifth installment in his Mark Rollins Adventure series. The gripping plot unfolds against the backdrop of the opioid drug crisis in rural Middle Tennessee—an anesthesiologist dies, a young girl goes missing, and terrorists plot an attack that could kill thousands or shut down American’s military drones.

The drug crisis is fueled by the diversion of pain medications like Percocet and Fentanyl from their intended medial purpose to recreational use. Pill mills selling prescriptions for cash are showing up in the bucolic area around Manchester and Tullahoma, Tennessee, just outside of music city, Nashville. The area is home to the Bonnaroo Music Festival and the propulsion test facilities at the Arnold Air Force Base that are essential to keep military drones flying in the war against terrorism. Both the Bonnaroo fans and the testing facilities are targets the country’s enemies are willing to die for.

A call for help from an old family friend puts Mark Rollins and his team of high-tech crime fighters squarely in the middle of it all. It was a simple enough request. All Rollins had to do was drive to the jail in Manchester, collect the girl, and take her home to her frantic mother. But, the girl wasn’t there! What had seemed simple quickly became dangerously complicated.

About the Author: Tom Collins resides in the small suburban town of Franklin, on the outskirts of Music City, Nashville, Tennessee. The areas of Nashville, Franklin, and their surrounding middle Tennessee communities serve as the canvas for all Collins’s Mark Rollins Adventure mysteries. Collins is one of the pioneer entrepreneurs of the information technology industry. The London-based publication Citytech called him an "outstanding visionary" when he was named as one of the Top 100 Global Tech Leaders in the legal community. He is also the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the publication Law Technology News for his contribution to the use of technology in the legal community. His business successes include Juris, Inc., which was purchased by LexisNexis® in 2007. Tom Collins retired from commercial activity at the end of 2007. Today he writes mystery/thrillers and continues to write and speak in the commercial world about managing for excellence.

Books and Works by Tom Collins Include:

The Language of Excellence
Diversion
The Claret Murders

Mark Rollins and The Puppeteer
Mark Rollins and The Rainmaker
Mark Rollins’ New Career and the Women’s Health Club
Marion Collins Remembers (Old Sayings and Lessons for Life)
My Journey: Alice Elsie Welch Collins

For more information about the author and his books please visit www.authortomcollins.com. For interview requests or to review a copy of Diversion, please contact the author directly at tom.collins@i65n.com.

Diversion—the opioid drug crisis, a missing girl, the Bonnaroo Music Festival, and a terrorist plot that could kill thousands or shut down American’s military drones.

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High Honors From The Tennessee House of Representatives

During his most recent business seminar, “Achieving Business Success For The Long Haul,” hosted by the Williamson County Public Library, the Honorable State Representative Glen Casada presented Tom with an official proclamation from the Tennessee House, recognizing his contributions to the literary community in both fiction and non-fiction, his past endeavors as the founder of Juris Inc. and his success in the information technology and legal industries.

“Tom Collins truly has achieved excellence with his past endeavors in the legal world, information technology industry and literary community. We are excited to honor him with this very special proclamation.” – State Representative Glen Casada

The free business seminar included participants from all walks of life as Tom shared his secrets to success. As he described his “formula to attain lasting superior performance” within an organization, attendees received an introduction to his latest literary success, The Language of Excellence.