The Men of Silent Voices

As Silent Voices was released last week, I thought I’d do something different today and give readers an insight into the main characters and what makes them so special to me.


Josh Jackson is the protagonist. The guy who gets the story going. Josh is an independent business man who runs a successful restaurant called The Cellar Steps. There’s a lot of me in Josh’s character. He’s the kind of man I’d like to be in another life. If I hadn’t gotten into writing and criminal justice, The Cellar Steps is exactly the kind of business I would like. He’s a smart guy and loyal to his friends and family. His concern for his young cousin is the spark that starts the book. Josh has a very clear sense of right and wrong and once he uncovers the misdeeds at the heart of the story, he’s has a steely determination to put things right. Blond, good-looking, caring and clever – Josh might just be the perfect guy.

The other main character is Ed Brolin. Dedicated and smart, Ed’s a journalist whose work has taken him all over the world, always moving and following the action. Ed’s investigation into the owners of Winterstone Grange brings him in contact with Josh, who happens to be looking for his missing cousin at the same time. The attraction on both sides is instant, but Ed doesn’t let romance get in the way of his quest for the truth. Like Josh, I fell completely in love with Ed while writing Silent Voices. His rugged, dark good-looks and green eyes get me excited even now. I loved writing about him, especially the love scenes with Josh, which are very hot.


It’s always fun to imagine who would play your characters in a movie version of the story. I’m hard pushed to think of someone for Josh but Ed is easy. James Wolk is an American actor from the TV series Zoo and the later series of Mad Men, and he would be perfect. He’s got the dark good looks and killer smile that would make him a perfect choice for Ed. He’s also off-the-scale sexy. I can’t think of anyone better.

Silent Voices in a sexy, sometimes dark, contemporary thriller, but it was almost a lot darker. I learned something crucial while writing this book. It’s the first story I’ve written without planning it in detail before I started. I knew roughly what I wanted to do but not how I was going to achieve it. As the book moved towards the climax I found it taking me to places I wasn’t comfortable with, forcing me to stop and pull back. I like an edge to my romance but there have to be limits. As a result I ended up changing the last two chapters to something far more satisfying. It was hard work but worth it. I love the way the books ends now. And it taught me a lesson – never start without a detailed plan. Some writers love to make things up as they go along, to see where the characters take them, but that method doesn’t work for me. I prefer to tackle the big problems upfront, at the planning stage, and make the writing process a more enjoyable task.


Check out the book and see what you think.



Pride Publishing: https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/silent-voices

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XXH9T1N/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491562233&sr=8-3&keywords=thom+collins

Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Voices-Thom-Collins-ebook/dp/B06XXH9T1N/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491562407&sr=8-3&keywords=thom+collins

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/silent-voices-15


Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/silent-voices-thom-collins/1126168330;jsessionid=5F7489723C6FD83BD2A1910F02E6693C.prodny_store02-atgap09?ean=9781786515605