Book: Anthem of the Sea
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Publication date: June 20, 2017
Length: 165 pages
Reviewed by Meredith
Synopsis
An ocean of possibility. For love, revenge and murder.
Daniel Blake, a handsome young singer, boards the Atlantic Anthem in Portugal for the final voyage of her maiden season. The state-of-the-art ship is the jewel in the Royal Atlantic cruise fleet. For Daniel, a one-time boy band member and TV talent show winner, it’s an honor to perform aboard such a vessel. Daniel loves the freedom and adventure of the sea. He began his solo career as a cruise ship entertainer and returning to the ocean as a headline act brings him full circle. He isn’t looking for love.
Neither is comedian Elijah Mann. Working at sea has given Elijah’s career the boost it desperately needed. Often considered too good-looking and sexy to be funny, work has been hard to come by since his TV show was canceled. With a potential new career opening up, he must remain focused. But when Elijah meets Daniel the attraction is mutual and instant. As the ship sets sail for England they have three days to get to know each other. Elijah can’t let that opportunity pass.
The voyage home is far from smooth. Also on board is a figure from Daniel’s past. A man who’s been holding a grudge for years, waiting for his moment. As a storm builds in the North Atlantic, Daniel and Elijah discover that the trip of a lifetime could be their last.
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Review
The writing for this is beautiful. Wonderful flow and the plot was marvelous. I was never bored, there is zero lag time with this. Even when you're not on the edge of your seat, you're engrossed with the characters (main and secondary).
The characters. Daniel who is an entertainer (was in a boy band once) and Elijah who is a comedian. I loved how Elijah broke the typical mold of a comedian. We often don't find magazine model beauty standing on the stage making jokes. Elijah is both gorseous and hilarious and I really was thrilled with his character.
I really liked Daniel, even more when he was with Elijah and that shows how well the author succeeded witht he chemistry.
The daunting secrets on this ship really makes this story reach it's peak. SOmeone on the ship is out for revenge against Daniel. As I was in the thick of it, deep into this plot and invested int hese characters something occured to me. A ship has to be one of the most terrifying places to be with someone who wants to kill you. There's nowhere to really run. You're surrounded by water. What are you going to do? There's that rat in a maze feel. Perfect for suspense and as much as I was chewing my nails down to the nubs I loved every second.
If you are a suspense, thriller, mystery fan, you must read this author. Truly maserful.
Guest Post~ Interview
Thanks for having me here today to Talk about Anthem of the Sea, the first book in The Anthem Trilogy. This is really exciting. I started work on this series about two years ago, so it’s been a long journey to get here. Anthem of the Sea is a contemporary romantic thriller with two great lead characters, Daniel, a hot young singer, and Elijah, a handsome comedian. The guys meet while working on a luxury cruise ship and their voyage home is far from smooth.
Is anything in your book based on real experience or is it purely imagination?
The novel is set on a state of the art ship called the Atlantic Anthem. The ship itself is based my experiences as a cruise junkie. For me, there’s no better way to travel and see the world than by sea. I love the open ocean, the fresh air, the motion of the ship, everything about it. The Atlantic Anthem is a fictional vessel, but I did a lot of research into modern cruise ships to ensure it was authentic. I also did a lot of research into ships entertainers, their contracts, working conditions etc. There’s only about 10% of that research in the finished book, but it’s the kind of stuff I have to know in order to tell the story.
I’ve also had experience of the rough weather the ship encounters in the second half of the book. Thankfully not too much of it. I like to think I’ve got decent sea-legs these days.
The murder, the scheming and the intrigue, I’m glad to say, are pure imagination.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’m currently writing the third book in the trilogy. Book Two, called Anthem of the Dark is already finished, though the release date is yet to be fixed.
Do you have any strange writing habits?
I don’t think so. I write in long-hand a lot of the time, especially at the start of a new book. I find it helps me to get into the story and discover the characters in more detail than if I raced ahead on a laptop. I’m very particular about the books I write in, the quality of the paper and pens I use are important, but I think I lot of writers are the same. Other than that, I like to be alone. If my husband is around, even if he’s in another part of the house, or the garden, I find it hard to concentrate.
Are you a full-time or part-time writer? How does that affect your writing?
Part-time. I work four days a week in the Criminal Justice System. So I’m lucky in that I always have Friday completely to myself to write. On work days I usually get home before him too, so can grab an hour most evenings to write in quiet. I keep weekends free for socialising, or doing admin tasks or re-writes. I can get on with re-writes just about anywhere, but need that peace for actual writing.
I like the balance of having two jobs. I’d probably become a hermit and never leave the house if I wrote full-time. The people I encounter in my day job also fuel my writing.
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
I try not to read reviews but sometimes can’t help myself. My first novel Closer by Morning was very well received but a few people said they were disturbed by the violence in that book. I was shocked to learn this, as it was something I took a lot of time over when writing. Without spoiling it, there is one scene in particular that I was careful with. I tried to suggest what had happened rather than show it in any detail. I may have suggested it too well as some readers read more into the scene than is actually there.
How many unpublished and half finished books do you have?
Hardly any. I’m a planner so I usually drop a project at the planning stage if I can’t get it to work. The times I’ve abandoned something after starting, have been when I didn’t work it out in advance. I do have one totally unpublished novel called Risk Addiction. I used to write erotic fiction under another pen name and this was one of those. I wrote a complete first draft, but when I came to do a re-write I absolutely hated it. I can’t explain why because it’s the book I set out to write, but looking at it again, I just didn’t feeling it. I figured that if I didn’t like the book, nobody else would. I don’t regret it though, we learn as much from our mistakes as our successes.
Is anything in your book based on real experience or is it purely imagination?
The novel is set on a state of the art ship called the Atlantic Anthem. The ship itself is based my experiences as a cruise junkie. For me, there’s no better way to travel and see the world than by sea. I love the open ocean, the fresh air, the motion of the ship, everything about it. The Atlantic Anthem is a fictional vessel, but I did a lot of research into modern cruise ships to ensure it was authentic. I also did a lot of research into ships entertainers, their contracts, working conditions etc. There’s only about 10% of that research in the finished book, but it’s the kind of stuff I have to know in order to tell the story.
I’ve also had experience of the rough weather the ship encounters in the second half of the book. Thankfully not too much of it. I like to think I’ve got decent sea-legs these days.
The murder, the scheming and the intrigue, I’m glad to say, are pure imagination.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’m currently writing the third book in the trilogy. Book Two, called Anthem of the Dark is already finished, though the release date is yet to be fixed.
Do you have any strange writing habits?
I don’t think so. I write in long-hand a lot of the time, especially at the start of a new book. I find it helps me to get into the story and discover the characters in more detail than if I raced ahead on a laptop. I’m very particular about the books I write in, the quality of the paper and pens I use are important, but I think I lot of writers are the same. Other than that, I like to be alone. If my husband is around, even if he’s in another part of the house, or the garden, I find it hard to concentrate.
Are you a full-time or part-time writer? How does that affect your writing?
Part-time. I work four days a week in the Criminal Justice System. So I’m lucky in that I always have Friday completely to myself to write. On work days I usually get home before him too, so can grab an hour most evenings to write in quiet. I keep weekends free for socialising, or doing admin tasks or re-writes. I can get on with re-writes just about anywhere, but need that peace for actual writing.
I like the balance of having two jobs. I’d probably become a hermit and never leave the house if I wrote full-time. The people I encounter in my day job also fuel my writing.
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
I try not to read reviews but sometimes can’t help myself. My first novel Closer by Morning was very well received but a few people said they were disturbed by the violence in that book. I was shocked to learn this, as it was something I took a lot of time over when writing. Without spoiling it, there is one scene in particular that I was careful with. I tried to suggest what had happened rather than show it in any detail. I may have suggested it too well as some readers read more into the scene than is actually there.
How many unpublished and half finished books do you have?
Hardly any. I’m a planner so I usually drop a project at the planning stage if I can’t get it to work. The times I’ve abandoned something after starting, have been when I didn’t work it out in advance. I do have one totally unpublished novel called Risk Addiction. I used to write erotic fiction under another pen name and this was one of those. I wrote a complete first draft, but when I came to do a re-write I absolutely hated it. I can’t explain why because it’s the book I set out to write, but looking at it again, I just didn’t feeling it. I figured that if I didn’t like the book, nobody else would. I don’t regret it though, we learn as much from our mistakes as our successes.
About the Author
The novellas Gods of Vengeance and Silent Voices were published by Pride in early 2017, followed by the novel Anthem of the Sea, the first book in the Anthem Trilogy. He has recently finished writing the second book in a series and is working on the third.
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. Since taking his first cruise in 2013 he realized that sailing is the way to go.
Links:
Blog
Twitter: @thomwolf and @realthomcollins
Email: thomcollinsauthor@aol.com
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