mysteries and motorcycles
Friday, June 29, 2012
News ReleaseNews release from the Huron Daily Tribune June 28, 2012
Such a dastardly act would be considered an absolute, unadulterated nightmare by any standard of measure.
Nightmare is the title of Collins’ latest tome and he will be signing copies of it for readers during a book launch celebration at the Lemon Tree Marketplace on Main Street in downtown Caseville from 3 to 6 p.m. next Saturday (June 30).
But the celebration does not stop there. Collins will be signing books at the Port Austin Historical Society’s Author’s Day at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 6. The historical society is located at 1426 Pte. Aux Barques Rd., Port Austin.
And then on Saturday, July 7, Collins will greet the public and sign copies of his book from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Key North Surf Shop on Main Street at the Pigeon River in downtown Caseville.
Nightmare is Collins’ fourth novel. His first two mysteries were entitled, The Unreal McCoy, and, Turn Left at September. Book number three, The First Domino, was released last year.
The idea for Nightmare came to Collins by accident.
“I took a wrong turn when I was doing some research and ended up reading an article about bull sharks surviving and actually thriving in fresh water,” he said. “Most people think bull sharks are only able to exist in salt water. That’s not true.”
In addition, telling scary stories about sharks and swimmers is not new to the writer, who spent many hot summer nights as a youngster near the lake at Oak Beach in Huron County.
“As a kid, we always sat around the campfire at night telling scary stories,” he said. “Sharks and swimmers were a common theme for me.”
The theme for Nightmare grew from there and his accidental research.
Here is a thumbnail sketch of the storyline for the book: Nightmare is the story of Brian Prescott, a mentally disturbed young man who feels compelled to hurt others. He’s a well-educated guy with a degree in marine biology and a fascination with sharks. When he inherits his grandfather’s secluded waterfront home on one of Lake Huron’s many bays, he sees the opportunity to launch a destructive attack on the people of nearby Caseville Michigan.
In his studies, Brian discovers that the aggressive bull shark thrives quite nicely in fresh water and he conceives a plan to release a number of these man-eaters directly in front of the bathing beach at the height of the “Cheeseburger” summer festival.
Brian’s twin sister, Bonnie, who lives across the state, experiences a phenomenon known as “thought concordance,” an occurrence not uncommon among twins. She suddenly has a very strong premonition that her brother is about to commit a heinous act although she has no clue what it might be. Without any evidence of a crime or intent, the police have no authority to investigate so Bonnie turns to Michael O’Conner, a private detective to try to find out what her brother is up to.
Michael employs the assistance of an off duty Detroit homicide detective as well as a local game warden and all of the local resources he can gather to try to piece together a snapshot of what is going on at Brian Prescott’s hideaway.
Collins is originally from Detroit.
“Growing up as a 50’s teenage hot-rodder in Detroit, my interests leaned toward anything with wheels and loud exhaust pipes,” he said. “I naturally migrated toward the automobile industry and I had a fulfilling career in engineering.
“For most of my life, I’ve been an adventurer indulging in pastimes such as flying, sky-diving, scuba diving, motorcycle racing, and over thirty years of professional automotive powered hydroplane racing.”
All four of Collins’ books are available in electronic format for Kindle, Nook, iPad, Smartphone, or PC. The First Domino and Nightmare also are available in paperback and can be found online at Amazon.com
Collins is a co-founder of the Huron Area Writers Group.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Nightmare is my latest creation. The story takes place in the "thumb" area of Michigan, a peninsula bordered by Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay. The clear waters of the lake are teeming with gamefish like Salmon, Trout, and Walleye.
A man who lives in a secluded home in one of the many inlets of Saginaw Bay discovers that the dangerous bull shark adapts effortlessly to fresh water and he devises a demonic plan to release a large group of these maneaters on the unsuspecting swimmers at a county park beach during the height of the biggest festival of the summer.
Nobody suspects a thing except... his twin sister whose "thought concordence" experience tells her that her brother is about to do something horrible. She has no idea what he's up to but the vibes are too strong to be denied. She hires private detective Michael O'Conner to investigate.
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