Today I am delighted to be sharing a guest post from author SeanO’Leary where he tells us a little about his books but in particular, TheHeat – set in both Darwin/Australia and Bangkok. First though, more about the author and this book:
About the Author:
Sean O’Leary has published two short story collections, My Town and Walking. His novella Drifting was the winner of the ‘Great Novella Search 2016’ and published in September 2017. He is a regular contributor of short fiction to Quadrant, FourW, Sudo, Braindrip, Close2theBone (UK) and other literary and crime magazines. His crime novella The Heat, set in Darwin and Bangkok, was published in August 2019. Drifting and The Heat are both available on Amazon. His interviews with crime writers appear online in Crime Time magazine online.
About the Book:
Jake is a loner who works nights in a Darwin motel and lives at the YMCA. He’s in love with Angel, a Thai prostitute who works out of the low-rent Shark Motel.
A vicious murder turns Jake’s life into a nightmare. He must fight for his life on the heat-soaked streets of Darwin and Bangkok in the wet season to get revenge, and to get his life back
The Heat
My crime fiction novella ‘The Heat’ is my first self-published book. My three previous books were all traditionally published by small publishers in Australia. I have two more books coming out in the next 6-8 months. Another crime novella through a publisher in Australia and a crime fiction short story collection ‘Wonderland’ published by UK publisher Close to the Bone.
My first two books ‘My Town and ‘Walking’ were both short story collections. My third book ‘Drifting’ was the winner of ‘The Great Novella Search’ and part of the award was publication and also a cash prize. ‘Drifting’ is a road novel, love story set in Western Australia and is still available through Amazon all over the world.
The Heat is set in Darwin and Bangkok, partly inspired by some of my own experiences living in Darwin, at the top end of Australia. For a while there I was semi-homeless. I got to live and see some of the seedier underbelly there. I also worked nights and knew a few working girls and the lives they lead. I’m a long way from that now. Jake, the main character has schizophrenia as I do and it influences greatly how he lives his life and struggles. But he becomes supercharged when his Thai prostitute girlfriend is murdered and he sets out to find the truth. The book is set in the wet season and I hope the reader can see and feel the heat, humidity and tension in the air.
I’ve been to Bangkok many times and the city of angels is a beautiful, exotic, suffocating city and the perfect setting, also in the wet season, for a crime story. Jake is beaten down at every turn he takes but moves on relentlessly in his search for revenge and redemption. No more spoilers now.
If you want to feel some of the exotic flavour and underbelly of the top end of Australian and Bangkok check out The Heat. It’s a wild relentless, gritty ride and worth the journey.
Wow! Thanks Sean! I’m certainly intrigued – and if you are too, you can grab a copy from amazon today and if you’re a #KU member, it’s free!
