A Leafy Green World & Al-thar: Interview with Thriller Author Sean Dow



Sean Dow is a pulmonary and critical care physician in Great Falls, Montana. He started writing thriller novels in 2011, and has three titles, one of which, Debridement, is in its second printing and is being made into a feature film.

Sean was born in Iowa City, but was raised on a small farm in Kansas before leaving for medical school, and the adventures beyond. His career was largely in Klamath Falls, Oregon, a town that still feels like home. He did a brief stent in Las Vegas before moving to the paradise of Montana. When not working or writing, Sean can be found in the kitchen perfecting his New York cheesecake, or on the mountain streams with Bailey, his beloved (and perfectly behaved) Mastiff and his favorite 2 weight fly rod-a parting gift from a dear friend and patient.

His latest books are A Leafy Green World and Al-thar.
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About the Book:

Title: A Leafy Green World
Author: Sean Dow
Publisher: Two Harbors Press
Pages: 449
Genre: Thriller

A Leafy Green World is a fast paced, action packed thriller set in the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Brent Holcomb has moved to Portland in hopes of resurrecting his life and his career. There, he meets Robyn-the girl from his dreams. All is going smoothly until he realizes Robyn and her friends are not what they seem. Now, wrapped up in the murder of an innocent man, and with nowhere to turn, Brent forms a bold plan-a plan that will put him on a dangerous course, aligning himself with domestic terrorists and ultimately, a deeply hidden cell of Islamic terrorists. 

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Title: Al-thar
Author: Sean Dow
Publisher: Two Harbors Press
Pages: 466
Genre: Thriller

In Al-thar, (Arabic:revenge) Brent is living a tranquil life on the peaceful Philippine island of Masbate. But the FBI's witness protection plan is not enough when you have destroyed the plans of the world's most feared terrorist group-an assassin is on the way, and his plans are far worse than a simple bullet in the head. 

With the violent destruction of his new island home, Dr. Holcomb is once again thrust into danger, this time on an international level. There are only two outcomes in this new high-stakes match, Brent's painful and public death and the destruction of
America's, or the death of Saadullah Abul Ka-beir, and his council. 

Brent brings together his cast of memorable friends from A Leafy Green World as he devises the greatest deception ever imagined. The action goes at a break-neck pace from the
Philippines to Washington, D.C., and from a remote valley in Pakistan to the jungles of Sierra Leone in this novel that has been described as almost too real, and too timely.

For More Information

  • Al-thar is available at Amazon.
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Thanks for this interview, Sean.  Can we begin by having you tell us about yourself from a writer’s standpoint?

Writing has become a passion-I often dream like a kid on Christmas Eve, of the next time I’ll have the opportunity to sit down in my recliner and put words on the page. When I am actively writing I feel as if I am there, living the story, and I find that everything in life is a bit better.

When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation and/or fun?

I live in Montana where I take advantage of the many outdoors activities. I also have a passion for cooking, often spending days on a single meal. I am working to perfect my New York cheesecake, much to the delight of my co-workers who get to weigh in, and have it just about down. After that, I’ll start in on varieties-espresso is calling to me, possibly with a hint of Kahlua or a swirl of amaretto. I have some of last year’s huckleberries in the freezer and they will certainly get a chance, as well. More recently, I have added a Mastiff puppy, Bailey. She will someday be almost my size but fortunately she has excellent manners, except that she won’t stop untying my shoes-will have to work on that one before I fall on my head.

Congratulations on your new book! Can you give us the very first page of your book so that we can get a glimpse inside?

                                                    A Leafy Green World
Jerry.
That’s what his badge said. No last name, just Jerry and the face of a good-humored man doing his best to look intimidating as a security guard at Allure’s state-of-the-art Northwestern research facility. Jerry wouldn't be going home tonight. It wasn't really my fault, although I doubted the police would see it that way.
An innocent man was dead, and I’d been all over the crime scene. A security camera, perfectly positioned behind Jerry's desk, had recorded the whole thing. Somehow, despite being easily visible, the camera hadn’t been mentioned in the scouting report, and my lighthearted life of crime had taken a horrible turn.
“Che,” I shouted, mesmerized as I looked into what was left of Jerry’s ruined face. His eyes were already glazing in that recently departed, gone-from-this-world stare, and my mind still echoed with the odd, hollow sound of his body hitting the floor.
“Why the hell did you do that? He wasn’t going to be a problem.”

                                                               
                                                                 Al-thar
(Revenge)



Washington, DC

“What the hell?” thought Tony Rossi.
Rossi, newly advanced to assistant director the FBI was coming home from yet another late night at the Hoover Building when the stoplight in front of him changed. There had been no hint of yellow, just a straight shot from green to red.
Tony had been absorbed, thinking about the conversation he had just finished with his liaison at the CIA. They had been picking up more chatter than usual. Whether it would be stateside or on foreign soil was anyone’s guess, but it looked like something was on the horizon, something big. Tony’s thoughts had also been drifting to Anne-Marie. For the second time this week, he had been forced to call off a planned evening—he wondered how much longer she would put up with this.
With the sudden light change, the limo in front had slammed to a halt, its nose just into the intersection. With his mind elsewhere, and the anticipation of the light staying green, Tony rammed into its back with barely a moment on the brakes. He was shocked by the force of the airbag, but was grateful just the same. Shaking off the daze, he looked through his windshield at the car in front of him.
Son-of-a-fucking-bitch! he thought, slamming his hand on the wheel. Who in the hell did I just run into? He had noticed earlier that the car had government plates, and he knew they didn’t give limos to run-of-the-mill, first-term senators or other no-name low-level officials, only to those who had risen through the ranks—this was going to be a very long evening.

Tony had no idea, when he took the assistant director position Mike Townsend had left at the FBI, that his world would be so disrupted. He enjoyed the responsibility but he might have passed had he known how much effect it would have on the rest of his life. He couldn’t even find the time to do his own

Would you say it’s been a rocky road for you in regards to getting your book written and published or pretty much smooth sailing? 

Can you tell us about your journey? Finding time to write while working full time as a physician has been a challenge, but fortunately, I tend to be an early riser so am often able to get an hour or two in before work. I had self-published before, so had the workings down, but it is still frustrating waiting to hold the book in hand; it takes months from the time the novel is submitted until the process is complete.

If you had to summarize your book in one sentence, what would that be?

Wow, one sentence-lonely doctor finds love, becomes enmeshed with domestic and international terrorists, and finds the fate of America in his hands in an action-packed thriller in the Pacific Northwest. Whew, did it!

What makes your book stand out from the rest?

Believable and likeable characters on a thought-filled adventure into domestic terrorism, then merging into international terrorism. The plot twists and turns in a most unexpected and unique fashion. I strive to write stories that are unlike any others out there so reading one of my books is a completely new experience. My medical background gives credence to the main character, who is a physician, and I have a fairly extensive knowledge of firearms which lends realism to the action scenes-no safeties on my Glocks!

If your book was put in the holiday section of the store, what holiday would that be and why?

Great question! Close call between Independence Day, and Veteran’s Day. Both books feature veterans in a favorable light, but the themes of saving America from her enemies would make Veteran’s Day the likely winner.

Would you consider turning your book into a series or has that already been done?

Yes, but only the two books which are already done, A Leafy Green World and Al-thar. I prefer to create new characters and new adventures rather than relay on the old ones, but who knows, I might get the itch one day and put Dr. Holcomb and his cast of unlikely friends back into the fire for one last go.

What’s next for you?

Had a writing hiatus with my move to Montana, a new house, dog and job. I actually had three stories floating around in my mind. It took me a while but I have finally decided on which one to do next, and it is underway.


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