Tom Crowley
Veteran / Author / Speaker
Featured Interview
Serious Reading - Interview with Tom Crowley, Author of Mercy's Heroes
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Your Most recent book is titled Opium Dreams What is the nature of the book?
Opium Dreams is a continuation of the Matt Chance action-adventure series. One of the basic questions whenever you start an action-adventure tale is what is the nature of the evil that the hero must combat. Herman Melville, the creator of Moby Dick, said something to the effect that a hero’s journey is defined by the challenges posed by a formidable antagonist, a book must have a mighty theme. In the past books I’ve used as antagonists the right wing Yakuza forces from Japan, middle East terrorists working with a corrupt CIA station chief and a Buddhist monk who developed himself as a criminal cult leader trafficking young women. In this story I focus on the activities of the criminal Triad forces in Asia involved in drug production, scam centers and human trafficking under the strong influence of the Chinese State security forces. That story, in terms of the Chinese State security involvement with the Triads hasn’t been fully developed to date. Why did you take that title for the book? One central aspect of the book is the story of the strong and recent increase in the drugs flowing through Thailand out of the mountain areas of Myanmar adjacent to the Thai border. A photojournalist friend of mine, Jonathan Taylor, did quite a lot of news work in that area even getting a picture on the cover of Time magazine and had many photos featuring men and women in Thailand and the neighboring countries using a variety of drugs including smoking opium. I combined that with the thought that a weakness of one of my characters in the book would be her reliance on occasionally smoking opium to escape the memories of past sex abuse in her teen years. Thus Opium Dreams seemed the most appropriate title for this new book. Who is your favorite author? For my action/adventure writing I have many favorites, but the one I try to model myself on is Elmore Leonard. Keep things simple and hard hitting. You can find his ten rules of writing at https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/tips-masters/elmore-leonard-10-rules-for-good-writing. Another author I favor is John Connolly, a Dublin based author whose mystery books are packed with intrigue, action and the presence of supernatural forces. John has great imagination and writing skill. I met him at a Mystery Writer's of America conference some years back and found him very approachable and open to discussion. Reading his books are the equivalent of attending a professional writing class. Special Offer: I will send a copy of one of my books to the first ten readers who get to this point and request them through my contact e-mail address. This offer is good until June 30, 2026. |
I blame it on my librarian when I was a kid. She was a pusher and I got hooked. I didn't know reading led to writing. Honestly. I'm innocent.” |
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"The books I write have their roots in Asia as this has been where I have lived and worked most of my life since being assigned to serve as a rifle platoon leader in Vietnam over fifty years ago. I was wounded in combat during my tour and spent some weeks in an army hospital in Japan recovering from my wounds. It was that early exposure to Japan, a country I have always found fascinating, beautiful and enjoyable, that made me determined to complete my education and return to Asia to live and work. After spending nearly twenty years working first with the Foreign Service and then with GE in a number of Asian countries, I turned away from the business world and spent fourteen years working as a volunteer for a charity in Bangkok that assists street kids. My time for the past ten years has been taken up with writing."
For those with the patience to read this far I have an offer of a free copy of one of my books in the contact section. Just write me by December 30, 2025 and ask for it. |
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Recognition
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Mercy's Heroes nominated for Siam Book Awards/2023
Bangkok Gamble received a five-star review from Reader's Favorite. Featured in World War II Quarterly / 2017 Merrill's Marauders in the China-Burma-India Theatre (1944) has been included in the fall issue of World War II Quarterly, which will be released in late October Bronze Medal Award / 2015
Received the Bronze Medal award for "Murder in the Slaughterhouse" from the Military Writers Society of America Goodreads / 2014-2015
Murder in the Slaughterhouse receives 4.3/5 stars on Goodreads.com |
