Author: Seanpaul Thomas
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary/Dark/Adult Fiction/British Men's Adventure
Publisher: Paul Thomas Publishing
Release Date: Aug 2014
Blurb/Synopsis:
If you knew you only had a short time left to live on this planet, really live. What would you do with that precious time?
A dark, sexy, black humorous tale of sex, violence, the male psyche, and an unstoppable whirlwind adventure of finding love in the least likely location.
Short Synopsis - Set in modern day Edinburgh - A man with terminal brain cancer decides to rebel against society and go out with a bang by living out his dreams and most wild fantasies. But even when he finds love and a new lease of life, it fails to stop his new adventurous ways from spiraling into an unstoppable train wreck of carnage.
Long Synopsis - Set in modern day Edinburgh, an average everyday working man in his mid-thirties is given the devastating news that he has terminal Brain Cancer. Refusing any kind of help or Chemo, he struggles with overbearing thoughts on becoming a better person and giving into his natural urges, social fears and sexual desires to do and act however the hell he pleases. No longer wishing to obey the rules and regulations of monotonous everyday life. Now our hero yearns to know what it's like to live a life without regret and consequences while his mind is still a healthy functioning one. The story unfolds with a slow burning tension as our hero eventually turns his back on modern day society and begins using his terminal illness as a license to act out his biggest dreams and fantasies. Good and bad. While also squaring up to a couple of long time buried, but not forgotten, demons from his past. But when he finds love along the way even that comes with a heavy price.
****WARNING CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING****
Scottish dialect/slang, Strong Violence and Language in parts and a couple of Graphic Sex Scenes.
Excerpt
I jumped into the police car. A sexy yet firm and official female voice on the car radio called out for the real owner of the vehicle, but he was currently indisposed and wouldn't be replying anytime soon. I switched the radio off. The keys were still in the ignition. I turned on the engine and accelerated away. Not even looking back for a second. All I could think about was getting back to Celine and our new life together. Packing up our shit and getting the hell out of this goddamn country once and for all. Just take off to France like Celine had suggested and make a go of some kind of life there on the continent. Of course I felt bad for Mum too. I thought about driving back down to the borders to see her again, if only for ten minutes, apologise for what a horrible bastard shite of a son I'd been to her all those years. How I'd never kept in touch. That I'd never looked after her and cared for her like any good son should have watched over his only parent. I'd never even told her how much I loved her. Not once.
I shook those thoughts from my head. Realistically there was no time. I would phone her, either on the road south with Celine or whenever we reached wherever the hell we ended up. If I owed the woman who gave birth to me and did the best she could at raising me anything in this life, then I owed her that much.
Everything was going swell driving along the A1 from Dunbar to Edinburgh until I hit the Musselburgh turnoff and a police transit van exploded onto the dual carriageway behind me from the Haddington roundabout. The lights on the van were flashing wildly and the horrendous noise from the sirens echoed throughout the countryside air.
This didn't look good.
The van was right up my arse as I accelerated faster. I moved up the speedometer to well over a hundred miles per hour, continuing to weave in and out of the fairly thin afternoon traffic. If I could just make it to the Newcraighall turn-off then I might have a flickering chance to lose him. I spied another two police cars screeching down the opposite lane of the dual carriageway up ahead. They must be coming for me too yet thankfully had a fair trek to go in order to find a turning point along the steel barrier frame that split the two sides of the carriageway in half.
The slip road down to the retail park was fast approaching. The police van chasing remained hard on my tail. There was no sign of any other police cars blocking my route ahead so I took the turn off, gently applying the breaks and swerving around another four cars as they slowed for the red lights. Not me though. No danger of that. I bumped up onto a narrow curb and blitzed through the red lights like a bat out of hell. Even mounting the next pavement to avoid smashing into any oncoming traffic from the crossroads. When I peeked into my rear view mirror I was shocked to see the large framed police van doing the exact same thing while clipping cars, traffic lights while taking out all other road signs in its way. I returned concentration to my own driving and rattled through another two roundabouts, passing through another retail park and hitting the approach road to the Niddrie estate. That would be as good a place as any to lose those persistent policemen in the van behind me. Niddrie! Every Edinburgh policeman's worst nightmare to send a patrol unit into the heart of that schemey, war torn shit hole.
I drove along a boarded up housing street, then another, before taking a sharp turn down a narrow side street just beyond. The whole scheme was littered with strewn garbage, a stray dog or two, a random fire burning in a garden, then more smoke coming from another abandoned building. Cars with smashed windows, cars without tyres, tyres without cars, all decorated the housing estate passing by my window. Then there was the dozens of tracksuit wearing teens and young adult Neds wearing their clan hoodies and baseball caps. All lounging around, sitting and standing, smoking and drinking, sniffing and staring. The police van remained almost glued to my tale and sped recklessly around the last street corner I'd just rallied around. I caught another glimpse of the groups of lounging teens in my mirror. All of them jumping to attention, fully alert. Falsely believing for a few anxious seconds that the screeching police van raging behind me was coming for them. Then they relaxed. Laughing amongst themselves while playfully pushing one another as it whizzed on by right after the quieter police car out in front.
I made a sharp turn just before a row of shops and sped off into a large park and grassland area straight ahead. I swerved around a frail old man out walking his dog as he entered the park. Perhaps he was slightly deaf because he didn't even hear me roaring up behind until it was too late. When I swerved around him he crouched to the floor in fright. Looking like he'd just literately shat his pants. I zoomed on by inches from his side.
The police van followed. Hot on my heels and driving at full speed into the park after me. It was like something from a car chase movie and the van was gaining fast. Even managing to race alongside me. I could see a crazy looking policeman behind the wheel. Just by the look in his eyes I could see that he meant business. No doubt about it. He pulled back and away slightly then barged at my back-end before pulling up beside me on the passenger side this time. I almost lost control during his sneaky manoeuvre, yet somehow managed to keep the vehicle from spinning beyond my control. I couldn't help but give out a little innocent wave to the raging police driver. It must have pissed him off big time because he swerved into me yet again with even more ferocity, forcing me towards a group of trees in the fast approaching distance.
'Shite! Shite! Shite!'
I should've braked. That was the right and obvious thing to do. That was what the police driver had expected. So I accelerated hard instead, fuck it. The Police van sped with me. Both of us dragging and scrapping the other along.
As we reached the trees I saw my split second opportunity. There was a blind summit fast approaching. A deceiving dip in the grass which led on towards the small forest of trees. I didn't think, I just swerved right, edging the van with me. Then quick as a flash I swerved left again, yet swinging the full front bonnet of my vehicle into the side of the van and hard. I slammed on the brakes, including the hand-break. The police van was knocked and rocked off balance with the manoeuvre. The dip in the grass didn't help its balance one bit as the police driver tried desperately to turn his van away from the dip, desperately trying to regain his abandoned control. Then the most amazing thing happened. The van flipped up and over onto its side, skidding and rolling down another grassy slope towards the trees.
'WOO WHOO!' I couldn't help but yell out in a moment of exhilaration. Although I really did hope the driver was okay. Hopefully he'd been wearing his seat belt just like me. If not, then more the fool he. I didn't stop to find out and drove towards the far end of the park. Eventually I found another main road and realised that I wasn't too far away from Edinburgh city centre. Maybe a mile or two at most. It was time to ditch the police car.
I sped through another set of red lights almost ready to pull over and chance my luck on foot when I spotted a speed camera dead ahead. No better parking place I suppose than on top of my second pet hate of all time. Second that is to traffic wardens. So I headed straight for the steel contraption. Ramming into its metal grey pole exterior and completely uprooting it from the ground then slamming the main body of the camera box down hard onto the concrete road in front.
A couple of passing cars beeped their horns. Some even cheered and waved at me from there car windows with sheer joy as they drove by. Some young Ned teens across the road waiting at a bus stop started applauding and cheering me on too. One even toasted an already half drunk can of lager up into the air like he was accepting me as one of their own. A smashed up police car on this estate was worth more than any million pound lottery win that's for sure.
I exited the police car and waved back at the Neds and all the passing drivers still beeping their horns. I smiled and took a bow before getting the hell out of there. I legged it over a nearby stone wall and made my way towards the south easterly foot of the volcanic hill, Arthur's seat.
I shook those thoughts from my head. Realistically there was no time. I would phone her, either on the road south with Celine or whenever we reached wherever the hell we ended up. If I owed the woman who gave birth to me and did the best she could at raising me anything in this life, then I owed her that much.
Everything was going swell driving along the A1 from Dunbar to Edinburgh until I hit the Musselburgh turnoff and a police transit van exploded onto the dual carriageway behind me from the Haddington roundabout. The lights on the van were flashing wildly and the horrendous noise from the sirens echoed throughout the countryside air.
This didn't look good.
The van was right up my arse as I accelerated faster. I moved up the speedometer to well over a hundred miles per hour, continuing to weave in and out of the fairly thin afternoon traffic. If I could just make it to the Newcraighall turn-off then I might have a flickering chance to lose him. I spied another two police cars screeching down the opposite lane of the dual carriageway up ahead. They must be coming for me too yet thankfully had a fair trek to go in order to find a turning point along the steel barrier frame that split the two sides of the carriageway in half.
The slip road down to the retail park was fast approaching. The police van chasing remained hard on my tail. There was no sign of any other police cars blocking my route ahead so I took the turn off, gently applying the breaks and swerving around another four cars as they slowed for the red lights. Not me though. No danger of that. I bumped up onto a narrow curb and blitzed through the red lights like a bat out of hell. Even mounting the next pavement to avoid smashing into any oncoming traffic from the crossroads. When I peeked into my rear view mirror I was shocked to see the large framed police van doing the exact same thing while clipping cars, traffic lights while taking out all other road signs in its way. I returned concentration to my own driving and rattled through another two roundabouts, passing through another retail park and hitting the approach road to the Niddrie estate. That would be as good a place as any to lose those persistent policemen in the van behind me. Niddrie! Every Edinburgh policeman's worst nightmare to send a patrol unit into the heart of that schemey, war torn shit hole.
I drove along a boarded up housing street, then another, before taking a sharp turn down a narrow side street just beyond. The whole scheme was littered with strewn garbage, a stray dog or two, a random fire burning in a garden, then more smoke coming from another abandoned building. Cars with smashed windows, cars without tyres, tyres without cars, all decorated the housing estate passing by my window. Then there was the dozens of tracksuit wearing teens and young adult Neds wearing their clan hoodies and baseball caps. All lounging around, sitting and standing, smoking and drinking, sniffing and staring. The police van remained almost glued to my tale and sped recklessly around the last street corner I'd just rallied around. I caught another glimpse of the groups of lounging teens in my mirror. All of them jumping to attention, fully alert. Falsely believing for a few anxious seconds that the screeching police van raging behind me was coming for them. Then they relaxed. Laughing amongst themselves while playfully pushing one another as it whizzed on by right after the quieter police car out in front.
I made a sharp turn just before a row of shops and sped off into a large park and grassland area straight ahead. I swerved around a frail old man out walking his dog as he entered the park. Perhaps he was slightly deaf because he didn't even hear me roaring up behind until it was too late. When I swerved around him he crouched to the floor in fright. Looking like he'd just literately shat his pants. I zoomed on by inches from his side.
The police van followed. Hot on my heels and driving at full speed into the park after me. It was like something from a car chase movie and the van was gaining fast. Even managing to race alongside me. I could see a crazy looking policeman behind the wheel. Just by the look in his eyes I could see that he meant business. No doubt about it. He pulled back and away slightly then barged at my back-end before pulling up beside me on the passenger side this time. I almost lost control during his sneaky manoeuvre, yet somehow managed to keep the vehicle from spinning beyond my control. I couldn't help but give out a little innocent wave to the raging police driver. It must have pissed him off big time because he swerved into me yet again with even more ferocity, forcing me towards a group of trees in the fast approaching distance.
'Shite! Shite! Shite!'
I should've braked. That was the right and obvious thing to do. That was what the police driver had expected. So I accelerated hard instead, fuck it. The Police van sped with me. Both of us dragging and scrapping the other along.
As we reached the trees I saw my split second opportunity. There was a blind summit fast approaching. A deceiving dip in the grass which led on towards the small forest of trees. I didn't think, I just swerved right, edging the van with me. Then quick as a flash I swerved left again, yet swinging the full front bonnet of my vehicle into the side of the van and hard. I slammed on the brakes, including the hand-break. The police van was knocked and rocked off balance with the manoeuvre. The dip in the grass didn't help its balance one bit as the police driver tried desperately to turn his van away from the dip, desperately trying to regain his abandoned control. Then the most amazing thing happened. The van flipped up and over onto its side, skidding and rolling down another grassy slope towards the trees.
'WOO WHOO!' I couldn't help but yell out in a moment of exhilaration. Although I really did hope the driver was okay. Hopefully he'd been wearing his seat belt just like me. If not, then more the fool he. I didn't stop to find out and drove towards the far end of the park. Eventually I found another main road and realised that I wasn't too far away from Edinburgh city centre. Maybe a mile or two at most. It was time to ditch the police car.
I sped through another set of red lights almost ready to pull over and chance my luck on foot when I spotted a speed camera dead ahead. No better parking place I suppose than on top of my second pet hate of all time. Second that is to traffic wardens. So I headed straight for the steel contraption. Ramming into its metal grey pole exterior and completely uprooting it from the ground then slamming the main body of the camera box down hard onto the concrete road in front.
A couple of passing cars beeped their horns. Some even cheered and waved at me from there car windows with sheer joy as they drove by. Some young Ned teens across the road waiting at a bus stop started applauding and cheering me on too. One even toasted an already half drunk can of lager up into the air like he was accepting me as one of their own. A smashed up police car on this estate was worth more than any million pound lottery win that's for sure.
I exited the police car and waved back at the Neds and all the passing drivers still beeping their horns. I smiled and took a bow before getting the hell out of there. I legged it over a nearby stone wall and made my way towards the south easterly foot of the volcanic hill, Arthur's seat.
Born in London to Scottish and Irish parents, Sean spent
most of his childhood and teenage years growing up on the move in the likes of
Cyprus, Germany, Wales and England as an army brat. With a keen interest in
both reading and writing he was diagnosed with the travel and writing bugs very
early on in life. Now, writing, reading
and traveling are his main passions in life, but he also loves outdoor sports
too from Rugby and Hiking to Tennis and Boxing. His main inspiration for
writing today comes from living in such a beautiful, Gothic and hauntingly, awe
inspiring city such as Edinburgh. This charming wee city has given Sean so much
amazing inspiration to write the more time he spends there.
At this moment Sean is writing another two books, one is a
sequel to his science fiction novel Alone. The other is about an alcoholic man
down on his luck and still dwelling over past tragedies. Who, after a failed
suicide attempt, falls for a single mother with an even darker and secretive
tragic past than his own.
So far he has two
published work of fiction
And four self-published
novels.
Places to find SeanPaul
Places to find Lust for Life
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