Storytelling at its Best

"Sean is quite possibly the greatest story teller I've ever known"

David O'Keefe, Canadian Best Selling Author

Who hasn't had dreams about becoming a writer? The image of great writers and of their success is compelling. Their freedom in life appeals to many people, and it certainly appealed to me.

I did not come to this place naturally in life. I'm an MBA Grad and former CEO who left the executive world behind to ultimately opt for a life of adventure and writing. I've spent the last twenty-plus years journeying the world and finding human stories that spark my own stories. I look beyond the standard sites and tourist traps; I look for the human side that is often hidden behind them and the stories that others simply don't find. I was gifted with the ability to connect with people, regardless of background. I hold friendships from the Philippines to India and the Middle East to Central America. I have worked and lived on four continents, and wherever I have been, I've found the path less traveled.

I primarily specialize in thrillers across three genres. 

My first genre is Suspense and Horror Thrillers, such as The Comatose Diaries and Grindhouse Canada. I write these in the old school style, heavy on the story build and the suspense. They are more along the lines of the great 1970s legends such as the Exorcists and the Omen. I often incorporate concepts such as nature as an active participant in this world, as well as God, Gaia, and the Devil, and the incredible spiritual capabilities of our native Indians. I don't do slasher books. In my opinion, it is simply lowbrow writing.

My second genre is Apocalyptic stories. These stories reflect my view of how our world may come to an end. It's based on the hundreds of horror movies I've watched, often in the middle of the night, as well as the hundreds of books I have read on the subject. In my books, I apply my own creative mind as to how our story may one day end.

The third genre is romantic thrillers with books such as Brian's Stolen Dream and Parminder's Legacy. My romantic thrillers tend to deal with the human challenges of modern relationships, and in particular interracial. I myself am Irish Canadian and have been married to a Punjabi woman for almost twenty years. We have lived through our own challenges in this world and raised two beautiful daughters. In these books, I deal with the concept of love finding its roots and battling over time to build a garden despite the obstacles.

In all genres, I focus on quick, enthralling reads. My books are typically between 220 and 350 pages, a break from reality for less than the price of a movie. The books are intended to draw you in and provide an escape from the world outside for a brief period of time. I do it through incredibly deep and real characters and complex plots with the odd twist and a pace that makes it hard to put the book down.

I write from the heart and soul. I'm a natural storyteller. I do this because I want others to find the same joy in reading as I did when I was young. In my youth, my first book was Lord of the Rings, a gift from my father. From the day I picked that book up, I never stopped reading. I had always hoped that one day I could inspire someone to feel the same way about reading as I did then.

About Me image
About Writing image
I love this picture. There's a story behind it and it's real. I spent six weeks in Africa in 2018, finding myself and finding the writer inside me. To be honest, at one point in my life, I failed English Lit in high school. The way I look at it is simple: Einstein failed grade nine math, and he seems to have done okay. So, despite what your grade nine teacher might have told you, writing isn't English Lit; it's story telling in a written form; otherwise, he or she would have been an author, not a teacher. Yes, good writing needs structure. However, people don't read books because they're grammatically correct. No, they read them because they find themselves in them, or they find an escape or a story that pulls an emotional thread that perhaps even the reader themselves didn't realize was buried in them. All they know is that after they turned the last page, they felt something they had not felt in a long time. I write those stories.

I don't follow any standard models and have no expectations of writing the great novel. What I do is craft stories that readers find entertaining and enthralling.

Creativity is a gift. Publishers have buildings full of English Lit grads. Perfect grammatically, but imperfect at storytelling. What they don't have is creativity. Creativity isn't taught, it isn't learned. It’s a gift, and only so many of these gifts are given out, in my opinion.

Regarding this picture, it has to do with my youngest daughter, Sahara. She is half Indian and half Irish; a beautiful girl with a wonderful spirit. I knew I was going to miss her birthday that year, and I felt she deserved something reflective of her. So while in Egypt, I had two custom vases made of Egyptian porcelain. I collected sand for both of them. The first one, from the valley of the kings, and the second one, from the great pyramids; both Sahara Desert sand. I wanted to return with something unique and respectful for my daughter. What I had to do to get the sand through six more countries in Africa and Canadian customs - well I could write a book about that. This picture reminds me of commitment, which is what writing is also about.

What really matters is that when heart is behind an endeavor, one can accomplish anything and life finds a way. Chase your dreams....
The BC Night Train
29/09/2023

The Chosen - Book review

The Prairies book review of my novel, The Chosen

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23/05/2022

Book Review - Demons, Judgement Day

A good review of my book, Demons, Judgement Day

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04/03/2020

Book Review - The Plague, Judgement Day

A great review of one of my most popular novels.

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THE CHOSEN

A series of brutal child murders draws a falling detective back to his hometown of Belfast only to drag him into the horror and demons of his past.

THE OMEGA VARIANT

Catch the controversial new novel from Canadian horror writer Sean O'Neil ​​​​
THE PLAGUE: JUDGEMENT DAY

What if Revelations wasn't just a Bible story? What would you do? ​​​​
DEMONS: JUDGEMENT DAY

Galway Banshee

Summer 2024

Eamon, a PHD in Celtic studies accepts a job as the head of Irish History and Mythology at the University of Galway. This means a transfer from their home in Dublin to the west, to Galway. His wife, originally from Galway, is very reluctant to make the most. It seems to stem back to her her family and something in the past. Eventually she concedes and they pack up and head off to Galway. One night after they have settled in they are driving home late, along a dark foggy coastal road when a Banshee screeches passed the car. Eamon, knowing what Banshees signal, stops the car. His wife and son are asleep. He looks out into the dark Irish night. He sees a form on the horizon and it begins to head towards the car, rapidly. As he tried to accelerate away the car stalls and then is knocked down an embankment by something in the dark. Kevin wakes up injured in the hospital to find his wife and his son dead. Over the next few months, Eamon is plagued by dreams, dark ones and turns to the bottle and opium. The university gives him leave to sort himself out but he sleeps over further with no obligations. One night, in an opium inducted sleep, he is visited by his wife. She tells him about an ancient legend that has cursed her family. She tells him that him is in danger. The next day he puts the bottle aside and starts to investigate the legend. What he finds terrifies him.

Judgement Day: The Final Journey

Winter 2025

The third and final novel in the Judgement Day series. This one starts on the East Coast in New York a couple of days following the original outbreak in San Francisco. The darkness and the stories of it fill the news around the world. As it becomes clear that it is heading west and consuming all in its path. Three vastly diverse groups of people manage to find themselves on an old African freighter headed for what they hope will be safety. As the old freighter holds it course, barely ahead of the darkness, demons within the group members begin to play out. Once in sight of the coast, all Hell breaks lose.

When We Are Kings

Spring 2025

Four American marines from a small Midwest town enlist in the military and become marines. Ultimately they end up serving in Iraq and see some real action. After one very difficult firefight their unit is given a weekend pass. One of the four marines is a movie buff and one of his favorite movies is Last Tango in Paris. He convinces the other three to do Paris for the weekend. The weekend turns out to be legend, they have the time of their lives, they are kings for a weekend. A few years later, the war is over and they are back in the Midwest in dead end jobs, failed marriages and relationships. They struggle as veterans getting the help, they need. They deal with PTSD, VA issues and the ability to adjust. What they do have is Friday’s at the local bar and the legacy of what they were. The talk ultimately always goes back to Paris, when they were truly alive and kings. One night, together they say screw it all and book tickets on the last flight to Paris. They discovery in Paris, that you can't go back.

The Price of Freedom

Fall 2024

Justice, sadly, is a human concept that takes on varying forms based on where the luck of the universal draw placed you in this world. While the Webster's dictionary definition may remain consistent across the globe, how justice is delivered varies greatly. In all cases, the definition is subject to those who have the authority to distribute justice. In Western countries, fortunately, justice followed a well-established set of laws, for the most part at least. In other parts of the world, justice, or the semblance thereof, is delivered through the whim of those who hold power. Those who lost life’s roll of the dice, found themselves in corners of the world where life could be dramatically altered. Life, liberty, and justice, at the end of the day, are often inaccessible.

In addition to writing my books, I also adapt many of them to screen plays.  I manage the film side through my company Sensory Films.

Full Length Feature Films:
- Demons, Judgement Day
- The Plague, Judgement Day
- The Chosen

Streaming Series:
- The Omega Variant
- Tales from the Grindhouse - from my Grindhouse books
- Love in the Time of EMPs

Read more at:
www.sensory-films.com


 
21/10/2024

My Interview on the Steve Kidd Radio Show - Demons: Judgement Day

My interview with Steve about my best-selling novel, Demons: Judgement Day.

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19/08/2024

Interview with Steve Kidd - The Plague: Judgement Day

A great interview with Steve in the Best Seller author program about my novel, The Plague: Judgement Day.

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17/03/2024

My Interview with Meet the Author

My interview with the team at Meet the Author.

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26/02/2024

Interview with Peter Okonkwo

My interview with Peter Okonkwo of Literary Podcast on writing and films.

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20/11/2023

Interview on Lure Entertainment

Catch my latest interview. The press is here: About | Lure Entertainment and Lure Entertainment Productions LLC

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21/09/2023

My interview with Nick Bracks - Australian Radio

My interview with Nick Bracks on Australian Radio.

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02/08/2023

My interview with Florida radio

A fun little interview about me and my work. Jump ahead to minute 39 for my part of the interview.

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06/05/2020

My Interview with Anthony Bonaparte

A great interview about me and my latest book, The Omega Variant in the Montreal Suburban.

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02/08/2023

My interview on E-Heroes Pod Cast

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06/02/2020

My Radio interview with iHeart Radio

A great interview with Peter Anthony Holder and his Stuph Files show on iHeart Radio.

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07/08/2022

Toronto West Magazines interview

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25/09/2022

Another Interview for The Omega Variant

https://www.newinbooks.com/interview-with-sean-oneil-author-of-the-omega-variant/

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21/08/2024

The Plague, Judgement Day screenplay wins best script

The screenplay for the Plague, Judgement Day wins the New York Independent Cinema for Best Script

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21/08/2024

Jhill wins the International Impact Award

Jhill is a winner in the Mystery, Thriller, Suspense category.

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28/05/2024

The BC Night Train is a finalist in the prestigious Bucharest Short Film Festival

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29/09/2023

The Chosen - Book review

The Prairies book review of my novel, The Chosen

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28/02/2024

Another win - Austin Short Film Festival

Another win for The BC Night Train

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11/04/2024

The BC Night Train wins best short film script at the Toronto

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15/10/2023

In the hunt at a good Canadian Film Festival

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22/09/2023

The Chosen wins the Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Another win for The Chosen

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28/04/2023

The Chosen Film Project continues to move ahead through agreement with Buffalo 8

Sensory Films has signed with Buffalo 8, a Bondit company, to advance The Chosen film project.

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28/04/2023

Both The Chosen and The Plague make the finals in the Big Apple Film Festival.

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28/04/2023

The film adaption of Demons makes the finals in The New York International Screenwriting Competition

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27/03/2023

Semifinalist - Dublin Film Awards for The Chosen

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27/03/2023

Semifinalist - Hollywood International Golden Age Awards - The Chosen

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27/03/2023

Another Semifinalist for The Chosen - Barcelona Indie Awards

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03/11/2022

Yet another win. This time for The Chosen again.

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23/10/2022

Another win - The Chosen wins the New York Independent Cinema Awards

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16/10/2022

The Plague and The Chosen both Select in New York

The screenplays for both The Plague and The Chosen were selected in the New York Independent Cinema Awards.

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09/10/2022

Another WIN - Best Script - California Indies Award

The Plague, Judgement Day wins the California Indies

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01/10/2022

A Big Win for The BC Night Train in Amsterdam

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16/09/2022

Demons, Judgement Day screen play makes the semi finals

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10/08/2022

The script for Demons, Judgement Day selected for the Montreal Independent Fiml Festival

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07/08/2022

Hollywood Script Award Finalist and Honorable mention

The Plague, Judgement Day made the final and earned Honorable mention in the Hollywood Script Awards.

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23/05/2022

Book Review - Demons, Judgement Day

A good review of my book, Demons, Judgement Day

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04/03/2020

Book Review - The Plague, Judgement Day

A great review of one of my most popular novels.

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16/09/2022

Another Selection and Finalist - Demons

The Oxford Script Awards

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  • Toronto, Ontario, Canada