It's here!

My first copy of my first novel came today, in all its glory. 

Its arrival brought to mind the bit near the end of Back to the Future, when George McFly’s novel shows up. The part of the movie where I actually found myself being jealous. 

Jealous of George McFly.

Well, here it is:

A beauty! I peek at it every few minutes, just in case it’s disappeared in some unexpected alternate timeline subplot.

…Still there!


Elsewhere, I popped up in the new issue of SFX magazine, along with a great full-page ad for Reviver that carries the wonderful line: "The Dead no longer have the right to remain silent." I like that.


As if that wasn't enough, I also featured in an article in the Sunday Times this week, under the computer-geek-makes-good narrative. Pretty fair I guess.

For those who asked, the bit in the article about me and my wife having a cinema trip as our honeymoon was indeed true. Ten years ago, our dream honeymoon would have left us in debt for an age, so rather than compromise we opted not to have one at all. Besides, our daughter was six months old, and not conducive to relaxation. Meanwhile we’d not been to the movies together since she’d been born, and hell – the sequel to one of our all-time favourites was on!

How could we not? It was meant to be!

That movie was The Matrix Reloaded.

Let us never speak of this again.


I also had my first on-camera interview, for the good folk at Book Zone TV.  The opening question was:  “So, your new book Reviver… what’s it about?” 

Wasn’t expecting that. (Seriously.) It took a few tries. Once I got going, though, I think it went pretty well.  Here it is...  how did I do?


Now, with only 22 days until Reviver launches in the UK, things are ramping up. I have an event in Brighton Library on the 6th of June, me and Peter James talking about our respective new books, assuming Peter can avoid serious injury. Did I, er, mention I fell off my bike? While stationary?

Then, 20th June, Reviver launches at Forbidden Planet, London. I’ll be doing a reading, before signing books and getting entertainingly drunk. In that order.

Hope to see you there!

I’m just a little bit excited.

Review frenzy!

Blimey, less than a month to go before publication.

My brain is a little frazzled, I’ll admit – hard at work on Total War: Rome 2 by day, and hard at work on Reviver Book 2 by night, I’m rediscovering the ups and downs of serious caffeine abuse.

Last night I shoved a quiche in a food cupboard rather than in the fridge, shoved a remote control in the fridge rather than, well, NOT in the fridge, and neglected to put a nappy on our toddler son when I put him to bed, leading to a damp and unhappy morning for the wee lad.

Also this morning I came a cropper heading to work on my bike (pedal variety). Beyond cuts and bruises, the only thing broken was pride, as I was pretty much stationary at the time. I waved away the concerns of passers-by, wearing a fixed grimace, but I probably would have told them I was fine even if blood had been spraying inconveniently far, such was the shame...

But enough complaining. Time to look at something else that’s been happening: reviews!

It’s mainly just blogs so far of course, but there are some genuinely nice reviews out there. I’ve taken the liberty of extracting the best lines. Of course.

 

First up, some nice quotes from authors. Actual professional ones!

‘A brilliant, original and very scary concept - which Seth Patrick carries off with chilling aplomb.’ Peter James

‘A highly original story skillfully told, a thriller that twists and turns all the way to the end.’ Simon Kernick

‘A great concept-based thriller. Chilling and emotional in all the right places.’  Mark Charan Newton

‘Highly recommended.’ Neal Asher (review here)

And the rest:

 

Here's a novel that manages to deftly extend hard-boiled forensic mystery into the next life. The plot and the implications of the novel are both going to keep readers up well into the night.

http://agonycolumn.com/agony/news/2013/03-04-13-news.htm

 

'Reviver' is a gripping thriller, but what really makes it fun is the addition of elements of horror and crime fiction into the mix.

http://acuparia.blogspot.ie/2013/05/reviver.html

 

Seth Patrick has created an entire forensic discipline, all backed up with authentic (at least, to this non-scientist) and utterly believable detail.  I was completely absorbed by the weird take on the world he has created between the covers of this book.  Heartily recommended.

http://promotingcrime.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/reviver-by-seth-patrick.html

 

Supernatural thrillers don’t get much better than British author Patrick’s assured debut.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-250-02170-0

 

It's intense, a little creepy and a hell of a lot of fun.

http://www.mithrilwisdom.com/2013/05/reviver-by-seth-patrick-book-review.html

 

[An odd fish, this one, in that it doesn’t come across as entirely positive yet contains some superb quotes, but it's here in the name of balance (and, er, superb quotes)]
‘gripping conspiracy thriller’
‘the reading experience is resolutely thrilling’
‘an excellent sense of immediacy and quantities of unbridled excitement’

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/03/reviews-reviver-seth-Patrick

And finally...

This is going to be big. Massive big. You can just sense it.
http://onechaptermore.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/seth-patrick-reviver.html


Right, that's it for now. I've just remembered that sleep is, quite probably, important.

Published!

... albeit in a language I don't speak.

Yes, the Spanish version of Reviver was published, available through Circulo de Lectores, meaning that my first published book was effectively written by someone else. Remembering the level of difference in translation attempts in any language classes I had at school, I suspect the degree to which a good translation matters is hugely underestimated. I hope a decent translation gets the credit it deserves...

They've called the book Ultimo Aliento.  When I first saw the title, for a terrible moment I thought it meant 'The Last Alien'.  But no!  Thankfully.  It's actually 'Last Breath', which is fine by me.

Find it in their catalogue on page 34 here:  http://catalogo.circulo.es/ 

(Bit of Trivia: the catalogue entry was written by someone who'd only read the original version of the manuscript, before the rewrites, and it mentions a character (Beth) who used to be key to the story but was almost entirely cut from the finished book. She still gets a little cameo, does Beth.  Aw, bless.)

Of course, when their new catalogue goes up in a few weeks, that'll very much NOT be my book on page 34, but http://www.circulo.es/Libros/2013/022013/27045.aspx may last longer.


Anyway, the translated opening line is:

A veces, Jonah Miller odiaba hablar con los muertos.

Google Translate has that as 'Sometimes hated Jonah Miller talk to the dead.' 

Almost, Google.  Almost.