Hi everybody, and welcome to the November issue of my blog. We've had spooky season, which was a blast, and now we're on the slippery slope to that time of year where our ears will be continuosly assaulted by the jingle jangle of Christmas music, and the dulcet towns of, dare I say his name, Michael Buble.
As hopefully you're all aware (I've been advertising the hell out of it, so if you're not, I've been throwing good money after bad), my new horror novel, The Faraway People, was released on 31st October.
Release day was great fun. Quite a few of the local Waterstones branches in Kent agreed to stock the book, so my wife and I did a little tour, taking them all in, getting some snaps, and signing some books. That was a first for me, and thanks to all the Waterstones staff for being so amenable.
On the 2nd November, I held my book launch event, which was extremely well attended. Thanks to all those that braved Storm Ciaran to come down, listened to me ramble on for probably way too long, and grabbed a signed copy. We all shared some wine, and we feasted on samosas and bhajis that were hand cooked by our fabulous hosts at The Long Hop - Polly and Gary. If you weren't there, I bet you wish you came now, right?
My Bookstagram tour was also a rousing success, with so many great bookstagrammers reviewing the novel and sharing their views among their followers. These things are always great fun. I'm happy to say that the book currently has a 5 star Amazon rating, 4.3 on Goodreads and 4 on Netgalley. If you've read it, are reading it, or hope to find it in your Christmas stocking, why not throw up an honest review on one or all of these platforms. Believe me - they are always helpful to the author.
The book is available from all major retailers in paperback form, and from Amazon in ebook form. I've also just contracted a great vocal artist to produce the audio book version, which I aim to release at the end of January.
On top of all of this, the 'Closed for the Season' winter horror anthology is now available online, and my short story, 'The Saint and The Seraph', is included, along with spooky tales from lots of other amazing authors. Here's the link - Particular Passages: Closed for the Season by Lee F. Patrick | Goodreads
I've booked my stand at the Horror on Sea movie festival, which is due to take place in Southend across two weekends in January. I'll be there from the 12th to the 14th. On top of that, I'll be at the Guildford Comic Convention on the 28th January. Hopefully I'll see you there.
I now have my head down, crunching through page after page of my next horror release, which I hope to get to you by mid year, 2024. I'm really enjoying this one (of course, I say that about them all). It has a hint of The Thing crossed with The Descent, with elements of The Mist, and a smidge of HP Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness. Hopefully that's enough to keep you intrigued.
On the reading front, this month I finished the graphic novel, 'London Gothic Chapter 1', which is by my friends Nick Henry and Michael Burton. One word - amazing! I thoroughly recommend it. I'm now halfway through a book entitled 'The Shadow Fabric' by another author friend of mine, Mark Cassell. Again, this is a brilliant read, and Mark keeps you guessing all the way through. My next read will be 'Disturbing the Water' by my stablemate Peter Wise. I'm looking forward to it.
My wife and I are watching all the seasons of Fargo again on Amazon Prime in readiness for Season 5. What a show! It's so expertly written by Noah Hawley and his team, and it's brilliantly acted, too.
Elsewhere, I recorded a You Tube interview with Amos Madra last week, which should air in a few weeks time. I'll keep you posted about that. I also donated one of each of my releases to the local library. If you're ever in Sittingbourne, why not pop down and grab yourself a free read.
Otherwise, it's now time to start thinking about Christmas presents and laying your hands on a big bird, if you get my drift. Looking forward to some time with the family, and adding a few extra pounds to my gradually growing waistline.
I'll post again before the big day, but in the meantime, I wish you all the best. Keep reading!!
SD