Ryan M. Patrick

It’s been a long journey.

I started writing – like most authors – as a kid. I wrote a bunch of short stories, most of which were for school assignments. I vividly remember reading a novel in a class in high school, can’t remember what it was, and thinking “I can write better than that.” And then, I started trying to write a novel, but never got more than a few chapters in. It’s harder than it looks!

When I went to the Air Force Academy in 2008, my writing went on hold for a bit, and stayed on hold until I graduated. Then, I started my “one golden idea,” the early attempts at what is now The Europan Deception, but gave up after a couple of failed attempts.

Then, I tried a different tactic – a prequel to my “one golden idea,” which at that time started with a giant starship attacking and overpowering a four-ship of starfighters not unlike the opening to Timothy Zahn’s Conquerors trilogy. I wanted to give a story to that ship, and I decided to combine that with my desire to have a story like Sphere but with a different, less psychological horror-based 3rd act. So, The Martian Incident (not its name at that time) was born.

But, of course, I gave up on that idea again after just a few chapters – you should be sensing a trend. However, I finally learned from that failure. I had an outline, but just a high-level one of a few different plot points without the sinew and connective tissue that should hold them together. I sat down and really plotted out a detailed outline, and gave the main character a growth arc – something that previous versions lacked.

I started over again, but this time I had a plan. I had just finished my master’s thesis, so I had time to write. After a brief break while we moved to Albuquerque, I started up again, and finished while I was in Squadron Officer’s School in 2018. Two years of hard work, writing on airplanes and after my family went to bed, but I was done!

I spent the next few years editing it, and in early 2023 worked up the courage to send it to the Pentagon as part of a prepublication security review. And when it cleared, I finally realized I was ready. The Martian Incident is not the first idea I had when writing, and I wouldn’t argue that it’s my best, but I had a blast writing and editing it and I think it really shows in the text itself. It’s a roller-coaster of a book, with surprises and danger around every corner. And, for every answer that the protagonist uncovers, two more questions arise. It’s currently a standalone novel, but I’m not opposed to writing a sequel or two.

I’ve spent over a decade working to get myself to the point and now I’m just 7 days away from release. I have absolutely no idea how this is going to go; I’m not planning to pay for any ads or marketing (ROI isn’t worth it for just 1 book) and I’m just going to throw it out there and see what happens. But, it’s been a long journey, and I’m excited for the next few weeks and what the future brings! You can preorder an ebook here.