By the time Patrick Holcomb had turned 21, he was well into his time in the Marine Corps and was deployed in Iraq.
Over the next 20 years, he served in Afghanistan, Hawaii, Japan and San Diego before officially departing the Marines in 2021.
Now settled in Point Loma, Holcomb is anticipating the release Friday, March 29, of his debut novel, “Where the Seams Meet.”
Holcomb said he’s eager to share a story he feels will resonate with the San Diego community. The book is set in locations across both Northern and Southern California, including local spots such as Point Loma, Ocean Beach, Mission Bay and Pacific Beach.
The 310-page novel follows a father and son as they navigate the turmoil, heartbreak and triumph of a parent/child relationship, all through their mutual love of baseball.
“The first part of the book is from Frank, the father’s, perspective,” Holcomb said. “It picks up with him as a young child and carries through his mid-30s. Part 2 is from Danny, the son’s, perspective and follows him from adolescence through mid-30s as well. … Each chapter is from a pivotal day in the characters’ life.”
As he wrote, Holcomb made an early decision to base the novel on aspects of his own life.
“I started with a basis in reality and, although it is a work of fiction, I loosely created the lead characters of my father and me,” he said. “The places these stories take place, such as San Francisco and San Diego, are areas I have lived and my father has lived. This all gave me a framework. As the plot developed, the characters evolved.”
The double perspectives and 30-year span in the narrative enabled Holcomb to cover a lot of ground when piecing the story together, which he thinks adds a layer of intrigue.
“I am hopeful that this writing style makes it relatable to a lot of people,” he said.
Soon after his departure from the Marines, Holcomb had intentions other than becoming a published author.
“As I was coming to the end of my career, I started thinking about what comes next,” he said. “I was pursuing a challenge to run a marathon on each of the seven continents and climb the highest peak on each of the seven continents. I completed all the marathons and was partway through the climbs when my body began to give out on me. I knew I was headed down the road for hip surgery and I got to the point where I knew I couldn’t do it anymore.”
Holcomb was, for the first time in his adult life, presented with ample time.
“I had been thinking about writing a book and I was thinking that if I was ever going to have the time to do this, it was now. I sat down and I started learning about writing,” Holcomb said.
He devoured books on how to write a novel, skimmed the aisles of bookstores and brainstormed starting points. Then he got to work.
Coming from a background of highly technical writing, the transition from corporate jargon to a story line and characters was tricky.
“It was a steep learning curve, and I did everything I could to learn how to write a great novel,” Holcomb said. “I have always seen myself as a storyteller, and I think the background with that helped.”
For Holcomb, the move from Marine to author was not entirely seamless. Over the past year, he has had successes and disappointments as he shifted from one career to a vastly different one.
“I found myself lonely,” he said. “In the past, I would go to work and be surrounded by people. But then I was alone writing. That was all very challenging. Also, pouring myself into this and not knowing if it would get traction from publishers.”
“Where the Seams Meet” will be available from Acorn Publishing through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
“I am extremely excited for people to read this book,” Holcomb said. “It is a story about fathers and sons and baseball, but it has a much broader appeal. I know this story will resonate with people.”
Bookstore appearance
Patrick Holcomb will discuss and sign “Where the Seams Meet” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, at Warwick’s bookstore, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla.
The event is free, or $15.99 for a reserved seat and book copy.
For more information, visit warwicks.com/event/holcomb-2024.
