About Pat

Patrick J. Callahan was born an only child in northern New Jersey in 1956 and raised at the Jersey shore. He struggled through a troubled childhood, and his parents were quiet and secretive. Art and music were Patrick’s passions, but his life took a different turn and he became an electrician.

At the age of forty, Patrick discovered a family secret so shocking that it drove him to dig deep into his parents’ dark past. They were both gone, and the hidden story of his early life had died with them. His investigation uncovered a tale of lies, deceit, crooked attorneys, forged records, prostitution, and police corruption. He fought to keep his sanity as the incredible story unfolded, and Patrick kept a daily journal of his detailed investigation.

Patrick knew he had the makings of a great book, and his journal became the basis for a full memoir. His wife, Tina, came up with the title Decades of Deception, and it fit perfectly. Patrick’s search for the truth came to an end in 2002. When it was all over, he spent the next ten years writing and refining the manuscript.

The book’s content was controversial, and Patrick reconsidered the liability of telling such a tale. He decided to rework the true-life drama and transformed the memoir into a novel, and changed the names of the people and places. Only the names of his parents, wife, and daughters remained the same. Incredibly, the finished novel was ninety-percent fact and only ten-percent fiction.

Inspired by the name of his parents’ 1950’s photography studio, Patrick formed Artel Publishing in 2017 and published Decades of Deception.  The book presented many possibilities for a continuation of the story, and he began writing the sequel.

Drama critic Rex Reed and many others have said that the book should be made into a feature length film. Patrick agreed with them. The story contains all the elements of a great epic… drama, mystery, love, loss, and triumph.

Decades of Deception is an inspiration to people everywhere. The message is clear: seek the truth, follow your hopes and dreams, and find inner peace.