Tuesday, December 15, 2009

James Patterson Author Biographies



James Patterson was born on March 22, 1947 in Newburg, New York. He was one of three children born to father Charles Patterson, an insurance broker, and mother Isabel Patterson, a teacher and homemaker. James majored in English and earned his BA at Manhattan College in 1969 and his MA in English at Vanderbilt College in 1970.

James took a job at the advertising firm, J. Walter Thompson, as a junior copy editor. He worked his way up to Chairman. While working full time he started writing manuscripts.

James Patterson's first book, “The Thomas Berryman Number” was published in 1976 after being turned down by 31 publishers and won an Edgar Award, the most prestigious award in the mystery genre. James kept working at the advertising firm until 1996 when he started writing full time. James says that he quit the firm so he could find a wife.

James Patterson’s novel, “Along Came a Spider”, was published in 1992. This novel, a best seller, became the first of his Alex Cross series and was made into a movie starring Morgan Freeman.

James Patterson has been criticized for his collaborations with various authors. However, James says he likes sharing the spotlight with other authors. Collaborating brings new and interesting ideas. He says that although it may be a little unorthodox in the publishing world, "almost all TV shows ... are done by teams of writers. It's not as unusual as people think it is."

James Patterson founded and funds The Page Turner awards. This foundation awards $250,000 annually to institutions that encourage the joy and excitement of reading. James has ventured into writing for children and young adults and has published some graphic novels.

James spends the Winters in Palm Beach, Florida, and the Summers in New York with his wife, Susan, and their son Jack. Susan was a four-time all American swimmer and still swims twice a day. James is an avid golfer and he enjoys a round or two with friends in his free time.

Books by James Patterson:

Novels:
The Thomas Berryman Number (1976)
Season of the Machete (1976)
The Jericho Commandment (1979)
Virgin (1980)
Black Market (1986)
The Midnight Club (1988)
Sam’s Letters to Jennifer (1991)
Hide and Seek (1995)
Miracle on the 17th Green (1996) (with Peter De Jong)
Cradle and All (2000)
Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas (2001)
The Beach House (2002) (with Peter De Jong)
The Jester (2003) (with Andrew Gross)
Honeymoon (2005) (with Howard Roughan)
The Lifeguard (2005) (with Andrew Gross)
Beach Road (2006) (with Peter De Jong)
Judge and Jury (2006) with Andrew Gross)
The Quickie (2007) (with Michael Ledwidge)
You’ve Been Warned (2007) (with Howard Roughan)
Sundays at Tiffany (2008) (With Gabrielle Charbonnet)
Sail (2009) (with Howard Roughan)
Swimsuit (2009) (with Maxine Paetro)
2009) (With Gabrielle Charbonnet)
Don’t Blink (2010)

Series:
Alex Cross:
Along Came a Spider (1992)
Kiss the Girls (1994)
Jack and Jill (1996)
Cat and Mouse (1997)
Pop! Goes the Weasel (1999)
Roses are Red (2000)
Violets are Blues (2001)
Four Blind Mice (2002)
The Big Bad Wolf (2003)
London Bridges (2004)
Mary Mary (2005)
Cross (2006)
Double Cross (2007)
Cross Country (2008)
Alex Cross's TRIAL (2009) (with Richard DiLallo)
(2009)
When the Wind Blows:
When the Wind Blows (1998)
The Lake House (2003)

Women’s Murder Club:
1st to Die (2001)
2nd Chance (2002) (with Andrew Gross)
3rd Degree (2004) (with Andrew Gross)
4th of July (2005 (Maxine Paetro)
The 5th Horseman (2006) (Maxine Paetro)
The 6th Target (2007) (Maxine Paetro)
7th Heaven (Women's Murder Club) (2008) (Maxine Paetro)
9th Confession (2009) (Maxine Paetro)
(2010)

Maximum Ride:
The Angel’s Experiment (2005)
Schools Out—Forever (2006)
Saving the World: And Other Extreme Sports (2007)
The Final Warning (2008)
Max (2009)
Fang (2010)

Michael Bennett: (with Michael Ledwidge)
Step on a Crack (2007)
Run for Your Life (2009)
(2009)


Daniel X:
Alien Hunter (2008) (with Leopold Gout)
Dangerous Days of Daniel X (2008) (with Michael Ledwidge)
Daniel X: Watch the Skies (2009) (with Ned Rust)

Childrens Books:
Santakid (2004)

Graphic Novels:
Maximum Ride, Vol. 1 Manga (2009)
Maximum Ride, Vol. 2 Manga (2009)

Non Fiction:
Torn Apart: The Heartbreaking Story of a Childhood Lost (2008) (with Hal Friedman)
The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King - A Nonfiction Thriller (2009) (with Martin Dugard)

No comments: