Ken Follett, Author Biographies

Ken Follett was born on June 5, 1949, in Cardiff, Wales. His father, Martin, a tax inspector, and his mother, Veenie, moved the family to London when he was 10 years old. He was raised in a strict Christian household. With little outside entertainment, he acquired an appreciation for books and storytelling.

Ken earned a bachelors degree in philosophy from the University of London in 1970. (In 1995, he was made a fellow of this college.) Ken took a three month post graduate course in journalism and moved back to Cardiff, Wales to pursue his career.

Ken Follett married Mary in 1968. They have a son and daughter, but later divorced.

Ken Follett worked as a journalist for the South Wales Echo for three years. Upon returning to London, he worked as a general assignment reporter for the London Evening News. He wrote stories in his spare time.

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, he says he sold one of his first stories for $500, which is the amount he owed to get his car fixed.

Although Ken Follett wrote two children’s books and several novels, he didn’t become a success until “Eye of the Needl

e,” his eleventh book, was published in 1978. He was only 27 years old. This book won the prestigious Edgar Award and was the first of several of his subsequent books to be made into films.

In 1974 Ken left journalism for publishing at Everest Books where he later became Deputy Managing director.

Ken Follett became involved in politics supporting the Labor Party. In 1984 Ken married Barbara Boer, a member of Parliament for Stevenage in Hertferdshire. He became stepfather to her three children by a previous spouse.

Even though Ken Follett’s novel, “Pillars of the Earth,” published in 1989, was a big hit, it became a sensation when Oprah Winfrey added it to her Book Club. Now finally after fans of his work begging him, there is a sequel, “World Without End.”

Ken is involved in many charities, National Year of Reading, Reading is Fundamental, The Dyslexia Institute, National Literary Trust,

the Welsh Academy, National Academy of Writing, and the Royal Academy of Arts to name a few.

Ken Follett and his wife make Stevenage their home. They also own a townhouse in London and a vacation home in Antigua.

Books by Ken Follett:

Series: Apples Carstairs Series: (written as Simon Myles)
The Big Needle (1974)
The Big Black (1974)
The Big Hit (1975)

Piers Roper:
The Shakeout (1975)
The Bear Raid (1976)

Pillars of the Earth:
World Without End (1989)
World Without End (2007)

Childrens’ Books:

The Power Twins: A Science Fantasy for Young People (1976) (written as Martin Martinsen)
The Mystery Hideout (1976)

Novels:
Amok King of Legend (1976) (written as Bernard L. Ross)
The Secret of Kellerman’s Studio (1976)
The Modigliani Scandal (1976) (written as Zachary Stone)
Paper Money (1977) (written as Zachary Stone)
Capricorn One (1978) (written as Bernard L. Ross)
Eye of the Needle (1978)
Triple (1979)
(1980)
The Man from St. Petersburg (1982)
Lie Down With Lions (1985)
Night Over Water (1991)
A Dangerous Fortune (1993)
A Place Called Freedom (1995)
The Third Twin (1996)
The Hammer of Eden (1998)
Code to Zero (2000)
Jackdaws (2001)
Hornet Flight (2002)

(2004)

Nonfiction:
Under the Streets of Nice (1978) (with Louis Maurice)
On Wings of Eagles (1983)

Alexander McCall Smith, Author Biographies

Alexander McCall Smith (nicknamed Sandy) was born on August 24, 1948 in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia. Back then it was a British colony, and now is named Zimbabwe. His education was at Christian Brothers College. He moved to Scotland where he attended the University of Edinburgh to study law. He later moved to Botswana, Africa to help set up a law school and teach at the University of Botswana.

After Alexander returned to Edinburgh he married Elizabeth, a physician. They have two daughters. Back at the University of Edinburgh he became a professor of medical law and is now an Emeritus Professor.

Alexander says that he submitted his first manuscript when he was eight years old and was kindly rejected. When he was 28 years old, he had his first book, a children’s novel, published. He says that he wrote around 30 children’s books, but he was disappointed to be only moderately successful. He was told that his writing style was too gentle and whimsical.

Then he began writing short stories, some to be broadcast on the BBC and even wrote a radio play. Then he started writing some Botswana stories. Alexander McCall Smith’s career took a dramatic turn when he published “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency”, which was intended to be a series of very short stories but turned into a series of novels. Now he has three more series and several stand alone novels.

Alexander and his wife started “The really Terrible Orchestra”, which he says is a truly amateur orchestra. He is a bassoonist. He said they have played on NPR and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Alexander also cofounded the “No. 1 Ladies’ Opera House”, an opera training center in Botswana.

Alexander says he always wears a kilt to his book signings. In Scotland kilts are worn for special occasions and his book signings are special occasions.

Bibliography:

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series:
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Book 1) (1998)
(2000)
Morality for Beautiful Girls (2001)
The Kalahari Typing School for Men (2002)
The Full Cupboard of Life (2004)
In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (2004)
Blue Shoes and Happiness (2006)
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (2007)
The Miracle at Speedy Motors (2008)
Tea Time for the Traditionally Built: The New No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (2009)
(2010)

The 2 ½ Pillars of Wisdom Series:
Portuguese Irregular Verbs (2003)
The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs (2003)
At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances (2003)
The Sunday Philosophy Club Series: AKA Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries
The Sunday Philosophy Club (Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries) (2004)
Friends, Lovers, Chocolate (2005)
The Right Attitude of Rain (2006)
The Careful Use of Compliments (2007)
(2008)
The Lost Art of Gratitude: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (2009)

44 Scotland Street Series:
44 Scotland Street (2005)
Espresso Tales (2005)
Love over Scotland (2006)
The World According to Bertie (2007)
(2008)

Other Novels:
Children of Wax: African Folk Tales (1991)
Heavenly Date: And Other Flirtations (1995)
The Girl Who Married a Lion: And Other Tales from Africa (2004)

Stand Alone Novels:
La's Orchestra Saves the World: A Novel (2008)
Corduroy Mansions (2008)

Children’s Books:
The Perfect Hamburger (1984)
Alix and the Tigers (1988)
The Tin Dog (1990)
Calculator Annie (1991)
The Popcorn Pirates (1991)
Akimbo and the Lions (1992)
The Doughnut Ring
Akimbo and the Crocodile Man (1993)
Paddy and the Rat Catcher (1994)
The Muscle Machine (1995)
The Bubblegum Tree (1996)
Bursting Balloons Mystery (1997)
The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean (1997)
Chocolate Money Mystery (1999)
Teacher Trouble (2000)
Akimbo and the Elephants (2005)
Dream Angus (2006)
Akimbo and the Snakes (2006)
Akimbo and the Baboons (2008)

Maya Angelou, Author Biographies

Dr. Maya Angelou was born, Marguerite Johnson on April 24, 1928 in St Louis, Missouri. Her parents divorced when she was three years old. She, along with her brother Bailey, went to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas.

While visiting her mother in Chicago, Illinois at the age of seven, Maya was molested by her mother’s boyfriend. She confided in her brother who told the family. Consequently, the man was murdered. Maya felt so guilty that for five years she remained mute.

Maya won a scholarship to study dance and drama at San Francisco’s Labor School. She dropped out at the age of 14 to become the fist female African American cable car conductor. Although she returned later to complete school, she became pregnant in her senior year and gave birth to her son, Guy, a few weeks after her graduation.

After graduation, she took on many menial jobs to raise her son. Singing and dancing, and writing were in her heart, though. She met and married Tosh Angelos, a Greek sailor. She took the name Maya (her brother’s nickname for her) Angelou (a variation of her husband’s name) when she became a nightclub singer. Although the marriage didn’t last, she kept the name.

She traveled throughout Europe in the mid 1950’s with a dance troupe performing in a production of “Porgy and Bess.” In 1957 she did a recording of “Calypso Lady” for her first album. She also wrote and performed “Cabaret for Freedom.”

Wanting to hone her skills as a writer, she joined the Harlem Writers Guild in 1958 in New York. She subsequently became active in the Civil Rights Movement. She met and married the South African civil rights activist, Vusumzi Make in 1960. They moved to Cairo, Egypt where she became the editor of an English weekly newspaper.


Maya and her son later moved to Ghana where she was an assistant administrator and instructor at the University of Ghana’s School for Music and Drama. She was also and editor for The African Review and wrote for various publications.

Maya returned to the United States in 1964. She accepted the invitation from Dr Martin Luther King to serve as the Northern Coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Dr King was assassinated on her birthday in 1968.

Maya’s first published book, “I know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, is the first of five autobiographical volumes and tells of her trials and tribulations as a young girl. She continues to write and act for television and film and in 1996 directed the film “Down in the Delta.”

She was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for her 1972 screenplay, Georgia, Georgia. She won the Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000 and The Lincoln medal in 2008. She has also won three Grammy awards.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton asked Dr Maya Angelou to write and recite a poem for him at his inauguration. Her beautiful poem, “On the Pulse of the Morning”, was broadcast worldwide.

Books by Maya Angelou:


I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1970)
Gather Together in My Name (1974)
Singin’ and Swingin’ and Getting’ Merry Like Christmas (1978)
The Heart of a Woman (1981)
All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986)
A Song Flung Up to Heaven (2002)

Other Works:
Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘fore I Die (1971)
And Still I Rise (1978)
Now Sheba Sings the Song (1987)
I Shall Not Be Moved (1990)
On the Pulse of Morning (1993)
A Brave and Startling Truth (1995)
Phenomenal Woman (1995)
Even the Stars Look Lonesome (1997)
Letter to My Daughter (2008)

Sydney Sheldon Author Biographies

Sidney Sheldon was born Sidney Schechtel on February 11, 1917 in Chicago, Illinois. His mother was Natalie Marcus, a Russian Jewish immigrant with no formal education, but loved books and classical music. His father, Ascher (Otto), a dreamer, took many different jobs as he moved the family from town to town. He bragged that he had never read a book in his life.

Sydney was married to Jorja Curtright, an on stage and film actress and later an interior decorator for over 30 years. They had a daughter, Mary, who also became a published novelist. Jorja died in 1985. Sydney married former child actress, Alexandra Kostoff in 1989.

Even as he was growing up, Sidney loved to read and spent a lot of time at the library. He says he always knew he wanted to be a writer. When he was 10, he wrote and submitted a poem to the popular children’s magazine, “Wee Wisdom”, in a poetry contest, and won $5. When he was 12, he wrote and put on a play for his English class, his favorite subject.

He attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois where he took a full load of classes, joined the debating team, worked as a busboy in the cafeteria and took a job at the college newspaper, doing minor celebrity interviews. This was the height of the depression and money was tight and jobs were scarce. So Sydney left college to seek more work.

He moved to Hollywood, California in 1937 and took a job as a reader for movie studios along with various other jobs. Sidney did a stint in the Army Air Corp and served as a pilot, during WWII. When he left the military he headed for New York where he worked as a songwriter and a Broadway Playwright. He wrote 25 films and had three musical hits.

He moved back to California and as television became a hot commodity in the 1960’s, Sidney wrote and produced the sitcom, “The Patty Duke Show”, starring young Patty Duke. He also created, wrote and produced the “I Dream of Jeannie”, starring Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman, and “Hart to Hart”, starring Stefanie Powers and Robert Wagner.

Sydney went from screenwriter to author when he was 50 years old. His first novel, “The Naked Face”, was published in 1970 after being turned down by five publishers. The novel became a best seller and won an “Edgar Allan Poe Award.” He went on to write many best selling novels. So far twenty six of his novels were turned into movies.

When Sydney was 85, he published his autobiography, “The Other Side of Me.” He opened the book with the story of his attempted suicide when he was 17. Sidney’s father walked in on him. His father, forever a salesman, talked him out of it.

Sidney Sheldon died on January 30, 2007 in Rancho Mirage, California at the age of 89. He has been called a humble man, warm, gracious and one of the most prolific writers of his time.

Bibliography:

Novels:
The Naked Face (1970)
A Stranger in the Mirror (1976)
Bloodline (1978)
Rage of Angels (1980)
Master of the Game (1982)
If Tomorrow Comes (1985)
Windmills of the Gods (1987)
The Sands of Times (1988)
The Doomsday Conspiracy (1991)
The Stars Shine Down (1992)
Nothing Lasts Forever (1994)
Morning, Noon and Night (1995)
The Best Laid Plans (1997)
Tell Me Your Dreams (1998)
The Sky is Falling (2000)
Are You Afraid of the Dark? (2004)
Mistress of the Game (2009) (with Tilly Bagshawe)

Series:
The Other Side of Midnight (1974)
Memories of Midnight (1990)

Omnibus:
Bloodline/A Stranger in the Mirror/Naked Face (1992)
The Dark Side of Midnight (2007)

Plays:
Roman Candle (1960)
The Bachelor and the Bobbysoxer (1961)

Childrens Books:
Adventures of Drippy: The Runaway Raindrop (1995)
Fun With Drippy Activity Book (1996)
Fun With Drippy the Runaway Raindrop (2004)

Nonfiction:
The Other Side of Me (2005)

Patricia Cornwell Author Biographies

Patricia Cornwell was born Patricia Carroll Daniels, aka Patsy, on June 9, 1956 in Miami Florida. Her father was an appellate attorney and her mother a secretary. She has two brothers. When she was in grade school, the family minus dad, moved to North Carolina a couple of miles from Billy Graham. After her mother fell into deep depression, Patricia was placed in foster care.

In high school, Patricia played tennis on the boy’s team since there was no girl’s team. Even in college she had to play on the men’s team. Patricia wrote short stories and poems as a child but didn’t take writing serious until years later when she quit tennis at the age of 19.

She attended King’s College in Bristol, Tennessee and in 1979 received her BA in English Literature from Davidson College in North Carolina. She married Charles Cornwell, her college professor, who was 17 years older, but they divorced ten years later. They have no children.
Patricia started her career as a crime reporter then went on to work in the medical examiner’s office in Richmond Virginia. She published her first mystery, “Postmortem”, in 1990, winning several prestigious awards. She is now one of the top grossing female authors in the world.

As Patricia was growing up, Ruth Graham, Billy Graham’s wife, was a mentor to her. Patricia wrote the commemorative book, “Ruth, A Portrait: The Story of Ruth Bell Graham” published in 1997.

While researching neuroscience, she met with Dr. Staci Gruber, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, at Harvard Medical School and Associate Director of the Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory at McLean Hospital. They were married in 2005. Patricia says that she finally feels rooted somewhere and is outraged that same sex marriages are not allowed in all states. She acknowledged and dedicated her book, “Book of the Dead”, to Dr. Gruber. This book also won her the BCA Crime Thriller of the Year award for 2008.

Patricia and Fox 2000 are teaming up on a movie deal based on Patricia’s Scarpetta series. Angelina Jolie will play the part of the medical examiner, Kay Scarpetta. Patricia has also made a deal with the cable network, Lifetime, to adapt “At Risk” and “The Front”, her Winston Garano series.

Books by Patricia Cornwell:

Kay Scarpetta Series:
Postmortem (1990)
Body of Evidence (1991)
All That Remains (1992)
Cruel and Unusual (1993)
The Body Farm (1994)
From Potter’s Field (1994)
Cause of Death (1996
Point of Origin (1998)
Black Notice (1999)
The Last Precinct (2000)
Blow Fly (2003)
Trace (2004)
Predator (2005)
Book of the Dead (2007)
Scarpetta (2008)
The Scarpetta Factor (2009)

Postmortem/Body of Evidence (omnibus) (1995)
Cruel and Unusual/The Body Farm/From Potters Field (omnibus)( 2000)
Cause of Death/Unnatural Exposure/Point of Origin (omnibus) (2002)

Andy Brazil Series:
Hornet’s Nest (1997)
Southern Cross (1999)
Isle of Dogs (2001)

Winston Garano Series:
At Risk (2006)
The Front (2008)

Non Fiction:
Food to Die For: Secrets from Kay Scarpetta’s Kitchen (2001)
Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper-Case Closed (2002
Ruth, A Portrait: The Story of Ruth Bell Graham (1997)
Scarpetta’s Winter Table (1998
Life’s Little Fable (1999) A children’s book

David Baldacci Author Biographies

David Baldacci was born on August 5, 1960 in Richmond, Virginia. He hails from a working-class background. His father, Rudolph, was a tucking foreman who had lost most of his hearing in World War ll. He earned his BA in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University and his law degree in1988 from the University of Virginia. David has two older siblings, a brother, Rudy, and artist, and sister, Sharon, a writer.
David practiced criminal law and then later corporate law for nine years. He says he always loved to read and telling stories, and while growing up, often got into trouble with his tall tales. He says he always wanted to write and started writing fiction as a young child and continued throughout his law practice. He likes to quip that, as a lawyer, he learned a lot about writing fiction.
David met Michelle A. Collins, a paralegal, at a barbecue and they dated and then married in 1990. They have two children, a daughter, Spencer, and a son, Collin. The family still resides in Virginia.
David’s first novel, “Absolute Power”, was made into a blockbuster movie starring Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman. David writes on diverse subjects, but is well known for his political thrillers. He is also a humorous, passionate and inspirational keynote speaker. He often speaks at worthy fund raising events. It has been said that he is as prolific a talker as he is a writer.
David and Michelle started a family foundation in 2002 called Wish You Well Foundation which works to eliminate illiteracy nationally. Recently they teamed up with Feeding Americans, Feeding Body and Minds utilizing food and book donations at food banks since poverty stems from illiteracy.
David does fund-raising book signings where he asks people to bring in new and used books. They are also involved in fund raising for The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the American Cancer Society and The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. David is a national ambassador for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
David’s books have been published in over 45 languages

Books by David Baldacci:

Sean King and Michelle Maxwell Series:
Split Second (2003)
Hour Game (2003)
Simple Genius (2007)
First Family(2009)

Freddie and the French Fries:
Fries Alive (2005)
The Legend of Silas Finklebean (2006)

Camel Club:
The Camel Club (2005)
The Collectors (2006)
Stone Cold (2007)
Divine Justice (Camel Club)(2008)

Stand Alone Novels:
Absolute Power (1996)
Total Control (1997)
The Winner (1997)
The Simple Truth (1998)
Saving Faith (1999)
Wish You Well (2000)
Last Man Standing (2001)
The Christmas Train (2002)
The Whole Truth(2008)
True Blue(2009)

Non Fiction:
Origins of Wish You Well (2000)">