His most recent novel, Cross, debuted at the top of the New York Times bestsellers list and he is one of the few writers on the Forbes list of 100 top celebrities. (He's number 66.)
Early Years
James Patterson was born in 1947 in Newburgh New York. He studied at Vanderbilt University and became a successful advertising executive in New York City.
Writing Career
Patterson's writing career began, in earnest, in 1976 with the publication of his first novel, Thomas Berryman Number. He says on his website that it was rejected once before being purchased by Little Brown. The novel went on to win the Edgar Award that year for "Best First Novel" and a writing phenomenon was born.
James Patterson has published 41 novels (as of December 12, 2006). He is best known for his Alex Cross series and his Women's Murder Club Series. He has also recently branched out into young adult fiction with Maximum Ride, published in 2006. He has won numerous writing awards. In addition to the Edgar, he has won the BCA Mystery Guild's "Thriller of the Year" award and is the 2007 recipient of the "Thrillermaster" Award.
Patterson's thrillers are easily recognized by their short chapters (a style he has developed on purpose) and their quick action.
James Patterson Trivia
- Patterson cites his favorite book as One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
- During Patterson's career as an advertising executive, he coined the phrase "Toys R Us Kids."
What's Next for James Patterson?
Patterson has two novels set to be released in 2007: Step on a Crack in February and the 6th Target in May.
Bibliography
A complete list of Patterson's works may be found on his website.
Related Links
- James Patterson Official Site
- Review of Cross
- Review of Beach Road
- Review of Judge and Jury
- Review of Step on a Crack
