Patricia McLinn Bio - A Writer's Work... is never done

Patricia McLinn

Patricia McLinn Patricia McLinn is most proud of her books being praised for strong and believable characters, and assures you her characters are much more interesting than she is.

She learned to read at a young age in self-defense -- her older siblings were keeping secrets by spelling. Once she realized her first two goals were unlikely to come to fruition (jockey or first woman football coach at Notre Dame), she focused on writing. In a fit of practicality, she received a BA in English Composition, then a Masters in Journalism from Northwestern University. Then she became a sportswriter, back in the day when women were a rarity in the sports department.

Sportswriting is great training for a novelist – dialogue, character, motivation, conflict, goals – they’re all there. Plus, you don't have to get up early.

Patricia slept in while working for the Rockford (Ill.) Register-Star, Charlotte (N.C.) Observer and Washington Post. After going part-time at the Post to write novels, she moved out of sports to edit all kinds of articles for the Post’s news service.

Her books have topped bestseller lists, been translated into 20-some languages and been honored with a number of awards, including the Golden Leaf, Rising Star, and RT Career Achievement, and RITA finalist. Patricia is a past-president of Novelists, Inc., as well as a long-time member of the Washington Romance Writers and Authors Guild.

After twenty-plus years at the Post, she left to write full-time, settling in Northern Kentucky. In addition to writing, she reads, gardens, teaches writing courses and spends an inordinate amount of time at the dog park with her collie Kalli.

To learn more about Patricia's books, visit her website www.PatriciaMcLinn.com, including a section on the Winter Olympics, the setting for her novel The Games. For more on all her books, including a printable booklist, click here