Patricia Maxwell, née Patricia Anne Ponder (born March 9, 1942 near Goldonna, Louisiana

Goldonna, Louisiana

Goldonna is a village in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 457 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Natchitoches Micropolitan Statistical Area...

) is a best-selling American author of over fifty novels. A member of the Romance Writers of America

Romance Writers of America

Romance Writers of America is a national non-profit genre writers association. It provides networking and support to individuals seriously pursuing a career in romance fiction and supports top authors such as Nora Roberts and Judith McNaught.-History:...

 Hall of Fame and the Affaire de Coeur Romance Hall of Fame, Maxwell has received numerous awards for her writing. Her first novel in the romance genre, Love's Wild Desire, became a New York Times Bestseller.

Maxwell has published books under five different names. Using her real name, Patricia Maxwell, she writes Gothic mystery-suspense romances; she wrote one book in collaboration with Carol Albritton, that was published under Elizabeth Trehearne, under her maiden name, Patricia Ponder, she wrote a murder mystery and a romantic suspense story, as Maxine Patrick, she wrote contemporary romances and as Jennifer Blake she writes historical romance

Historical romance

Historical romance is a subgenre of two literary genres, the romance novel and the historical novel.-Definition:Historical romance is set before World War II...

s. Many of her books are set in her native Louisiana.

Early years

Maxwell is a seventh generation Louisianan of English, Irish, Welsh, Scots-German, French and American Indian descent. She was born in a one hundred-twenty year old house constructed by her grandparents near Goldonna. She spent her childhood on a 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) farm in Northern Louisiana. Through her mother, who belonged to a mail order book club, Maxwell was introduced at an early age to adult mysteries, westerns, historical novels, and romances. As a young teenager, she volunteered at the school library, further cementing her love of the written word.

At age 15, the former Patricia Ponder married, took her husband's surname of Maxwell, and became a housewife, and soon, a mother. She began writing one morning when she was 21, attempting to describe a very vivid dream she'd had that was set in historical Scotland. She took a six-week correspondence course on writing and began practicing as much as she could.

Writing career

For the next seven years, Maxwell sold various poems, articles, and short stories before deciding to take the time to write a novel. Her husband was very supportive of her efforts, even buying her a typewriter to make the work easier. After objectively looking at her maiden work, though, Maxwell decided that it was not good enough to sell, and promptly started on a second manuscript. This one sold in 1970, to the first publisher who actually read it. A stunned Maxwell used her first check to buy a greenhouse—something she had long wanted.

Maxwell's early works, published under her own name, were mystery suspense novels. In the mid-1970s, this type of novel became less popular, and Maxwell suddenly had trouble selling new works. After two years of struggling to find another niche, Maxwell was asked to write a proposal for an emerging genre, historical romance. Her first novel in this genre, Love's Wild Desire, became a New York Times Bestseller under the pseudonym Jennifer Blake (so that fans of her previous work would not be confused).

Maxwell has now been churning out novels as Jennifer Blake for over 30 years. She writes both contemporary romance novels as well as historicals, many of them set between 1830-1850. The vast majority of her novels are set in Louisiana.

Personal life

Maxwell writes for six hours a day, five days a week in her home office, usually completing one book each year. In her spare time, she enjoys collecting antiques, painting, and quilting. Because she is allergice to many chemicals, she and her husband maintain a small organic garden to cultivate their own produce. They also grow antique roses.

Maxwell and her husband live in Northern Louisiana, with a second home in Colorado. They have four children and several grandchildren.

Single novels

• The Secret of the Mirror House, 1970
• Stranger at Plantation Inn, 1971
• The Bewitching Grace, 1973
• The Court of the Thorn Tree, 1973
• Dark Masquerade, 1974
• Bride of a Stranger, 1974
• Love's Wild Desire, 1977
• The Notorious Angel, 1977
• Sweet Piracy, 1978
• Night of the Candles, 1978

Single novels

• The Abducted Heart, 1978
• Bayou Bride, 1978
• The hired wife, 1978
• Snowbound Heart, 1979
• Captive Kisses, 1980
• Love at Sea, 1980
• April of Enchantment, 1981

Single novels

• Tender Betrayal, 1979
• The Storm and the Splendor, 1979
• Golden Fancy, 1980
• Embrace and Conquer, 1981
• Midnight Waltz, 1984
• Surrender in Moonlight, 1984
• Fierce Eden, 1985
• Prisoner of Desire, 1986
• Louisiana Dawn, 1987
• Southern Rapture, 1987
• Perfume of Paradise, 1988
• Love and Smoke, 1989
• Spanish Serenade, 1990
• Joy and Anger, 1991
• Wildest Dreams, 1992
• Arrow to the Heart, 1993
• Shameless, 1994
• Silver-Tongued Devil, 1995
• Tigress, 1996
• Garden of Scandal, 1997

Louisiana's Gentlemen Benedict Series

1. Kane, 1998
2. Luke, 1999
3. Roan, 2000
4. Clay, 2001
5. "Adam" in With a Southern Touch, 2002
6. Wade, 2002

Masters at Arms Series

1. Challenge to Honor, 2005
2. Dawn Encounter, 2006
3. Rogue's Salute, 2007
4. Guarded Heart, 2008
5. Gallant Match, 2009

Anthologies in collaboration

• "Dream Lover" in A Dream Come True, 1994 (with Georgina Gentry, Shirl Henke
  Shirl Henke
  Shirl Henke is an American best-selling author of contemporary and historical romance novels. She has eclectic tastes and has written historical, contemporary, western, and regency-themed books. She also writes mystery novels using the pen name Alexa Hunt...
  
  , Anita Mills and Becky Lee Weyrich)
• "Besieged Heart" in Secret of the Heart, 1994 (with Madeline Baker, Georgina Gentry, Shirl Henke
  Shirl Henke
  Shirl Henke is an American best-selling author of contemporary and historical romance novels. She has eclectic tastes and has written historical, contemporary, western, and regency-themed books. She also writes mystery novels using the pen name Alexa Hunt...
  
   and Patricia Rice)
• "The Warlock's Daughter" in Star-Dust, 1994
• "Reservations" in Honeymoon Suite, 1995 (with Margaret Brownley, Ruth Jean Dale
  Ruth Jean Dale
  Betty Lee Duran was a popular U.S. writer of romance novels. She started writing as Ruth Jean Dale, and now, she writes as Lee Duran....
  
   and Sheryl Lynn)
• "Out of the Dark" in A Purrfect Romance!, 1995 (with Robin Lee Hatcher and Susan Wiggs
  Susan Wiggs
  Susan Wiggs is an American author of historical and contemporary romance novels.-Early years:Wiggs began writing as a child, finishing her first novel, A Book About Some Bad Kids, when she was eight. She temporarily abandoned her dream of being a novelist after graduating from Harvard University,...
  
  )
• "Pieces of Dreams" in The Quilting Circle, 1996 (with Jo Anne Cassidy, Joanne Cassity, Christina Cordaire and Linda Shertzer)
• A Vision of Sugarplums in Joyous Season, 1996 (with Olga Bicos, Hannah Howell
  Hannah Howell
  Hannah Dustin Howell is a best-selling American author of over 40 historical romance novels. Many of her novels are set in medieval Scotland...
  
   and Fern Michaels
  Fern Michaels
  Fern Michaels is an American author of romance and thriller novels, including nearly 50 best selling books with more than 70 million copies in print...
  
  )
• "Love in Three-Quarter Time" in Unmasked, 1997 (with Janet Dailey
  Janet Dailey
  Janet Anne Haradon Dailey is an American author of numerous romance novels as Janet Dailey . Her novels have been translated into nineteen languages and have sold over 300 million copies worldwide....
  
   and Elizabeth Gage
  Elizabeth Gage
  Elizabeth Gage Commonly known as Missy, who is 12, is related to Alan. He runs crosscountry. a British jewellery designer and trained master goldsmith that has been creating collectable jewellery for over 40 years....
  
  )
• "John 'Rip' Peterson" in Southern Gentleman, 1998 (with Emilie Richards
  Emilie Richards
  Emilie Richards is an American author of over 50 contemporary romance and mystery novels.- Early years :Emilie Richards was born in Bethesda, Maryland and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida. After receiving an undergraduate degree in American studies from Florida State University, Richards earned a...
  
  )
• With a Southern Touch, 2002 (with Heather Graham
  Heather Graham Pozzessere
  Heather Graham Pozzessere is a best-selling US writer, who writes primarily romance novels...
  
   and Diana Palmer
  Diana Palmer (author)
  Susan Kyle, née Susan Eloise Spaeth is an award winning American writer well-known as Diana Palmer, who has published romantic novels since 1979. She has also written romances as Diana Blayne, Katy Currie, and under her married name Susan Kyle and a science fiction novel as Susan S...
  
  )
• "Pieces of Dreams" in With Love, 2002 (with Kristin Hannah
  Kristin Hannah
  Kristin Hannah is an award-winning and bestselling American writer, who has won numerous awards, including the Golden Heart, the Maggie, and the 1996 National Reader's Choice award.-Biography:...
  
   and Linda Lael Miller
  Linda Lael Miller
  Linda Lael Miller , is a best-selling American author of more than seventy contemporary and historical romance novels. She has also written under the pen name Lael St. James.-Personal life:...
  
  )

Awards

• Inducted into Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame
• 1997 Frank Waters Award for Writing Excellence
• 1997 Holt Medallion, Southern Theme, Virginia Romance Writers: SILVER-TONGUED DEVIL
• 1995 "Climbing Rose" Award, North Louisiana Romance Authors
• 1995 Lifetime Honorary Membership, Coeur de Louisiane, Inc. Writers Club
• 1994 Romance Hall of Fame, Affaire de Coeur Magazine
• 1994 Reviewer’s Choice Winner, Affaire de Coeur: SHAMELESS
• 1993-1994 Reviewer’s Choice Certificate of Excellence, Romantic Times: SHAMELESS
• 1992-1993 Reviewer’s Choice Certificate of Excellence, Romantic Times: ARROW TO THE HEART
• 1991-1992 Reviewer’s Choice Certificate of Excellence, Romantic Times: WILDEST DREAMS
• 1988 Keynote Speaker, Romance Writers of America National Conference
• 1988 Honorary Membership, Romance Writers of America
• 1988 Silver Plume Award, Affaire de Coeur: SOUTHERN RAPTURE 1988 Best Colonial Romance, Romantic Times: LOUISIANA DAWN
• 1987 Golden Treasure Award, Lifetime Achievement, Romance Writers of America
• 1987 "Maggie" Award, Georgia Romance Writers: SOUTHERN RAPTURE
• 1987 "Climbing Rose" Award, North Louisiana Romance Authors
• 1985 "Maggie" Award, Georgia Romance Writers: MIDNIGHT WALTZ
• 1985 Historical Romance Author of the Year, Romantic Times

External links

• Jennifer Blake at Fantastic Fiction