Patricia McLinn

Patricia McLinn’s books have put her name on bestseller lists and her journalism career took her to The Washington Post for 20-mumble-mumble years. But it all started with secrets. She learned to read at a tender age as a matter of self-preservation, because older siblings spelled words to keep secrets from her. Once Patricia discovered that the magic of written words allowed her to know people she hadn’t met and experience places she hadn’t visited, she was hooked. She wanted to be a novelist from then on, though there was a detour. She received a BA in English Composition from Northwestern University. (Have you ever seen a job posting for an English Composition major? No. And you never will.) With her parents holding out for more practical pursuits, she added a masters in journalism from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism in her fourth year. (Two degrees for the price of one!) Not willing to be too practical, she became a sportswriter at a time when women doing that was quite rare, starting at the Rockford (Ill.) Register-Star and becoming assistant sports editor at the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer before moving on to The Washington Post. But the dream of writing fiction kept calling. And journalism proved an excellent training ground, with enduring lessons in clarity, dialogue, research, drama, deadlines, conflict. Plus, it provided lots of characters. Lots and lots of characters. Patricia has published more than 60 novels, with the characters for many more impatiently tapping their feet in the waiting room. Her books often include dry humor in exploring the resilience of people – whether in murder mysteries, romance, romantic suspense or women’s fiction. For more on Patricia’s books -- as well as on her hopeful-gardening, dog-loving, book-collecting, old movie-watching ways -- join her readers list at https://www.patriciamclinn.com/signups