Huntley Fitzpatrick

Born to parents who read anything and everything, the young, shy and nearsighted Huntley found herself searching for books that let her fall in love... with the story and the boy. It was only natural that one day she would decide to pursue a career in writing. In whole-hearted support, her father presented her with a typewriter, a package of Lucky Strike cigarettes, a bottle of Scotch and a note advising her to "Be Bold, Be Bold, Be Bold." For her tenth birthday. Skipping the Scotch and the smokes, she began to write. Her first story involved a family with twenty children who lived by the ocean. The parents were twenty-two. To this day, some things remain constant in Huntley's life: her love of family, salt air, summer and beaches and a shaky grasp of math. In her teenage years, Huntley's writing involved forcing friends to listen to her stories. At times this involved a twenty-page analysis of a two minute conversation with her current crush and included such phrases as "Pause. Silence. Much audible blushing." Already, she was well on the path to exploring the paradoxical emotions involved in first love and true love. Sometimes we get lucky and they are the same thing. Huntley spent her college years majoring in Shakespeare and completing a minor in daydreaming, following which she spent time working as a waitress, a caterer, a publicist's minion, a bartender, an account firm assistant, romance novel editor, and co-owner of a café. Along the way she, too, fell in love. Today, Huntley lives on the coast of Massachusetts with her encouraging husband and their six energetic children who, thankfully, let her pick their brains, advising her on whatever is currently cool and reminding her of what always matters. In between – and sometimes during – the moments of chaos that surround her large family, Huntley can often be seen dashing to her computer or scribbling with whatever writing implements are on hand—lipstick or eyebrow pencil on an ATM receipt is fair game. Thoughts of young love are never far from her mind. And she'd love to hear yours: Huntley@huntleyfitzpatrick.com