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Last edited by MARC Bot
September 27, 2020 | History

Patricia Matthews

Patricia Anne Klein Ernst was born on July 1, 1927 in San Fernando, California, USA, the daughter of Gladys Gable and Roy Oliver Ernst. Her mother enrolled her in the famous Meglin Kiddies school, but she recorded only two of her songs professionally for one demo tape. She studied at California State University, Los Angeles, were she worked as secretary to the General Manager of Associated Students by the California State College.

In 21 December 1946, she married Marvin Owen Brisco and moved to Arizona, they had two sons: Michael Arvie and David Roy. By 1961, the marriage had ended in divorce. Focused on her writing career, she returned to California, where she met the writer Clayton Matthews in a local writers' group. After Clayton divorced his first wife, he and Patricia married in 3 November 1972 and lived near San Diego.

She started to write poetry, juvenile books, a play, fantasy and mystery short stories, which she signed under different names: Patricia Ernst, P.A. Brisco and Pat A. Brisco. Using the names Patty Brisco and Pat Brisco, she wrote gothic novels. When the market for gothic novels softened, at the suggestion of her husbland agent, Jay Garon, she began to write romance novels under her second married name, Patricia Matthews. In the 1970's, she become a popular writer, called "American's First Lady of Historical Romance". She and her husband also collaborated on several romance and suspense novels using the pseudonyms Laura Wylie and Laurie Wylie. She and her husband wrote five Casey Farrell mystery novels together, and she wrote three on her own, the Thumbprint Mysteries, set in the American Southwest, at the fourth-sixth- and eighth-grade reading levels, yet offer characters, situations, and concerns appropriate for adult readers. With Denise Hrivnak, she also wrote under the pseudonym Denise Matthews.

Her husband Clayton died on March 25, 2004. Patricia died on December 7, 2006 in the Brisco family home in Prescott, Arizona.

Born 1 July 1927
Died 7 December 2006

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  • Cover of: Love's Avenging Heart
    First published in 1976 9 editions

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  • Cover of: Love's Raging Tide

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  • Cover of: Dancer of Dreams
    First published in 1983 7 editions

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  • Cover of: Empire
    Cover of edition empire0000matt Cover of edition empire0000matt_h8c5 First published in 1982 7 editions

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  • Cover of: Flames of Glory
    First published in 1982 7 editions

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  • Cover of: Love's Bold Journey
    First published in 1980 6 editions

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  • Cover of: Love's Golden Destiny
    Cover of edition lovesgoldendesti00matt First published in 1979 6 editions

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  • Cover of: Love's Wildest Promise
    Cover of edition loveswildestprom0000matt First published in 1977 6 editions

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  • Cover of: Love, Forever More
    First published in 1977 6 editions

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  • Cover of: Mirrors
    Cover of edition mirrors00patr First published in 1988 6 editions

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  • Cover of: Midnight whispers
    First published in 1981 6 editions

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  • Cover of: Tides of Love
    First published in 1981 6 editions

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  • Cover of: Embers of dawn
    Cover of edition embersofdawn00matt First published in 1982 6 editions

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  • Cover of: Love's magic moment
    First published in 1979 5 editions

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  • Cover of: Love's pagan heart
    First published in 1978 5 editions

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  • Cover of: Oasis
    First published in 1988 5 editions

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  • Cover of: Thursday and the lady
    Cover of edition thursdaylady0000matt First published in 1987 4 editions

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  • Cover of: Gambler in love
    Cover of edition gamblerinlove1985matt First published in 1985 4 editions

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  • Cover of: Love's Sweet Agony
    First published in 1980 4 editions

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  • Cover of: Tame the restless heart
    First published in 1986 4 editions

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Born 1 July 1927
Died 7 December 2006

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September 27, 2020 Edited by MARC Bot add ISNI
May 15, 2017 Edited by MARC Bot merge authors
March 31, 2017 Edited by MARC Bot add VIAF and wikidata ID
September 4, 2013 Edited by CGN Edited without comment.
April 1, 2008 Created by an anonymous user initial import