Patricia Anne Klein Ernst was born on 1 July 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 Matthews 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 the Clayton's agent, Jay Garon, she began to write romance novels under her second married name, Patricia Matthews in 1976. 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 South, westat 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 in 25 March 2004. Patricia Anne Brisco Matthews died at 5:30 a.m. 7 December 2006 in the familiar house of Brisco in Arizona.
53 works Add another?
Most Editions | First Published | Most Recent
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Love's avenging heart
9 editions - first published in 1976 Borrow -
Dancer of dreams
7 editions - first published in 1983 Borrow -
Flames of glory
7 editions - first published in 1982 Borrow -
Midnight whispers
6 editions - first published in 1981 -
Tides of love
6 editions - first published in 1981 -
Embers of dawn
6 editions - first published in 1982 Borrow -
Love, forever more
6 editions - first published in 1977 Borrow -
Love's wildest promise
6 editions - first published in 1977 Borrow -
Mirrors
6 editions - first published in 1988 Borrow -
Love's golden destiny
5 editions - first published in 1979 Borrow -
Love's bold journey
5 editions - first published in 1980 Borrow -
Love's raging tide
5 editions - first published in 1980 Borrow -
Tame the restless heart
4 editions - first published in 1986 -
Gambler in love
4 editions - first published in 1985 Borrow -
Love's pagan heart
4 editions - first published in 1978 Borrow -
Love's magic moment
4 editions - first published in 1979 Borrow -
Love's sweet agony
4 editions - first published in 1980 Borrow -
Taste of evil
4 editions - first published in 1993 Borrow -
Thursday and the lady
4 editions - first published in 1987 -
The scent of fear
3 editions - first published in 1992 -
Love's Daring Dream
3 editions - first published in 1979 -
Midnight Lavender
3 editions - first published in 1985 -
The sound of murder
3 editions - first published in 1994 -
Enchanted
3 editions - first published in 1987 Borrow -
Mist of Evil
3 editions - first published in 1990 Borrow -
Vision of death
3 editions - first published in 1993 Borrow -
The dreaming tree
3 editions - first published in 1989 -
The Death of Love
2 editions - first published in 1990 -
The Night Visitor
2 editions - first published in 1988 -
Sapphire
2 editions - first published in 1989 -
The crystal window
2 editions - first published in 1973 -
Patricia Matthews
1 edition - first published in 1981 -
Promesa Salvaje
1 edition - first published in 1993 -
Twister!
1 edition - first published in 1993 -
Agonia de Amor
1 edition - first published in 1995 -
Amor Pagano
1 edition - first published in 1995 -
Touch of Terror
1 edition - first published in 1995 -
Love's Magic Moments
1 edition - first published in 1985 -
Suenos De Amor/Loves Daring Dream
1 edition - first published in 1940 -
La Promesse sauvage
1 edition - first published in 1999 -
Love's many faces
1 edition - first published in 1979 -
Maîtresse de Malvern
1 edition - first published in 1999 -
Destruction at Dawn (Flashback Disasters)
1 edition - first published in 1987 -
Round the World With Teddy Edward
1 edition - first published in 1981 -
Violenta Tempestad de Amor
1 edition - first published in 1991 -
The Unquiet
1 edition - first published in 1991 -
Destruction at dawn
1 edition - first published in 1993 -
Rendezvous at midnight
1 edition - first published in 2002 -
Raging rapids
1 edition - first published in 1978 -
The Night Visitor
1 edition - first published in 1990 -
Practice Plan and Write: Guide Composition for Student of English
1 edition - first published in 1973 -
Love's Bold Journey
1 edition - first published in 1983 -
Love's Sweet Agony
1 edition - first published in 1986
Subjects
Places
Links (outside Open Library)
Alternative names
- Patricia Anne Klein Ernst Brisco Matthews
- Patricia Ernst
- P. A. Brisco
- Patty Brisco
- Pat A. Brisco
- Pat Brisco
- Patricia Matthews
- Laura Wylie
- Denise Matthews
History Created April 1, 2008 · 11 revisions
| April 8, 2013 | Edited by E-Romance | Edited without comment. |
| August 29, 2011 | Edited by E-Romance | Added new photo |
| August 29, 2011 | Edited by E-Romance | Update photos |
| April 18, 2011 | Edited by E-Romance | merge authors |
| April 1, 2008 | Created by an anonymous user | initial import |