In memory of Patricia Matthews

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Patricia (Anne Klein, née Ernst) Brisco Matthews (1927-2006) and her husband, Clayton (1918-2004), had been heralded as "the hottest couple in paperbacks," by People magazine. The name Patricia Matthews appeared with astounding regularity on bestseller lists. Five of the ten historical romance were in the one-million category of paperbook books. Patricia's Love series for Pinnacle Books have sold over fifteen million copies. Clayton's successful titles included Dallas, Harvesters, and The Power Seekers.

A native Californian, Patricia Ernst was born on July 1,1927, a moon child, a dreamer with a penchant for creativity. She was raised in San Fernando. According to her, "The valley then was nothing but cattle ranches and tumbleweeds, and the area was used by film studios to film Westerns." A child performer, her mother thought she might become another Shirley Temple and enrolled her in a famous Meglin Kiddies school. "I still enjoy music today," said Patty, who recorded two of her songs professionally and sang them for the demo tape.

Patricia met Matt at a local writer's group in California. It was a collaboration at first sight and their meeting soon resulted in two novels: a fantasy and a juvenile tale. Real-life romance followed and after his divorce from his first wife; the couple married in 1971 and moved into their residence in San Diego, California, with a new cat, Pywacket.

The Patricia Matthews historical romances came about in 1976 at the suggestion of the Matthews's agent, Jay Garon "Until this time Patty had been content writing Gothic mysteries, fantasy and mystery short stories, juvenile books a play, and poetry using the name Patty Brisco and P. A Brisco " Matt recalled, his eyes clear and thoughtful behind his spectacle's.

Clayton died in 2004. Patricia died at 5:30 a.m. on December 07, 2006 in the familiar house of Brisco in Arizona.

To read more:

http://rosaromance.splinder.com/post/19259558/

Comments

[zamaxfield.livejournal.com]

I remember them. They were local around Southern California when I was in college, attending writers club meetings, and they were kind of like paperback novel royalty. It's possible I even met Clayton. Back in those days I thought writers were such romantic figures. Turns out they were people, who knew?

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

For both of them was the second marriage, but it seems that they found the right partner, for work and love, in each other. Elisa