Patricia Cornwell

Patricia Cornwell was born Patricia Carroll Daniels in 1956 in Miami, Florida. Undaunted long term by the depression and anorexia she suffered during her teens, Ms. Cornwell attributes these problems to family issues, being placed into foster care, and as being the plight of creative individuals in general. Much later in life she was diagnosed as suffering from Bipolar Disorder.

After attaining a B.A. in English from Davidson College, Cornwell married one of her professors, a Charles Cornwell, though was divorced in 1989.

Her first published work was a biography of Billy Graham's wife, Ruth, which was published in subsequent editions of the Charlotte Observer where Ms. Cornwell worked as a reporter.

Later, her work for the Chief Medical Examiner Of Virginia's office and the Richmond Police Department, served to prepare Ms. Cornwell to write her first successful mystery novel, Postmortem, in 1990. Since it's publication, Ms. Cornwell has published novels most years to date, all very successful, proving the existence of a huge fan base.

Her first publication, Postmortem won her the distinguished title of being the first author to win the Edgar Award, the Anthony Award, the Macavity Award and the French Prix du Roman d'Adventure Award all in a single year. At the age of only 52, one can easily assume that Patricia Cornwell's literary career has just begun.

1. "Benton Wesley was taking off his running shoes in my kitchen when I ran to him, my heart tripping over fear and hate and remembered horror"
2. "I know from Lucy's voice that she is scared. Rarely is my brilliant, forceful, helicopter-piloting, fitness-obsessed, federal-law-enforcement-agent niece scared"
3. "Night fell clean and cold in Dublin, and wind moaned beyond my room as if a million pipes played the air"
4. "On the last morning of Virginia's bloodiest year since the Civil War, I built a fire and sat facing a window of darkness where at sunrise I knew I would find the sea"
5. "That morning, summer sulked and gathered darkly over Charlotte, and heat shimmered on pavement. Traffic teemed, people pushing forward to promise as they drove through new construction, and the past was bulldozed away"

Patricia Cornwell was born Patricia Carroll Daniels in 1956 in Miami, Florida. Undaunted long term by the depression and anorexia she suffered during her teens, Ms. Cornwell attributes these problems to family issues, being placed into foster care, and as being the plight of creative individuals in general. Much later in life she was diagnosed as suffering from Bipolar Disorder.

After attaining a B.A. in English from Davidson College, Cornwell married one of her professors, a Charles Cornwell, though was divorced in 1989.

</small> Her first published work was a biography of Billy Graham's wife, Ruth, which was published in subsequent editions of the Charlotte Observer where Ms. Cornwell worked as a reporter.

Later, her work for the Chief Medical Examiner Of Virginia's office and the Richmond Police Department, served to prepare Ms. Cornwell to write her first successful mystery novel, Postmortem, in 1990. Since it's publication, Ms. Cornwell has published novels most years to date, all very successful, proving the existence of a huge fan base.

</small> Her first publication, Postmortem won her the distinguished title of being the first author to win the Edgar Award, the Anthony Award, the Macavity Award and the French Prix du Roman d'Adventure Award all in a single year. At the age of only 52, one can easily assume that Patricia Cornwell's literary career has just begun.

1. Name: Patricia Carroll Daniels

2. Born: June 9, 1956, Miami, Florida

3. Descendant of Harriet Beecher Stowe

4. First three novels rejected

5. First novel published Postmortem

6. Was mentored by Ruth Graham

7. Novel's heroine, Kay Scarpetta's life parallels Cornwells

1. </small>

2. "Benton Wesley was taking off his running shoes in my kitchen when I ran to him, my heart tripping over fear and hate and remembered horror"

3. "I know from Lucy's voice that she is scared. Rarely is my brilliant, forceful, helicopter-piloting, fitness-obsessed, federal-law-enforcement-agent niece scared"

4. "Night fell clean and cold in Dublin, and wind moaned beyond my room as if a million pipes played the air"

5. "On the last morning of Virginia's bloodiest year since the Civil War, I built a fire and sat facing a window of darkness where at sunrise I knew I would find the sea"

6. "That morning, summer sulked and gathered darkly over Charlotte, and heat shimmered on pavement. Traffic teemed, people pushing forward to promise as they drove through new construction, and the past was bulldozed away"

7. </note>

• Sites in the Following List Require Paid Subscription After Free Viewing Period

• BookRags: Unnatural Exposure Study Guide

• BookRags: Postmortem Study Guide

• eNotes: Patricia Cornwell Study Guides

• BookRags: Black Notice Study Guide

• BookRags: Southern Cross Study Guide

• 1956: June 9, Born Patricia Carroll Daniels, Miami, Florida

• 1961: Moved to Montreat, North Carolina

• 1979: Began work as reporter for Charlotte Observer

• 1983: Biography of Ruth Graham published in editions of Observer

• 1984: Begins work in office of chief medical examiner of Virginia

• 1989: Divorced from husband, Charles Cornwell

• 1991: First Scarpetta novel, Postmortem published

• 1991: Distinquished by winning Edgar, Anthony, and Macavity Awards in one year for Postmortem

• 1994: Wins Gold Daggar for Cruel and Unusual

• 2002: Controversial Portait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper published

• 2006: Moves to Richmond, Virginia

• 2008: Signs deal with Lifetime to make films of two novels