Patricia Maxwell

Maxwell is a seventh generation Louisianan[3] of English, Irish, Welsh, Scots-German, French, and Indigenous descent.[4] She was born in a large farm house in Northern Louisiana.[5] Through her mother, who belonged to a mail order book club, Maxwell was introduced at an early age to adult mysteries, westerns, historical novels, and romances.[6] As a young teenager, she volunteered at the school library.[6]

At age 15, Patricia Ponder married and took her husband's surname of Maxwell, becoming a housewife and mother. She began writing one morning when she was 21,[3] attempting to describe a very vivid dream she'd had that was set in historical Scotland.[6] She took a six-week correspondence course on writing and began practicing as much as she could.[6]

For the next seven years, Maxwell sold various poems, articles, and short stories before deciding to take the time to write a novel.[6] After objectively assessing her first novel, Maxwell decided that it was not good enough to sell, and promptly started on a second manuscript. This one sold in 1970 and Maxwell used her first check to buy a greenhouse—something she had long wanted.[4]

Maxwell's early works, published under her own name, were mystery suspense novels.[2] In the mid-1970s, this type of novel became less popular. Maxwell suddenly had trouble selling new works.[6] After two years of struggling to find another niche, Maxwell was asked to write a proposal for an emerging genre, historical romance.[6] Her first novel in this genre, Love's Wild Desire, became a New York Times Bestseller under the pseudonym Jennifer Blake (so that fans of her previous work would not be confused).

Maxwell has been writing romance and historical novels as Jennifer Blake for over 30 years.[2] [4] The book is often set between 1830 and 1850 and take place in Louisiana.[6]

Maxwell writes for six hours a day, five days a week in her home office, usually completing one book each year.[6] In her spare time, she enjoys collecting antiques, painting, and quilting. Because she is allergic to many chemicals, she and her husband maintain a small organic garden to cultivate their own produce. They also grow antique roses.[4]

Maxwell and her husband live in Northern Louisiana,[3] with a second home in Colorado.[4] They have four children and several grandchildren.[4]

• The Secret of the Mirror House, 1970
• Stranger at Plantation Inn, 1971
• The Bewitching Grace, 1973
• The Court of the Thorn Tree, 1973
• Dark Masquerade, 1974
• Bride of a Stranger, 1974
• Love's Wild Desire, 1977
• The Notorious Angel, 1977
• Sweet Piracy, 1978
• Night of the Candles, 1978

• Storm at Midnight, 1973

• Haven of Fear, 1974
• Murder for Charity, 1974

• The Abducted Heart, 1978
• Bayou Bride, 1978
• Snowbound Heart, 1979
• Captive Kisses, 1980
• Love at Sea, 1980
• April of Enchantment, 1981

• Tender Betrayal, 1979
• The Storm and the Splendor, 1979
• Golden Fancy, 1980
• Embrace and Conquer, 1981
• Midnight Waltz, 1984
• Surrender in Moonlight, 1984
• Fierce Eden, 1985
• Prisoner of Desire, 1986
• Louisiana Dawn, 1987
• Southern Rapture, 1987
• Perfume of Paradise, 1988
• Love and Smoke, 1989
• Spanish Serenade, 1990
• Joy and Anger, 1991
• Wildest Dreams, 1992
• Arrow to the Heart, 1993
• Shameless, 1994
• Silver-Tongued Devil, 1995
• Tigress, 1996
• Garden of Scandal, 1997

1. Royal Seduction, 1983
2. Royal Passion, 1985

1. Kane, 1998
2. Luke, 1999
3. Roan, 2000
4. Clay, 2001
5. "Adam" in With a Southern Touch, 2002
6. Wade, 2002

1. Challenge to Honor, 2005
2. Dawn Encounter, 2006
3. Rogue's Salute, 2007
4. Guarded Heart, 2008
5. Gallant Match, 2009

• "Dream Lover" in A Dream Come True, 1994 (with Georgina Gentry, Shirl Henke, Anita Mills and Becky Lee Weyrich)
• "Besieged Heart" in Secret of the Heart, 1994 (with Madeline Baker, Georgina Gentry, Shirl Henke and Patricia Rice)
• "The Warlock's Daughter" in Star-Dust, 1994
• "Reservations" in Honeymoon Suite, 1995 (with Margaret Brownley, Ruth Jean Dale and Sheryl Lynn)
• "Out of the Dark" in A Purrfect Romance!, 1995 (with Robin Lee Hatcher and Susan Wiggs)
• "Pieces of Dreams" in The Quilting Circle, 1996 (with Jo Anne Cassidy, Joanne Cassity, Christina Cordaire and Linda Shertzer)
• A Vision of Sugarplums in Joyous Season, 1996 (with Olga Bicos, Hannah Howell and Fern Michaels)
• "Love in Three-Quarter Time" in Unmasked, 1997 (with Janet Dailey and Elizabeth Gage)
• "John 'Rip' Peterson" in Southern Gentleman, 1998 (with Emilie Richards)
• With a Southern Touch, 2002 (with Heather Graham and Diana Palmer)
• "Pieces of Dreams" in With Love, 2002 (with Kristin Hannah and Linda Lael Miller)