Patricia (Anne Klein, née Ernst) Brisco Matthews (July 1, 1927, in San Fernando, California, United States – December 7, 2006, in Prescott, Arizona, United States) was an American writer of gothic, romance and mystery novels. She wrote under the pen names P.A. Brisco, Patty Brisco, Pat A. Brisco, Pat Brisco, Patricia Matthews and Laura Wylie. She collaborated with her second husband, Clayton Matthews, on romance and mystery (suspense) novels; they were called "the hottest couple in paperbacks.".
Biography Patricia Anne Klein Ernst was born on July 1, 1927, in San Fernando, California, the daughter of Roy Oliver Ernst and Gladys Gable. 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, where she worked as secretary to the General Manager of Associated Students by the California State College.
On 21 December 1946 she married Marvin Owen Brisco, they had two sons: Michael Arvie and David Roy. By 1961, the marriage had ended in divorce. Focused on her writing career, she met the writer Clayton Matthews in a local writers' group. After Matthews divorced his first wife, he and Patricia married on 3 November 1972 and lived near San Diego.
Matthews 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 Matthews' agent, Jay Garon, she began to write romance novels under her second married name, Patricia Matthews. 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.
In 1989 they moved to Prescott, Arizona where they were involved in local theater productions and even produced a play of their own.Son of Patricia Matthews Her husband Clayton died on 25 March 2004. Patricia died on December 7, 2006, in the Brisco family home in Prescott, Arizona.
Awards
1983 Reviewers Choice Awards for Best Historical Gothic 1986-87 Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Readers Award
Bibliography
As P.A. Brisco
Single Novel Harold Jensen's Hope Chest, 1959
As Patty Brisco
Single Novels Horror at Gull House, 1969 Merry's Treasure, 1969 The Crystal Window, 1973 House of Candles, 1973 Mist of Evil, 1976 Raging Rapids, 1978 Too Much In Love, 1979
As Pat A. Brisco
Single Novels The Other People, 1970
As Pat Brisco
Single Novels The Carnival Mystery, 1974 Campus mystery, 1978
As Patricia Matthews
Hannah Bilogy Love's Avenging Heart, 1976 Dance of Dreams, 1983
Single Novels Love Forever More, 1977 Love's Wildest Promise, 1977 Love's Daring Dream, 1978 Love's Pagan Heart, 1978 Love's Golden Destiny, 1979 Love's Magic Moments , 1979 Love's Bold Journey, 1980 Love's Raging Tide, 1980 Love's Sweet Agony, 1980 Tides of Love, 1981 Embers of Dawn, 1982 Flames of Glory, 1982 Gambler in Love, 1984 Tame the Restless Heart, 1985 Thursday and the Lady, 1987 Enchanted, 1987 Mirrors, 1988 Oasis, 1988 Sapphire, 1989 The Dreaming Tree, 1989 The Death of Love, 1990 The Unquiet, 1991 Dead Man Riding, 1999 Death in the Desert, 1999 Secret of Secco Canyon, 1998 Rendezvous at Midnight, 2004
Poems Love's Many Faces, 1979
Single novels with Clayton Matthews Midnight Whispers, 1981 Empire, 1982 Midnight Lavender, 1985
Casey Farrell Series with Clayton Matthews The Scent of Fear, 1992 Vision of Death, 1993 Taste of Evil, 1994 Sound of Murder, 1994 Touch of Terror, 1995
Anthologies in collaboration On Wings of Magic, 1994 (with Andre Norton and Sasha Miller)
As Laura Wylie
Single Novel The Night Visitor, 1979
References and sources
Patricia Matthews's Webpage in Fantastic Fiction Goodbye to Patricia Matthews in Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. Website International Who's Who of Authors and Writers 2004 by Taylor & Francis Group, Elizabeth Sleeman, Alison Neale