ROWELL, Patricia Frances 1937- (Patti Rowell)

PERSONAL:

Born June 30, 1937, in Lufkin, TX; daughter of Willard Houghton (an engineer) and Mary Edna (a teacher; maiden name, Butler) Moore; married second husband, Johnny Parker Rowell, November 2, 1986; children: (first marriage) Andrew Nathaniel Annand, James Houghton Annand, John Adam Annand; (second marriage; stepchildren) John Parker, Jr., George Richmond, William Dean, Darlene Rowell Hussman. Education: University of Texas, B.A., 1958. Hobbies and other interests: Photography, reading, studying "all manner of subjects from archaeology to herbal medicine to psychology."

ADDRESSES:

Agent—c/o Author Mail, Harlequin Enterprises, P.O. Box 5190, Buffalo, NY 14240-5190. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer. Formerly owner of a telephone service and a bridal shop in Shreveport, LA; also worked as a marketing representative for the telephone company in Shreveport.

MEMBER:

Romance Writers of America (Kiss of Death chapter), North Louisiana Storytellers and Authors of Romance, Phi Beta Kappa.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Daphne Award, Kiss of Death chapter, Romance Writers of America, 2001; RITA Award nomination, Romance Writers of America, 2003.

WRITINGS:

(Under name Patti Rowell) A Perilous Attraction (romance novel), Harlequin Enterprises (Buffalo, NY), 2002.

(Under name Patti Rowell) A Dangerous Seduction (romance novel), Harlequin Enterprises (Buffalo, NY), 2003.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

Three historical romance novels, for Harlequin Enterprises (Buffalo, NY).

SIDELIGHTS:

Patricia Frances Rowell told CA: "I write because I am a born storyteller. My desire is to present exciting stories about a variety of individuals, not just to use the same personalities over and over. My stories are fairly dark mysteries. They are about a man and a woman who fall in love as they solve the mystery. I feel very unsatisfied when I read stories that have no love interest. It is very important to me to show the hero and heroine solving their problems in realistic and healthy ways. Love does NOT conquer all.

"My Harlequin historical stories presently reflect the themes of earth, air, fire, and water. For example, A Perilous Attraction has a fiery, emotional heroine and a hero who is restrained to the point of being deadpan. A Dangerous Seduction has a heroine who 'goes with the flow.' The hero is angry and controlling, until she hits him like a bucket of warm water. The air book will have a suppressed, intellectual heroine and a down-to-earth hero. The heroine of the earth book will be an earth mother, while the hero is a soldier weary of death. You get the idea."