Early years

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]

Writing career

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]

Personal life

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]

As Patricia Maxwell

As Elizabeth Trehearne

As Patricia Ponder

As Maxine Patrick

As Jennifer Blake