I am a native of South Jersey, of Italian descent, and have a large extended family on both sides of my family tree. After college, I spent the next ten years working as a reporter for local newspapers, covering everything from entertainment to criminal cases at the county courthouse. While I was fortunate enough to work with people who honed my passion for the written word, I eventually drifted out of the newspaper business into the world of museums, which is a story for another day. Since 2003, I have written nine non-fiction books. The past few months have been especially exciting because I have hit the writing trifecta: In November, The Fantastic Castle of Vineland: George Daynor and the Palace Depression, was released, and my first novel, Rim Road, is scheduled to appear in January 2013. In February 2013, Stackpole Books will release The Big Book of New Jersey Ghost Stories, co-authored with my good friend, Dr. Charles A. Stansfield, Jr. I have a number of other interests that include travel, reading, t'ai chi, and collecting antiques but I am consumed by writing. If I don't write, I don't breathe properly. Fortunately, there is always another story to tell. For more information, visit my web site at www.patriciaamartinelli.com.
