University:

King College, TN University, located in Bristol, Tennessee, United States.
BA Literature, Davidson College (1979). Davidson College is located 19 miles north of Charlotte,North Carolina, United States.
In high school she developed a passion for tennis. Considered once to be a professional.

While in high school, Cornwell also participated in many other activities (secretary-treasurer of her school's chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a member of the Student Council, Inter-nation Simulation Team; Shawano Court, and was a member of the Beta Club).

Trivia:
A descendant of author Harriet Beecher Stowe (Born: June 14, 1811, Litchfield, Connecticut. Died: July 1, 1896, Hartford, Connecticut, United States. She wrote poems, travel books, biographical sketches, and children's books, as well as adult novels. She met and corresponded with people as varied as Lady Byron, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and George Eliot.)

"It is important to me to live in the world I write about," says Patricia Cornwell. "If I want a character to do or know something, I want to do or know the same thing."

Gaining Work and Life Experience Promotion from the Charlotte Observer took Cornwell into the newsroom as a clerk. Patricia Cornwell worked her way forward to become a beat reporter, having the police beat as her main duty. During this time, writing as Patsy Daniels, Patricia Cornwell won an investigative reporting award from the North Carolina Press Association for her published series on local prostitution.

1983: She published her biography of Ruth Graham: "A Time For Remembering".

1984: Patricia Cornwell took a job as a part time technical writer in the Virginia Medical Examiner's Office.

1985: This biography "A Time For Remembering" won Gold Medallion Book Award for biography by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.

1989: She becomes a full time computer analyst for the Virginia Medical Examiner's Office (a friend from Richmond told her that she should talk to a medical examiner to get an insider's view of the forensic sciences. This medical examiner send her to Dr. Marcella Fierro, the Chief M.E. of Virginia and then the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia. She became a voluntary Police Officer).

Patricia Cornwell has experienced many challenges in her life: anorexia and bulimia, manic depression, rape by a law enforcement officer when she was a young crime reporter.

1983: A car wreck when she was driving whilst intoxicated.

After the success of her first book, Patricia Cornwell wrote 3 novels in four years. They all were rejected by several publishers.

She wrote to Sara Ann Freed (Editor at Mysterious Press the only one who gave her encouragement). She made one suggestion, but what for one! To expand the Role of Kay Scarpetta and to write about the world she knew best: Forensic Science.

1990: Scribners bought "Potsmortem" for $6,000. The book happened to be a best seller. (It was the first novel to win Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, Macavity, and the French Prix du Roman d'Adventure in a single year).

1991: March she signed a $385,000 deal for the aperback rights of her second novel: "Body of Evidence" (what an increase if we compare this summe with the one she received for her original novel!).

1992: The Chicago Tribune reported that Columbia Pictures had purchases the rights to "Cruel and Unusual" for a seven-figure sum (with,at this time, Demi Moore taking the leading role in the movie
version of this bestseller). It never happened. But the fans of Patricia Cornwell worldwide have already an idea (if one day a film is made) as who should play Skay Carpetta: Glen Glose or Susan Sarandon. Just to name a few !

1995: Patricia Cornwell signed a three book deal (worth $24 million) with Putnam Berkley Group.

1996: "Cause of Death" was published in July.

1997: January : A "non-Scarpetta" mystery "Hornet's Nest" was released.

Her former spouse, Charles Cornwell, edited her book "Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper,Case Closed".

Today Patricia Cornwell lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her Boston Terrier, Chopper. She splits her time between Richmond, Virginia and Los Angeles, California.

What I read about Patricia Cornwell said that:

"She has kept her link to Davidson College and sponsors scholarships to Davidson students with exceptional abilities in creative writing".

"Perhaps Cornwell's most significant contribution to date is the role she played in the creation of the Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine (the nation's first institution to train forensic scientists and pathologists)".

"In addition to her $1.5 million donation, Patricia Cornwell has worked to involve top-notch scientists and pathologists in creating what she hopes will become the 'Johns Hopkins of forensic science and medical training."

"Patricia Cornwell supports several institutions that are concerned with forensic research, victim's support, and animal rescue".

Personal Quotes:

"All cruelty in life is about abuse of power".

"It is important to me to live in the world I write about. If I want a character to do or know something, I want to do or know the same thing"

"When I was at college there were two things I vowed I'd never do. One was go to a funeral and the other was deal with computers. And then I ended up being a computer programmer in a morgue."

"To almost die is to know that one day you will, and to never again feel the same about anything."

"Enlightenment; do no harm; and leave the world a better place than you found it".

Andy Brazil
1996: Hornet's Nest
1998: Southern Cross
2001: Isle of Dogs

Kay Scarpetta
1990: Postmortem
1991: Body of Evidence
1992: All That Remains
1993: Cruel and Unusual
1994: The Body Farm
1995: From Potter's Field
1996: Cause of Death
1997: Unnatural Exposure
1998: Winter Table
1998: Point of Origin
1999: Black Notice
2000: The Last Precinct
2003: Blow Fly
2004: Trace
2005: Predator