James Patterson

Received the 1968 Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role in Harold Pinter s "The Birthday Party".

2004: Residing in Palm Beach County, FL, with his wife and son.

Graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English from Manhattan College and summa cum laude with an MA in English from Vanderbilt University.

His first book was published in 1976.

He was a New York ad executive for Burger King.

He is best known for his crime thrillers featuring detective Alex Cross.

His books are checked out of UK libraries more often than those of any other author (as of 2007).

Came up with the slogan "Toys R Us Kid".

In 2007, one of every 15 hardcover novels sold was a James Patterson title.

Certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the first novelist to sell more than one million e-books (July 2010).

Good memories are like charms. . . Each is special. You collect them, one by one, until one day you look back and discover they make a long, colorful bracelet.

Basically, I have two speeds. . . . Hostile or smart-aleck. Your choice.

I can talk to fish!" Angel said happily, water dripping off her long, skinny body. "Ask one over for dinner," Fang said, joining us.

I feel like, like pudding," Iggy groaned. "Pudding with nerve endings. Pudding in great pain.

You mean other than the wings? I once ate nine snicker bars in a row without barfing. It was a record.

Yes, Max, you are going to die. Just like everybody else. Thank you, Confucious.

A classroom . People trying to stick me in classrooms was becoming as predictable and annoying as people trying to kill me, but with less-fun results.

In a manner of speaking. As we intend for you to found a dynasty. And that dynasty will rule society until it has progressed enough to-""Overthrow the dynasty in a revolutionary, blood filled coup!" Iggy said eagerly. We all looked at him. "Just saying. " He sheepishly took a bite of cookie.

It was a little weird that they were friends. But then, maybe freaks just tended to find each other.

At that moment I had no mind to change, or not change, or throw against the nearest wall.

Nope, you stick out like a fart in a church.

The Chinese had a saying that had been in her mind for a while, troubling her: Society prepares the crime; the criminal only commits it.

Oh, look, the lights are so pretty,” I said dreamily, having just noticedthem. I smiled at the way the lights were dancing overhead, pink and yellow andblue. I felt some pressure on my arm and thought, I should look over and seewhat’s going on, but then the thought was gone, sliding away like Jell-O off ahot car hood. “Fang?”“Yeah. I’m here. ”I struggled to focus on him. “I’m so glad you’re here. ”“Yeah, I got that. ”“I don’t know what I’d do without you. ” I peered up at him, trying to seepast the too-bright lights. “You’d be fine,” he muttered. “No,” I said, suddenly struck by how unfine I would be. “I would be totallyunfine. Totally. ” It seemed very urgent that he understand this. Again I felt some tugging on my arm, and I really wondered what that wasabout. Was Ella’s mom going to start this procedure any time soon?“It’s okay. Just relax. ” He sounded stiff and nervous. “Just. . . relax. Don’ttry to talk. ”“I don’t want my chip anymore,” I explained groggily, then frowned. “Actually, I never wanted that chip. ”“Okay,” said Fang. “We’re taking it out. ”“I just want you to hold my hand. ”“I am holding your hand. ”“Oh. I knew that. ” I drifted off for a few minutes, barely aware ofanything, but feeling Fang’s hand still in mine. “Do you have a La-Z-Boy somewhere?” I roused myself to ask, every word aneffort. “Um, no,” said Ella’s voice, somewhere behind my head. “I think I would like a La-Z-Boy,” I mused, letting my eyes drift shutagain. “Fang, don’t go anywhere. ”“I won’t. I’m here. ”“Okay. I need you here. Don’t leave me. ”“I won’t. ”“Fang, Fang, Fang,” I murmured, overwhelmed with emotion. “I love you. Ilove you sooo much. ” I tried to hold out my arms to show how much, but Icouldn’t move them. “Oh, jeez,” Fang said, sounding strangled.

Memory is all I have now,Because now, the magic is everywhere.

Instinctively I started to panic when Dr. Martinez strapped my arm down, andthen the panic just melted away, la la la. Someone took my other hand. Fang. I felt his calluses, his bones, hisstrength. “I’m so glad you’re here,” I slurred, smiling dopily up at him. I took inhis startled, worried expression but dismissed it. “I know everything’s fineif you’re here. ”I thought I saw his cheeks flush, but I wasn’t too sure of anything anymore.

Beneath the handsome exterior beats a heart of darkness.

Anger, hatred, and bitterness are lethal poisons. They cause a slow, painful emotional death that only you suffer. Self-destruction will never defeat an enemy or create justice.

He rolled his eyes and took my hand. His hand was hard and calloused, tough with muscle and old scars. The night settled around us like a blanket. I could hear the water lapping against the dock. We were totally alone. “You’re ,” he began, and I waited, heart throbbing in my throat. “Such a pain,” he concluded. “What?” I asked, just as his head swooped in and his mouth touched mine. I tried to speak, but one ofFang’s hands held the back of my head, and he kept his lips pressed against me, kissing me softly but with a Fanglike determination. Oh, jeez, I thought distractedly. Jeez, this is Fang, and me, and Fang tilted his head to kiss me more deeply, and I felt totally lightheaded. Then I remembered to breathe through my nose, and the fog cleared a tiny bit. Somehow we were pressed together, Fang’s arms around me now, sliding under mywings, his hands flat against my back. It was incredible. I loved it. I loved him. It was a total disaster. Gasping, I pulled back. “I, uh—,” I began oh so coherently, and then I jumped up, almost knocking himover, and raced down the dock. I took off, flying fast, like a rocket.

Okay, if this is what falling in love feels like, someone please kill me now. (Not literally, overzealousreaders. ) But it was all too much—too much emotion, too much happiness, too much longing, perhapstoo much ice cream…,I hate you!” I screamed at Fang. Tucking my wings in, I aimed downward,diving toward the ground at more than two hundred miles an hour. “No you dooonnn’t!” Fang’s voice spiraled away into nothingness, far aboveme. Inside my head, almost drowned out by the roar of wind rushing by my ears, Iheard the Voice make a tsking sound. You guys are crazy about each other, itsaid.

Am I tough? Am I strong? Am I hard-core? Absolutely. Did I whimper with pathetic delight when I sank my teeth into my hot fried-chicken sandwich? You betcha.

happy all life for ever,Regret is a waste of time.

Human skin hisses like a rattlesnake when it burns.

Max, you can change your mind. ” His voice was like autumn leaves droppinglightly onto the ground. “I don’t know how. ”Then my throat felt tight, and I rubbed my fists against my eyes. I droppedmy face onto my arms, crossed over my knees. This sucked! I wanted to be backwith the oth-Fang’s hand gently smoothed my hair off my neck. My breath froze in mychest, and every sense seemed hyperalert. His hand stroked my hair again, sosoftly, and then trailed across my neck and shoulder and down my back, makingme shiver. I looked up. “What the heck are you doing?”“Helping you change your mind,” he whispered, and then he leaned over,tilted my chin up, and kissed me.

A fight with her mother? It was certainly within the realm of possibility, I guessed. Elizabeth was a teenager and her mother was . . . well, her mother. Normally they were the best of friends, but even best friends fight.

The idea for Maximum Ride come from the earlier books of mine called When the Wind Blows and The Lake House, which also feature a character named Max who escapes from a quiet despicable school. Most of the similarities end there. Max and the other kids in Maximum Ride are not the same Max and kids featured in those two books. nor do Frannie and Kit play any part in Maximum Ride. I hope you enjoy the ride anyways.

Itsumademo ai shiteru, Yuki. I love you forever, my daughter.

You have terminated me,” one of them said in a strange, flat voice. “But Iam one of many. ”“Robots!” Iggy breathed, taking Total from Angel. “One of many, one of many, one of many,” the robot Eraser was saying. NowNudge saw the red light in its eyes, saw how they were fading and winking out. “Good!” spat the Gasman, kicking it hard. “Because we like to blow stuff up,blow stuff up, blow stuff up!,AS WE LAY THERE WE FELT LIKE WE WERE EXTENSTIONS OF EACH OTHER, LIKE OUR BODIES AND OUR HEARTS HAD TO BE TOGETHER TO MAKE ONE WHOLE PERFECT PERSON.

A boy and a girl, fated to rule all. Two will rise, and One will fall.

I’m not comfortable in this stadium,” I explained, trying to look calm. “I know. And you hate Fang looking at those girls. But we’re still havingfun, and Fang still loves you, and you’ll still save the world. Okay?,Max. God, but she was stubborn. And tough. And closed in. Closed off. Except whenshe was holding Angel, or ruffling the Gasman’s hair, or pushing somethingcloser to Iggy’s hand so he could find it easily without knowing anyone hadhelped him. Or when she was trying to untangle Nudge’s mane of hair. Or-sometimes-when she was looking at Fang. He shifted on the hard ground, a half-dozen flashes of memory cyclingthrough his brain. Max looking at him and laughing. Max leaping off a cliff,snapping out her wings, flying off, so incredibly powerful and graceful thatit took his breath away. Max punching someone’s lights out, her face like stone. Max kissing that weiner Sam on Anne’s front porch. Gritting his teeth, Fang rolled onto his side. Max kissing him on the beach, after Ari had kicked Fang’s butt. Just now, her mouth soft under his. He wished she were here, if not next to him, then somewhere in the cave, sohe could hear her breathing. It was going to be hard to sleep without that tonight.

There you have it: our lives in a nutshell. Emphasis on nut.

I never miss a good chance to shut up,Ari smiled. The sun was shining, the weather was great, he was eating ice cream, and all his dreams were about to come true.

Denial is not just a river in Egypt.

Glaring at the Gasman, ter Borcht said, “Your time is coming to an end, youpathetic failure of an experiment. Vhat you say now is how you vill beremembered. ”Gazzy’s blue eyes flashed. “Then you can remember me telling you to kissmy-”“Enough!” ter Borcht said.

Besides my great fashion sense? I play a mean harmonica.

I loved laughing with him, loved that he could make me laugh.

I grew up in a house full of women: my mother, grandmother, three sisters, and two female cats. And I still have the buzz of their conversations in my head. As an adult, I have more female friends than male ones: I just love the way that women talk.