I’m an army brat; born March 3, 1963 in Edmonton, Alberta to father, Kevin McCarthy, and mother, Karin McCarthy; the third oldest in a family of four children. Our tribe re-located to a number of Canadian cities, finally settling in the City of Kanata, Ontario in the early 1970s. My ancestral lineage is half Newfoundland Irish from my father’s side (my grandfather Judge John Joseph McCarthy emigrated from County Cork, Ireland to St. John's, Newfoundland); and half German from my mother’s side. My writing career has seen its fair share of ups and downs. In the late 1980s, I co-wrote a tongue-in-cheek book that represented my first foray into novels. Regrettably that project never fully took off so I returned to short stories. In 1998, my first erotic poem literally poured out of me, miraculously leading to over six hundred poems over the course of six years, out of which three hundred were subsequently selected for my collections. A few of my erotic poems were later purchased by Man’s Story2Magazine, whose editor suggested I try my hand at writing vampire short stories. In their own separate ways, the art chose the artist, or rather erotic poetry and vampire fiction found me. When I willingly chose to combine the two elements, I knew it was time to whip out the power tools. My first novel, The Crimson Man, was born, ultimately resulting in the Crimson trilogy.
Anyone can enjoy vampire erotica, especially my wonderfully twisted fantasy fiction for adults. I believe in the wisdom of the Greek philosopher Aristotle and his theory of Catharsis: it’s healthy to release pent up emotions! My personal reading list does not include vampire stories to avoid unwanted influences. I toggle between fiction, autobiographical, non-fiction, poetry and scientific. Favourite authors include Paul William Roberts, Robert Shaw, Jack London, Caleb Carr, Thomas Harris, Charles Panati and Oscar Wilde. For poetical inspiration, I read Walt Whitman, Dorothy Parker and Pablo Neruda. There are countless other poets whose work I adore but simply too numerous to mention. Suffice is to say, I get a thrill writing vampire fiction because it allows me to transport myself and readers to a fantastic world. Fiction is about fun and giving the imagination permission to have a mind of its own. You need only be in possession of a tart glass of gin and tonic or a good bottle of red wine to enjoy my Crimson series of novels.
The Blog…
You are welcome to read my blog at http://www.myspace.com/patriciakathleenmccarthy, where I update readers on latest writing developments, as well as illuminate my p.o.v. In 2007, I posted over (250) blogs which probably means I have too much time or mind on my hands.
The Where…
I have been blessed with good fortune in the media, recently receiving coverage in the summer of 2008 in The Ottawa Citizen, Xpress, 24Hrs, including radio interviews on Author’s Audio, CKCU 98.1, FM 88.5, The Biblio File, CFRA Ron Corbett’s “Unscripted” and CJAD Montreal. In January 2008, I gave my first erotica-themed seminar on the subject of “Dirty Talk in Five Easy Steps” at Sexapalooza in Ottawa (www.sexapalooza.com). The success of my seminar made Maclean’s Magazine. See the Press page for details. In September 2007, I received the cover story in City Journal, Ottawa's Urban Newspaper (www.cityjournal.ca) and later in October 2007, I was featured in Image, Sandy Hill's community newspaper. In June 2007, my second novel was featured on Author's Audio (www.authorsaudio.com). In February 2007 and 2005, I was one of multiple winners of the Ottawa Citizen's Romance Short Story contest and in March 2006, Centertown News featured me. My last short story reading at The Puritan magazine launch party and in January 2005, I read at Chapters for Bywords Warms the Night. Of my three poetry collections, Vulgar Verse, Friction and Mounting the Bedpost, the third was featured on The Namasteradio show. My work has appeared in City Journal, The Puritan (Canada www.puritan-magazine.com); Man's Story2 (USA www.mansstory2.com); Androids2 (USA); Vampires2 (USA): Templar (US); Full Moon Tales (U.K.); The Ottawa Citizen (Canada); Bywords (Canada www.bywords.ca); Quills Magazine (USA); Underground Focus (U.K.); Open Wide Magazine (U.K.); Aesthetica: A Review of Contemporary Artists (U.K.); Jann Arden's official web-site (Canada); Lullaby Hearse (USA); Image Weavers (USA); Dripping (U.K.); The Muse Apprentice Guild (U.K.); Riot Angel (U.K.); the Sound and Silence Literary Magazine (USA); Voyages (India) and the Taj Mahal Review (India).
Then and Now …
I live and write in Ottawa, Ontario. My education began at Stephen Leacock Public School, followed by Earl of March Secondary School, both located in the City of Kanata. While employed as a Legislative Assistant on Parliament Hill from 1984 to 1991, I studied political science via correspondence at the universities of Waterloo and Ottawa but moved on prior to completing a degree. I have attended several workshops on subjects ranging from editing, writing erotica, to self-promotion but I have no writing pedigree, just a desire to express myself. And according to my mother, my writing skills showed themselves at a very young age when I typed out fanciful stories to please the adults at the kitchen table. But while working in the Parliament Hill trenches, I sharpened my pen by way of crafting correspondence. I learned the art of obfuscation and misdirection, two essential components needed for fantastical stories. Writing in an environment that felt like a caldron, your skills either disintegrated into party line dogma or improved immeasurably. I wrote creatively as a form of comic relief.
The fun stuff…
Who is my favourite hero of fiction? Buck from Jack London's Call of the Wild. What is my motto? Never allow the absence of perfection to prevent you from moving forward. What one movie falls in my top ten list? A Man For All Seasons. Who is my present day hero? The homeless… Of the Seven Deadly Sins, which is my favourite? Lust. What book has permanently remained in my reading pile? Leaves of Grass. What are my preferred sports? Skating on the Ottawa canal and cycling. What do I consider my greatest achievement? Becoming an independent publisher. What are my nicknames? Bella Patrizia, Sita, Lip, Red and Patty-loo. The world needs less of what? Greed. What turns me on? Imagination, kissing and dark-chocolate.
Congratulations on getting through my long-winded biography....cheers, Patricia.
