Little Known Facts About James Patterson

James Patterson is an award-winning best-selling American author and the creator of the thriller series featuring Alex Cross. Here are some little known facts about James Patterson.

1. James Patterson is the former chairman of J.W. Thompson, an advertising company. In fact, Patterson is attributed with coming up with the slogan, "Toys R' Us Kid."

2. James Patterson's breakout novel was Along Came a Spider, which featured the now-famous character, Alex Cross. Cross is an African-American forensic psychologist working as a private psychologist and government consultant. In his previous life, he worked for the Washington D.C. Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

3. To date, two of James Patterson's Alex Cross novels have been adapted into blockbuster movies starring Morgan Freeman: Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. Adaptations of Patterson's novels When the Wind Blows and Maximum Ride are presently in production. Many of his novels have also been turned into television movies.

4. Since 2000, James Patterson has written two to three books each and every year.

5. James Patterson's work has been criticized by Stephen King, who referred to his novels as "dopey thrillers."

6. Still, James Patterson's last sixteen novels have been Number One bestsellers and grossed more than One Billion Dollars in sales.

7. James Patterson's name appears on several books written by other authors, including Maxine Paetro, Peter de Jonge, and Andrew Gross. These ghost writers are responsible for writing the novels based on outlines provided by James Patterson. Patterson has stated that this enables him to produce more books, and he loves to see how his story ideas will turn out.

8. Chapters in James Patterson's novels are relatively short, just two to four pages apiece. Patterson has stated that he feels this is an easier way to read. Short chapters help to move a story forward that much faster, and a reader can better visualize what is transpiring on the page.