Patricia L'Ann Carwell was born on August 9, 1944 in Smyrna, Tennessee, to Robert and Erma Carwell, both civil servants.

At the age of three, Patricia moved to St.

Louis, Missouri, with her parents. When they divorced, Patricia stayed in St. Louis with her paternal grandparents; her mother and siblings returned to Tennessee. After spending these formative years with her father's parents, Patricia returned to her mother and siblings.

Patricia loved writing as a young child.

She enjoyed taking control of the words and creating her own stories. Her grandfather, teachers, parents and friends influenced her creativity. She fondly remembers hanging a poem she wrote on her third grade bulletin board.

Patricia received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1964 from Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State University, now Tennessee State University. She married Fredrick L. McKissack on December 12, 1964. They raised three children: Fredrick L., Jr., and twins...