James Brendan Patterson is an American author, born on March 22, 1947. He is renowned for his works including the Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women's Murder Club, Maximum Ride, Daniel X, NYPD Red, Witch & Wizard, Private, and Middle School series, as well as numerous stand-alone thrillers, non-fiction, and romance novels.

Patterson's books have been remarkably successful, selling more than 425 million copies worldwide. Notably, he was the first person to sell one million e-books. In 2016, he topped Forbes's list of highest-paid authors for the third consecutive year, with an income of $95 million. His total earnings over a decade are estimated at $700 million.

In recognition of his contributions to literature and literacy, Patterson received the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation in November 2015. He has generously donated millions of dollars in grants and scholarships to various universities, teachers' colleges, independent bookstores, school libraries, and college students to promote literacy.