Patrick is a poet and fiction writer with an MA in Creative and Professional Writing whose work includes poetry, short stories, and novels. She writes for adults, teens, and children. Her work has received honors from the Academy of American Poets and Loft-McKnight Awards in poetry and fiction. Patrick describes herself as an "anxious optimist" full of hope; her books reflect that optimism and the importance of love and family. She taught middle school for over twenty years and said teaching seventh grade was the best job ever. She lives in Minnesota and enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and watching college basketball. She was once the hula hoop champion of Osceola County.