Patti M. Walsh
A thrill-seeker since her first runaway and a storyteller since her first fib, Patti M. Walsh writes about adventures lived, laughter shared, and lessons learned. Her inspiration flows from hushed ashrams and corporate canyons as well as steamy bayous and rocky summits.
Fascinated with science, prehistory, and mythology, she offers presentations on a wide range of topics, including Celtic holidays; Celtic gods and goddesses, myths, and monsters; historically significant landmarks in Ireland; and the Aurora Borealis. She also conducts hands-on workshops related to these topics that engage middle-school students and their parents.
GHOST GIRL, her debut novel, is an upper-middle ghost story based on Celtic mythology and the first novel in the COMPANION MOON series. It was named Best Children’s Fiction of 2023 by American Book Fest.
HOUNDED, the second book in the COMPANION MOON series, won a Gold Medal in 2025 by the Florida Association of Publishers and Authors.
Extensive experience with the target audience includes teaching, academic counseling, and coauthoring an animation curriculum.
Books
Other Publications
- Footprints, Volume 13, Florida Writers Association
- Storm Stories, Gulf Coast Writers Association
- Swinging Through Childhood Anthology
- Old Mountain Press
- Florida Weekly
- Stroll
- Success.com
- Electroindustry Magazine and other trade publications
Presentations
- Lee County Public Libraries
- Pelican Preserve
- United Irish of Southwest Florida
Professional memberships:
- Florida Writers Association
- Gulf Coast Writers Association
- Pelican Pens, Fort Myers, Florida
- Thomas Jefferson Writers’ Group, Fairfax, Virginia
- United Irish of Southwest Florida
Awards
- 2025 Gold, Hounded, Middle-Grade Fiction, Florida Association of Publishers and Authors
- 2025 Third Place, Non-Fiction, “The Other Side of the Mountain,” Gulf Coast Writers Association
- 2024 First Place, Non-Fiction, “Between the Heat and the Bugs,” Gulf Coast Writers Association
- 2023 Best Children’s Fiction, Ghost Girl, American Book Festival
- 2023 Silver, Ghost Girl, Middle-Grade Fiction, Florida Association of Publishers and Authors
- 2023 Second Place, Short Fiction, “Ghosts of Clotheslines Past,” Gulf Coast Writers Association
- 2021 Bronze, Ghost Girl, Middle-Grade Fiction, (Unpublished) Florida Writers Association
- Hermes Creative Awards (2019, 2018, 2016)
Patti publishes Come to Think of It, a newsletter that prompts its readers to think about stimulating topics and fun facts.
She blogs at What The Cats Are Reading and maintains an active presence on LinkedIn, FaceBook, and Instagram.
A full-time resident of Southwest Florida, she enjoys sun, surf, and local culture.
