Patch Xiong was born in Laos. At two months old his family escaped to Thailand where Patch spent his four and half years in the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp before immigrating to Minnesota.

The sudden loss of his father in 2001 triggered his move to Alaska where he continued school. Xiong holds a computer programming degree from Minneapolis Business College and a business degree from Alaska Pacific University.

Xiong is a founding member of Alaska Writer’s Guild, an organization dedicated to helping published and unpublished writers.

In 2008, Xiong returned to Minnesota and now lives with his mom.