Favorite Authors' Favorites

Welcome to my new feature all about author favorites. One thing I really love about the internet is the access it gives us to authors. Heck, I’m a fangirl and I’m not afraid to admit it, and I LOVE to be able to help readers get to know their favorite authors as well as discover new ones.

When I put the call out to authors to answer my ‘Favorites’ questions, I didn’t expect for my to-read list to grow so fast. Grab a pen and paper, or log onto Goodreads, because more than likely you’ll find a title or two to add to your very own list. Please visit the authors’ websites and browse their work. Be sure to come back weekly to learn more about many awesome authors!

I asked authors to share with us which book inspired them to write.

Many Waters by Madeline L’Engle, because I loved the story and it made me realize that instead of trying to find more books like it, I could create something myself. -Meradeth Houston ( Meradet writes Young Adult and New Adult fantasy and science fiction.)   

NUMBER THE STARS by Lois Lowrey, MG. When I was teaching fifth grade, we read Newbery books together in class. They all were good, but NUMBER THE STARS was my favorite. We had the students research WWII before we started reading so they’d better understand what was happening, and not only did the kids learn a lot, this teacher learned too. I had been writing articles for children’s magazines, but the students’ enthusiasm for reading this book and others started me to thinking about writing novels for children. -BeverlyStowe McClure (Beverly writes fiction for children and teens.) 

There isn’t one. I’ve always written, but The Island of the Blue Dolphins spurred me into the historical genre at the age of 11. In fact, I wrote my first 100 page “fan fiction” based off that book using side characters. It was epic—at least in my eyes. =) –Crystal Collier (Crystal writes fantastic genre mash-ups for teens and young (even if only at heart) women. There may even be cheese involved. Or not. ) 

I also asked authors which book has the most atmosphere.

For me, hands down, the most atmospheric book I’ve read is the contemporary Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell. Set in the deep Missouri Ozarks, the protagonist, sixteen-year-old Ree Dolly is Shakespearian in her attempts to keep her brother and sister safe. A yarn of true genius, the word ‘atmosphere’ was invented for this book. -Nancy Stewart (Nancy writes fiction for kids and young adults) 

SERAPHINA by Rachel Hartman. This book was brilliantly written from start to finish—characters, setting, action, and voice. -SA Larsen (Sheri writes about the unseen and the average teen/tween who's not so average.) 

The Fog, by James Herbert—fog overtakes a town and incites fear in readers. -Angela Smith (Angela writes romance novels in an attempt to solve love’s mystery, where happy-ever-afters are a given and characters seek adventure.)  

Now let’s hear from you! If you’re a writer, which book inspired you to write? If you aren’t a writer, share your story about what a book DID inspire you to do. What book do you feel has the most atmosphere?

Are there any ‘favorites’ questions you’d like me to ask the authors that you haven’t seen yet? I’m putting together the questions for the next round of interviews, so let me know in comments and I’ll get it added.