Yesterday over at Go Teen Writers Jill Williamson proclaimed February Love an Author month. I think this is a fantastic idea! All those loveable books on our shelves were put there by a lot of work. The author behind our favorite tales wouldn’t be able to write those stories without their fans. They can’t keep producing stories if they’re unable to get readers, nor would they want to if no support ever came their way. We writers are a delicate people, am I right? A little support and encouragement can go a long, long, long way. Jill Williamson shared a perfect list on ways to support that favorite author of yours. I mean, when we find a book that speaks to our hearts and changes our lives and causes us to irresponsibly stay up until the wee hours of the morning turning the pages we want the world to know about it. Right? We need to shout about it loud and proud! In honor of this Love an Author month, I’ve decided to do a highlight of some of my favorites. Of course, this just covers the authors that still, you know, are alive. J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis don’t really have blogs and twitters so. . .ahem. Let’s show ‘em some love! Bryan Davis
If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time I’m sure you’ve picked up that Bryan Davis is one of my absolute favorite authors. There are no rivals to his stories purely by the uniqueness of them. I could read his Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire series forever and ever and ever and never grow tired of them. They’re modern fantasy stories with some Arthurian Legend thrown in for good measure, the most loveable characters you’ll ever meet, and issues that will strengthen your walk with God and grow your faith. They probably have the most intriguing plots I’ve ever read. These are not simple stories. The plot just gets bigger and bigger, with plot twists thrown in around every corner. I never could guess what would happen next because only Mr. Davis’s imagination could produce such interesting, epic happenings. Though those are my favorites of his, all his stories have the same unexpected, intriguing plots. His Echoes from the Edge trilogy is another favorite of mine. I enjoyed the Tales of Starlight and Dragons of Starlight series but they didn’t grip me quite as much as his others. But they were still great reads. Um, hello, DRAGONS. And I totally loved one of his newer projects Reapers. If you love fantasy and complex plots, go read this man’s books! Also, he just recently started a new blog that’s an awesome network for writers. I’ve already greatly benefitted from it. Even if you’ve never read any of his books but are a budding writer, I highly suggest checking out The Author’s Chair. Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads ——————————————————————————————————————- Jill Williamson
You saw me just mention her, with good reason. This lady. . .wow. She inspires me. Her writing is phenomenal. I can’t even conceive how she makes her characters so REAL and everything so clear in her stories. It is just astounding. Her fantasy trilogy, Blood of Kings, instantly went on my top favorites list when I read them. Epic fantasy with amazing characters and gripping writing? Yes please! I also read Captives, the first in The Safe Lands trilogy, and I NEED the other two, like now. And though her Mission League series is a bit. . .different and I’ve only read the first of it as well, it still took me only about two sittings to read because it’s just impossible to put her books down, no matter what they’re about. As her bio says, she writes weird books for teens, but I LOVE that. She’s another one who you’ll find produce some very unique tales. No run-of-the-mill stuff from this author. And only real quality storytelling. Not only does Mrs. Williamson write amazing books, she gives back by co-hosting Go Teen Writers, THE source for writers aiming to get published. Seriously, I don’t care if you’re not a teen (I’m not either, it’s okay) this blog has invaluable information for ALL writers. Just from reading this blog I went from not having a single clue how publishing worked to knowing the system thoroughly, and my writing quality has vastly improved since subscribing. You know what else is awesome? Jill Williamson and Stephanie Morrill (the creator of Go Teen Writers) co-authored a book, also titled Go Teen Writers, all about turning your first draft into a published novel. It is my source for all things writerly. Honestly, I don’t know how I ever lived without this book. Don’t you just love authors who give back? AND Mrs. Williamson has recently come out with another writing source book called Storyworld First, a guide to creating a unique fantasy world. I’ve yet to get my hands on it, but if anyone’s qualified to teach how to make interesting fantasy worlds, it’s her. Basically, Jill Williamson is awesome. ‘Nough said. Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads ——————————————————————————————————————- Stephanie Morrill
Of course you can’t bring up Jill Williamson without mentioning Stephanie Morrill. She’s the creator of Go Teen Writers and works tirelessly encouraging writers and aiding in their constant quest to write better stories. And boy does she do a good job! I really believe she has the gift of teaching. There has been so many times that she’ll post about a concept I’ve struggled with for years and put it so simply I grasp it instantly. I owe so much to this sweet author. She has helped my writing journey blossom. Mrs. Morrill writes contemporary young adult fiction which is a genre I never dabble into, but I couldn’t help but read some of her stories and I’m glad I did! I devoured her The Reinvention of Skyler Hoyt trilogy and I NEVER read contemporary, chick-lit stories. But these I read in just a few days! Her characters got me from the beginning and I had to see their journey to the end. And the tight, easy writing style made for a very enjoyable read. I also read the first book of her Ellie Sweet series and absolutely loved it. It’s about an awkward writer’s journey to publication, so obviously it had my interest. This author is amazing. She spends SO much time helping us writers out. I can’t thank her enough! Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads ——————————————————————————————————————- Anne Elisabeth Stengl
One day many years ago I was in a bookstore and a book titled Heartless caught my eye. The back cover blurb gripped me so much I bought it then and there, and back then I NEVER bought books that I had never heard of or hadn’t been recommended, especially at full price! But something made me buy this book, and thus began my Anne Elisabeth Stengl obsession. I remember while reading the book I kept thinking that if I could one day write as beautifully as her, my life would be complete. I still feel that way. Mrs. Stengl has some of the most beautiful writing I’ve ever read. Her flowing, vivid prose is enchanting. She writes original fairytale stories called the Tales of Goldstone Wood series. Though each book is its own story, every one adds and builds to the story world more and more in a brilliantly unique way. I honestly cannot even express how much I love these books. The writing is reason enough to read them, but the plots themselves are so masterfully constructing just. . .agh! There are no words. If you love fairytales, unique worlds, loveable characters, and beautiful writing BUY THESE BOOKS. Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads ——————————————————————————————————————- Mirriam Neal
This girl. . .she is amazing. Mirriam is a good writing buddy of mine and an author whose talent blows me away every time I read any bit of her work. I’ve very, very, very shamefully yet to get my hands on her published book Monster but I have read quite a few of her WIPs and. . .wow. There really aren’t words. Mirriam is The Master at characters. Seriously. If ever an author writes real and loveable characters it’s Mirriam Neal. You just can’t beat quality like that. But it’s not just her characters. Her brilliant brain comes up with plots that drive me to threaten her with torches and pitchforks to send me the next chapter of her WIPs now. The gripping stories and plot twists this girl comes up with! What blows my mind even more is her ability to seamlessly change her writing style to fit perfectly to whatever book she’s writing at the time. She has a beautiful writing voice and can spin a tale like Rumpelstiltskin spins straw into gold. Also her blog is one of my favoritest blogs of ever. So yes. Blog | GoodReads ——————————————————————————————————————- Gillian Bronte Adams
For over a year I’ve followed this sweet girl’s blog and adored every post. So when she announced she signed a contract for a book deal, well, excitement is putting it lightly. I was thrilled. Just through her blog I could see the talent oozing from this girl. I NEEDED a book from her. Her debut book, Orphan’s Song, is the first of the Songkeeper Chronicles, and is a delightful fantasy tale. This book is full of precious and fun characters, peril around every corner, and adventure galore. It’s not an easy book to put down, let me tell you! And Gillian’s imaginative, descriptive style brings the story alive. In March she’ll have a new story, Out of Darkness Rising, releasing that I NEED to get my hands on, desperately. Gillian is a sweet, fun, amazing person and I can’t wait to read more of her charming stories! And her blog is just a delight, with all sorts of fun writerly things!   Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads ——————————————————————————————————————- I could probably spend an eternity raving about my favorite authors, but these are some of my top picks. Each of these talented people deserves so much love. Their stories have touched me in many, many ways and they themselves have inspired and influenced me more than I could ever express. I am so grateful to each and every one of them. Who are some of YOUR favorite authors??? Please tell! I’m on an ever constant search for more good books. And don’t forget, show ‘em some love! They need our support, and deserve it.