I read a lot. I mean, a lot. At least four hours a day. Needless to say that I've collected a few favorite authors who are both well know and a little more obscure. All are incredible talents who I love for different reasons, and if you haven't read any of their work... Well, no time like the present!
S. G. Browne - I read the first chapter of Breathers: A Zombie's Lament in an anthology called Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Undead, compiled by John Skipp. It's rare to read a story from the point of view of a zombie, but a zombie that feels and emotes? Even rarer. The snippet was enough to make me buy the book, which lived up to its promise. It was such a fun read on its own, but it added interesting persepctives to how we would treat the undead if they were walking around, apparently looking for brains. If you're looking for a fun, clever read, I can't think of many authors better than Mr. Browne.
Cassandra Clare - Best known for her hugely popular Mortal Instruments series as well as the Clockwork Angel prequels, I hadn't intended to read into the Shadowhunter world. But I did, and like everyone else apparently, I got hooked. The world building was what lead me to buy the prequels, and will make me buy the sequel series when it comes out. While there are some cliches and it can be a little too teensy for me sometimes, I do love the mythology created in the world. It's really interesting and in depth in its details. Plus, I have a weakness for characters named Jace. Hence why I started writing one (who for the record is the polar opposite of Clare's Jace).
Suzanne Collins - Yet another author who gave me sweet heartache with The Hunger Games, this was another popular series I read just to see what all the hype was about, and found out quickly. I loved the world building and the dangers that would come up, and I can only help we get more like it!
Jennifer Estep -There are a lot of things I like about Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassin series, but the top ones would have to be: Great characters including a badass heroine, intense action, and a constant stream of new work. If it isn't a full, fledged work, it's a novella, and if it isn't one of those, there are tons of free shorts posted on her website. I love how the main character, Gin Blanco is written as an assassin as well. I won't go into detail, you'll have to read them yourself, but let's just say that I wouldn't want to get on her bad side. Unless I wanted to be filleted.
Kevin Hearne - Author of the Iron Druid Chronicles, Kevin Hearne is kind of like me when he gets into mythology. As in it's all or nothing. His main character, Atticus, is a Druid and he must be a part time expert in Celtic lore. I focus more on the Greek side, but I know my Celtic myths well enough to know that Hearne knows what he's talking about, and not just about the Celts. There's the Norse, the Greeks, the Romans, the Egyptians, all the mythology a girl could ask for. And that's before you realize the main character is a clever 2,000 year old survivor with a feisty redhead sidekick and a talking dog. Read it, and you'll understand.
Seth Grahame-Smith - Focusing on writing singular novels as compared to a whole universe worth of fiction,Seth Grahame-Smith is best known for writing his very popular Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and most recently Unholy Night. Each novel has only gotten better, twisting something classical and well known into something different and exciting. Unholy Night is my current favorite because once again, it gave me heartache.
David Moody - Bleak. That's the best way to describe Moody's novels, and I don't mean it as an insult. Quite the opposite. The Hater series was all about people randomly despising each other and struggling to survive in the most brutal ways. The Autumn series was a fresh take on the zombie genre, set in a world where there really was only a 1%. If you like the apocalyptic genre, this the the author you want to read.
Lilith Saintcrow - She's a master of world-building. In her Dante Valentine and Jill Kismet novels, she creates the world down to intimate details, and it isn't long before you find yourself immersed and eager to find out what happens in the mysteries and conspiracies hunted by hardcore heroines. Not to mention the sexy, dangerous guys who like to cause and find trouble (yes, there's a Jace in Dante Valentine. Yes, he's awesome.)
Scott Sigler - I read Contagious and Infected when I was in Cuba a few years ago. It'd be late and I would be winding down from long days in the sun. The problem became getting actual sleep, because I was too busy reading these deliciously nasty books. There was never a dull moment, and while I can tolerate a lot of gross, there were some parts that had even my skin crawling. If you can handle some ickiness, read some Sigler.
K. A. Stewart - Relatively unknown and deserving way more credit, K. A. Stewart writes the Jesse James Dawson novels, which are about a modern samurai who fights demons. What more do you need to say, really? She's currently working on a new series featured in the Wild West, a genre I never really get into, but I'm not going to say no when there's a battle-scarred warrior walking around looking to put some magical hurt down on the bad guys.
Rob Thurman - Last, but definitely not least, because she's my favorite, any of Rob Thurman's work involves adventure, sarcasm, and fun. I could go on and on about why she's my favorite author and my biggest inspiration on this list, or you could save my fingers the typing trouble and see my post here.
Granted, these aren't the only authors or current series' that I read. But these are the ones I continually read because they always manage to bring something new to the table while keeping to their distinctive style. I liked reading things that are different and unique, and all of these authors excel at exactly that. So look them up if you find yourself searching for a new read, and want a change!
Amy
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