I hold lots of appreciation for authors.
They have one of the hardest jobs out there. (And one of the best!) They have to put themselves in the minds of villains, heroes, lovers, assassins, fighters, and in situations of danger, hope, and suspense, all from tapping out words onto a computer. Not only do they have to write the story, but they have to edit, fleshing out the characters and the plot. And, eventually, it'll be available for us to enjoy. Once the story is published, it's out of their hands and into ours. Think of the thoughts and wonderings that could be running through their head. Did the reader love it?
I think most of us writers can attest to the fact that we love to read. I want you to think of your favorite book. Have you ever let the author of that book know how much you adored it?
Stephanie and Jill over at Go Teen Writers declared February "Show an Author Some Love Month."
So, in this post, I'm going to gush over some of my favorite authors and give them the love they much deserve.
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1. Gillian Bronte Adams
Gillian's amazing blog is what first lead me to her books. For an author, I am in awe of how often she posts, and the amazing content she provides. Right now she is hosting two giveaways a month for books in different genres, and offering three advanced reader copies for her latest novella...
But enough about her blog, and onto her debut novel, Orphan's Song.
I won't go into great detail about my thoughts, (you can read my review HERE) but I loved it. And the cover is GORGEOUS. Illustrated covers have such a nice feel to them.
There can never be enough Christian fantasy books in the world, so thank you, Gillian, for writing such an epic one!
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2. Jaye L. Knight
I have been following this author since nearly the beginning of her first pen name, Molly Evangeline. It has been so much fun to watch her writing and readership progress, and get to take part in many of her adventures! I was able to be a beta reader for The King's Scrolls, coming out February 17th. It is epic, and be watching for the blog tour honoring it's release!
Jaye writes Christian fantasy that is, and for lack of a better word I'll just put: amazing. I've reread Resistance over, and over, and over again since it's release last May, and I know that it will be the same for the upcoming books. Go buy Resistance and fangirl with me. xP (And you can read my review here on Goodreads)
She makes gorgeous jewelry for writers and fans of her books. Check them out in the Etsy link below!
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3. Anne Elisabeth Stengl
I went on a Tales of Goldstone Woods reading streak starting at the beginning of this year to last Saturday.
I had seen Anne's books here and there, but never pursued them until a good friend of mine held an interview on her blog with Anne.
And I finally got to reading them this year.
Each book had a powerful theme, and each character had clear dreams and motivations. Anne's writing is flawless. Her characters made me laugh--something that books rarely do to me. And look at how many there are! Plus she's still coming out with more. That makes me happy. :D
But, seriously. You should read these books.
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Authors spend hundreds of hours working on a book just so you can read it in a couple days. Send them an email, or buy the book to add to your bookshelf. They deserve our love. Looking for some more ways to show the love? Jill shared quite a few ideas in her February is Love an Author Month post.
Byeeeee!
- Katie Grace
What authors are you going to show some love to this month?
Great idea! I've heard of two of these authors, and very good things about them besides, so it's cool that you're sharing your appreciation with them! :) I haven't read any of the books, though (sadness) so I think I'll have to put them on my reading list very soon, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteOoh, yes. You definitely have to put them on your to-read list! They're books everyone should read someday. :)
DeleteSadly, most libraries don't have these books, (except mine has the Tales of Goldstone Woods) so you'll have to buy them, OR request that your library buys them for you.
You'll have to let me know if you read any of these eventually and how you enjoy them!
I will FANGIRL with you about The Ilyon Chronicles!!!
ReplyDeleteYay!
Delete*fangirls*
This is a wonderful post, Katie. Writing a post about an author or a positive review of one of his/her books is my favorite way to thank an author, after reading the book, of course. I love Anne Elisabeth Stengl's books, and I'm slowly making my way through the series. I say slowly not because the books are slow (they most certainly aren't), but because school has been taking up a ton of my time right now. I also love how complex her characters are, and how they never fail to make me laugh. Her world building and her writing style are also flawless. I haven't tried any of Jaye's or Gillian's books, but I want to.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ana! I loved Jill's idea about writing a blog post for one of your favorite authors, so I decided to do three. :D
DeleteIt's hard to find time to read in the school year... I cannot wait until summer where I'll have unlimited time for reading!
I'm astonished at how complex Anne's plots are as well... She interconnects each book with the rest of the series. And like you said, her world building is amazing. How does she get so many ideas?!
Ooh, you should. They're both awesome. :)
I love Anne Stengl! And I've been itching to read Orphan's Song. I love Christian Fantasy and there's just not enough of it out there!
ReplyDeleteJust FYI--I stole your idea! I featured some of my favorite authors on my blog. Let's spread the love, why don't we? :)
Ally @ The Scribbling Sprite
She's so awesome. :D
DeleteOoh, you have to read Orphan's Song!
Christian Fantasy is the best genre ever. Because of the lack of Christian Fantasy books out there, that's partially what led me to start writing books in that genre.
Ooh! *runs to check out your post*
Thanks for commenting, Ally!